Thank you, Carleton Place.
See you at UAFest 2027.
On September 13 Riverside Park became one day in Ukraine: varenyky and borscht, songs and dance, makers at their tables and the Rushnyk of Unity — Rushnyk of Victory on the grass. UAFest 2027 is already in the works, and the waiting list hears the date first.
Take the festival home
T-shirts and a tote bag from two collections drawn for UAFest by Lulu Design Studio. Every piece is printed to order.
This is how it went
The Rushnyk of Unity — Rushnyk of Victory carried through town, the Unity Ride rolling in from Ottawa, dancers on the main stage and a park full of neighbours from noon to six. Thank you for coming.
119 photos in the 2026 album
The 160-metre rushnyk crossed the Atlantic, and Carleton Place carried it
Stitched by 120+ embroiderers across 14 European countries and holder of a European Record, the Rushnyk of Unity — Rushnyk of Victory made its North American premiere on September 13. Adults, teens and children carried it through Carleton Place into Riverside Park.
Thank you to every pair of hands that held the cloth.
The convoy drove from Ottawa to Carleton Place
Cars and motorcycles under Ukrainian flags rolled from Ottawa to the festival gates on September 13. Thank you to every driver and rider. Want to drive in 2027? The list hears about registration first.
Ottawa assembly · 2024A festival built by the community
UAFest is a Ukrainian cultural festival near Ottawa — an open day for everyone who wants to experience Ukraine. It brings together Ukrainian food, music, dance, crafts, art, children's activities, entrepreneurs, volunteers and local partners in one welcoming public space — a cultural bridge between Ukrainians and Canadians, between heritage and future, between local community and global support.
- Culture
- Ukrainian music, dance, traditions, crafts, food and heritage, shared in one open-air setting at Riverside Park.
- Community
- A gathering point for families, newcomers, volunteers, local residents and friends of Ukraine — Ukrainian and Canadian alike.
- Impact
- A platform that supports community initiatives and Ukrainian children and families affected by the war, one festival day at a time.
From a garage sale to the Ottawa Valley's Ukrainian festival
In spring 2023, Carleton Place resident Gloria Bradley held a garage sale to support Ukrainian families newly arrived in Lanark County. That fall, the first Ukrainian Fest welcomed about 1,000 guests and raised enough to send Christmas gifts to 50 children in Ukraine's Kharkiv region.
Every year since, the table has gotten bigger: roughly 3,000 guests in 2024, more than 4,000 in 2025, and on September 13, 2026, Riverside Park gathered us for the fourth time. Same volunteer-run, community-first festival, with a bigger crowd around it every year.
UAFest began as thanks to the Canadians who welcomed Ukrainians into their communities, and that spirit still shapes the day: free admission, an open door for vendors and volunteers, and a portion of every festival's proceeds going back to families still living through the hardest version of that story.
Read the full story →Seven zones, one big day
Wander from the tavern to the market to the main stage — every corner has something to taste, hear or make, from noon to six.
About 1,000 guests in 2023, 3,000 in 2024, more than 4,000 in 2025. And in 2026, thank you to every one of you who came to Riverside Park.
Be there in 2027 — join the listWhat a day at Riverside Park looks like
Real faces from real festivals — the crowd, the music, the market and the kids who make UAFest what it is.
More than a festival day
A portion of every UAFest goes directly to Kids of Ukraine, supporting psychosocial programs for children and teens affected by the war — proof that a neighbourhood festival can reach further than Lanark County.
“We started with a single garage sale and one idea — bring people together. Every year since, the community has leaned in a little more.”
— The UAFest Lanark County TeamThere's a place for you at UAFest 2027
The date and the venue are still being settled. Tell us how you'd like to take part — as a guest, a vendor, a sponsor, a volunteer or a performer — and the call for your role reaches you first.
A growing ecosystem
UAFest is more than one day a year. These projects extend the community's reach year-round.
Backed by community and business
Thank you to the sponsors and partners of UAFest 2026 for standing behind the day. Meet them →
Past festival supporters have included
Partner with UAFest 2027
The people you'd be joining
UAFest is 100% volunteer-run. This is the organizing core behind the 2026 festival.
Financial-literacy educator and certified Rotary trainer — the steady hand behind festival day at Riverside Park.
Ottawa-based entrepreneur and owner of bridal boutique ALICE, originally from Cherkasy, Ukraine.
Leads the festival's marketing and digital platform, plus the year-round UAFest.Business, Capital and Network projects.
Leads the complete concert and cultural program — performers, music, dance, stage flow and the Ukrainian traditions at the heart of UAFest.
Coordinates sponsorships and partnerships, shapes UAFest's visual language and supports project administration, grants and the Rushnyk Pan-American Tour.