People from Ukraine were among the first to come and settle in Canada. And on Saturday, Regina’s Ukrainian community celebrated its heritage with the Ukrainian Festival in downtown Regina.

Holly Paluck is the chair of the festival committee. “Our celebration and our strong sense of being tied to our past, our ancestry of where we have come, it is such a vibrant part of many of our lives. And not is only about celebrating ourselves but we are so excited that so many people remain interested in cultural events.”

Dancers, singers, artisans, and food vendors showcase their authentic Ukrainian talents from morning until night when they celebrate zabava, a traditional feast to celebrate harvest.

The festival brought in a star performer all the way from Lviv, Ukraine. Sofiya Fedyna is an opera singer with a distinct message for peace around the world and sees music as a healing medium for us all

“What we need is positive peace, where we keep to the rights of human rights, when we respect each other and promote tolerance. Once in my life I stopped conflict singing, so that is my dream for the future, maybe not only in Ukraine but on the world scale,” says Fedyna.

This year's Ukrainian festival falls on the 120th anniversary of their immigration to Canada. While it is a celebration of Ukrainian music, dance, and food, it also marks their 21st anniversary of independence from soviet Russia.