Can I use these photographs?

Yes, for editorial coverage of the festival, with the credit shown beside each file. Please email us first so we can log the use and confirm the credit line — we reply the same day in the run-up to the festival.

Do you have higher-resolution files?

Yes. The files on this page are web exports at 1,200–1,400 px. Camera originals from 2024 and 2025 run 6–20 MB each and cover the stage, food, craft market, children's zone and crowds. Tell us the shot you need and we'll send originals.

Who can I interview, and in what language?

See the spokespeople above. Interviews are available in English and Ukrainian; for the rushnyk project, interpretation can be arranged. UAFest is entirely volunteer-run, so please give us a few days' notice where you can.

Yes, and we'll help you plan it. Email us with your outlet and the slot you're filling and we'll confirm timings and a contact for the day.

UAFEST · Carleton Place, ON · Sep 13 2026

Press kit & media centre

Everything you need to file a story on UA FEST — the Ukrainian festival at Riverside Park in Carleton Place, 45 minutes west of Ottawa. Photography with credits, a fact sheet you can paste straight into copy, quotable boilerplate, and people who will pick up the phone.

Download the press release (PDF)Download the media kit (PDF)Download photos + logo (ZIP)

Media enquiriesinfo@uafest.ca Phone+1 (613) 621-1261

Interviews inEnglish · Ukrainian

The story this year

A 160-metre European record leaves Europe for the first time — and lands here

The Rushnyk of Unity — Rushnyk of Victory is an embroidered cloth 160.5 metres long, made of 89+ separate panels stitched by communities across 14 European countries. On 15 May 2026, in Tallinn, The Book of World Records certified it as a European Record. Canada is its 15th country — Carleton Place is the first stop on this continent, and Lanark County residents are being invited to embroider the panel that joins it.

Photography of the rushnyk itself is held by the project rather than by UAFest. Ask us and we will put you in touch.

Full background, timeline and route →

The full embroidered rushnyk installation hanging across a stone church nave

Fact sheet

Verified, and safe to quote

What: UA FEST — Ukrainian Fest Lanark County, the county's annual Ukrainian cultural festival
When: Sunday, September 13, 2026 · 12:00–18:00
Where: Riverside Park, Lake Ave W, Carleton Place, Ontario
Admission: Free
Organizer: Ukrainian Community of Lanark County — a not-for-profit corporation, Ontario Corporation No. 1000983432
Staff: None. 100% volunteer-run, every year since 2023
Founded: Spring 2023, from a garage sale held by Carleton Place resident Gloria Bradley — the first festival was held on November 5, 2023
Attendance: 2023 — 1,000+ · 2024 — 3,000+ · 2025 — 4,000+ · 2026 goal — 5,000+
Charity partners: Rotary for Kids of Heroes (2023) · Save Ukraine (2024) · Kids of Ukraine (2025)
On the day: Ukrainian food, live music and dance, craft and vendor market, children's zone, art workshops, heritage exhibition

Boilerplate

The paragraph to paste at the foot of your piece

UAFest (Ukrainian Fest Lanark County) began in spring 2023 as a garage sale organized by Carleton Place resident Gloria Bradley to support Ukrainian families displaced by war. The funds raised launched the first festival on November 5, 2023, drawing more than 1,000 visitors. By 2025 the festival had grown to more than 4,000 attendees, with a goal of 5,000+ for 2026. UAFest is 100% volunteer-run — no paid staff — organized by the Ukrainian Community of Lanark County with support from community partners. It is held at Riverside Park, Lake Ave W, Carleton Place, ON. A share of festival proceeds supports a charity partner each year: Rotary for Kids of Heroes (2023), Save Ukraine (2024) and Kids of Ukraine (2025).

Photography · 6 files

Press photography

Web exports, ready to publish now. Camera originals from 2024 and 2025 run 6–20 MB and cover the stage, food, craft market, children's zone and crowds — tell us the shot you need and we'll send them. Use for editorial coverage of the festival, with the credit shown; a quick email first lets us log the use and confirm the credit line.

Festival photography by Maryna Shum (2025) and Tetiana Dodonova (2024). Aftermovie filmed by Denys Savchenko with the Taisiia Mnishenko drone team — watch it on /past-events. More stills in the gallery.

Who can speak

Spokespeople

Festival direction, programme, the organization: Olga Ialovenko — Festival Director & Lead OrganizerEnglish · Ukrainian
The Rushnyk of Unity — history, authorship, the European Record: A representative of the rushnyk projectUkrainian, interpretation available
Growth, partnerships, media and digital: Maksym Stepanenko — Co-organizerEnglish · Ukrainian

Requests route through info@uafest.ca. Tell us your angle and your deadline. We are all volunteers with day jobs, so a few days' notice helps — but in festival week we move fast.

On the record

What has already been published

Impact: A $9,395 cheque to Save Ukraine (2024), presented with Toby Randell, Mayor of Carleton Place. Full impact record
Announcements: Festival announcements, community stories and impact reports — /news
Footage: The 2024 aftermovie, filmed on the ground and by drone — /past-events

Questions we get

Can I use these photographs?: Yes, for editorial coverage of the festival, with the credit shown beside each file. Please email us first so we can log the use and confirm the credit line — we reply the same day in the run-up to the festival.
Do you have higher-resolution files?: Yes. The files on this page are web exports at 1,200–1,400 px. Camera originals from 2024 and 2025 run 6–20 MB each and cover the stage, food, craft market, children's zone and crowds. Tell us the shot you need and we'll send originals.
Who can I interview, and in what language?: See the spokespeople above. Interviews are available in English and Ukrainian; for the rushnyk project, interpretation can be arranged. UAFest is entirely volunteer-run, so please give us a few days' notice where you can.
Can we film on site?: Yes, and we'll help you plan it. Email us with your outlet and the slot you're filling and we'll confirm timings and a contact for the day.

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