Exclusive Drive & Ride Experience SponsorUnity Ride
& Drive 2026
Ottawa → Carleton Place
Sunday, September 13, 2026 · Cars · Motorcycles · Community
- Ukrainian Heritage Month
- Rushnyk of Unity arrival
- Finish at UAFest 2026
Real UAFest archive · 2024
The column already has a story
SINCE 2024
The road to the festival is a tradition
It started in 2024, when a blue-and-yellow column drove into the festival on festival morning. Cars wore the flags of Ukraine and Canada, drivers came from several cities, and the festival met the column at the gates — an unforgettable addition of Ukrainian strength and unity.
In 2026 the drive becomes an official UAFest pre-festival event with its own name — Unity Ride & Drive — and one goal for the year: 100+ cars and 25+ motorcycles in one column. Every registration below makes it longer.
The 2026 column is forming — add your vehicle
The route
ASSEMBLY · OTTAWA
The column forms
Drivers gather in Ottawa on the morning of festival day — flags go up, hoods get their blue-and-yellow covers, marshals walk the line for a short safety briefing. The exact assembly point and start time are emailed to registered participants closer to the day.
THE DRIVE · HWY 7
Flags on the highway
Cars, SUVs, trucks and motorcycles roll west together — decorated, legal and unhurried. The convoy follows the Highway Traffic Act the whole way: no red-light heroics, no blocked intersections, marshals along the route. People wave from overpasses and sidewalks; that's the point.
FINISH · RIVERSIDE PARK
Straight into the festival
The column crosses the Mississippi into Carleton Place's historic main street and arrives at Riverside Park, right as UAFest 2026 opens at noon — bringing the Rushnyk of Unity story with it. Park, step out, and the festival day begins.
More than a drive
Decorate your vehicle
Flags, hood covers, ribbons — decoration is the heart of the convoy. The one rule: nothing may cover your plate, lights, windshield or mirrors. Tick the decoration-package box in the form and we'll help with materials.
Motorcycles ride too
Riders and clubs are a core part of the column. Tell us your club or group in the form so we can place you together in the order of march.
The Festival Car Showcase
The most striking vehicles are considered for a showcase spot at the festival itself — tick the box in the form and add a photo of your car.
Families welcome
This is a family event at highway speed limits, with a festival at the finish. Kids, grandparents, dogs in bandanas — all of it belongs in the column.
At the finish line — the festival itself
Riverside Park · photos: frames from the festival's 2024 aftermovie — video Denys Savchenko, drone Taisiia Mnishenko
Exclusive Drive & Ride Experience Sponsor
Powered locally by Bean Chevrolet Buick GMC
The family-run Carleton Place dealership is backing Unity Ride & Drive 2026 and the festival’s automotive experience — a local partner serving Carleton Place and the Ottawa Valley.
Meet Bean Cars ↗REGISTRATION · UAR-####
Register your vehicle
Four short steps. Registration is free; every driver gets a personal UAR number and a confirmation email, and assembly details arrive by email before the day.
- Driver
- Vehicle
- Options
- Rules
Quick answers
- How much does it cost?
- Nothing — registration is free. You cover only your own fuel.
- Where exactly do we meet?
- The general start zone is Ottawa; the exact assembly point and time go out by email to registered drivers only.
- Do I need to decorate my car?
- Decoration is warmly encouraged and never required — an undecorated car in the column still makes the column longer.
- What if the weather turns?
- The festival runs rain or shine, and so does the drive.