UAFest 2026: Photos, Highlights & What Comes Next

On September 13, Riverside Park became one day in Ukraine. UAFest 2026 brought Ukrainian food, music, dance, makers and families together in Carleton Place, about 45 minutes from Ottawa — and the first photos are now live in the UAFest 2026 recap.

One of the day's defining moments happened before the crowd even settled into the park: the Rushnyk of Unity, a European-record embroidered cloth more than 160 metres long, was carried through Carleton Place for its North American premiere. Adults, teens and children held the cloth together as it moved toward Riverside Park.

The Unity Ride arrived from Ottawa in blue and yellow, the main stage stayed busy with music and dance, and the market, food and family areas carried the rest of the afternoon. We're still collecting photos from visitors, volunteers and participants, so the festival gallery will keep growing after festival day instead of freezing as a one-day archive.

UAFest is also deliberately becoming more than an annual event. The year-round UAFest projects connect culture, community, Ukrainian businesses, new ideas and future festivals. And planning for the next edition has already started: the UAFest 2027 waiting list is open for guests, vendors, sponsors, volunteers and performers.

“Festival day is over. UAFest is not.”

— The UAFest team

Keep the story moving

Browse the 2026 photos, send us your own pictures, follow the Rushnyk's journey, meet the people and organizations in the UAFest Family, or explore the projects growing between festivals. The next UAFest should start with a stronger community than the last one ended with.