Our Story
From a garage sale to a growing Ukrainian cultural festival in Lanark County.
Where it began — a spring garage sale in Carleton Place that grew into the first UAFest the same year.
It started with a garage sale — and it hasn't stopped growing since
In the spring of 2023, Carleton Place resident Gloria Bradleyheld a garage sale to support Ukrainian families displaced by war. It was a small, personal gesture — but it didn't stay small for long.
The funds raised that spring launched the first Ukrainian Fest Lanark County the same year, welcoming more than 1,000 guests. In 2024, the festival roughly tripled in size — and by 2025, more than 4,000 people filled Riverside Park for a full day of Ukrainian food, music, dance and craft.
UAFest is organized by the Ukrainian Community of Lanark County, with support from community partners — and it remains 100% volunteer-run: no paid staff, just neighbours who show up year after year to build something meaningful together.
At its heart, UAFest was created as a way to say thank you — to a Canadian community, and a wider Ottawa Valley, that opened its doors to Ukrainian families with openness, generosity and solidarity. Sharing Ukrainian food, music, dance and craft is our way of giving something back.
Why Lanark County, and why it matters
Carleton Place sits in the Ottawa Valley, close to the National Capital Region and its own large, long-established Ukrainian-Canadian community. UAFest brings that connection closer to home for Lanark County — a space to preserve and pass on Ukrainian history and heritage, and to build bridges with the Canadian neighbours who have supported Ukrainian families since the earliest days of the war.
“We don't aim to be the biggest — we strive to be the most genuine and meaningful. Our goal is to create a space where Ukrainian roots meet Canadian hearts.”
— The UAFest Lanark County TeamWhat guides us
A volunteer-run festival
UAFest has no paid staff — just neighbours who show up, year after year, to plan, build and run the festival together: Olga Ialovenko, Anna Tkachenko, Maksym Stepanenko, and the named department leads — over 20 volunteers in kitchen, culture, kids' zone, business and admin — who make festival day happen.
Three years of growth — and it's only getting bigger
A share of every festival's proceeds supports Kids of Ukraine, helping children and teens affected by the war heal, adapt, and rebuild a sense of home.
In October 2024, the festival's $9,395 cheque for that year's charity partner, Save Ukraine, was presented at a formal ceremony together with Toby Randell, Mayor of Carleton Place, to the foundation's founder Mykola Kuleba — in the presence of Senator Hon. Dr. Stanley Kutcher. That same year, the Carleton Place Community Enrichment Program and Council approved $1,500 of in-kind support for the festival, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada sent warm words and a Ukrainian flag.
In 2025, that same spirit of giving carried forward into a new partnership with Kids of Ukraine. See the full Impact Reports for a year-by-year breakdown.
About UAFest — FAQ
No. UAFest is a community cultural festival organized by volunteers and open to everyone, Ukrainian or not. It stands on its own, independent of any church or political group.
UAFest is 100% volunteer-run, with no paid staff. The festival is funded through community fundraising, vendor and sponsor support, and donations — with a share of proceeds going to charity partners supporting Ukrainian children and families affected by the war.
UAFest is organized by the Ukrainian Community of Lanark County, a volunteer-run non-profit, with support from community partners.
Have a different question? See the full FAQ.