​A heartfelt thank you to Ukraine Harmony Foundation and Film Hive, for organizing Ukraine’s Independence Day festival yesterday in West Kelowna, and to the United Way British Columbia for the grant money, which made it all possible.

We are eternally grateful to Amber Paran at Grizzli Winery for allowing us to move our Ukrainian market and meal indoors last minute due to the rain. Your staff were not only professional and courteous, later in the evening they took the time to wipe down the seats of the outdoor theater and provided warm blankets so we could all enjoy the Ukrainian kids movie at the end of our event. Kudos to you all!

We express our gratitude to teacher Natalia Teslia and the Gilea-dancers for their fabulous performance. These precious children are our future and it was amazing to watch them perform with such passion and precision. Thank you Onbelay Creations for hand crocheting the sweet little turtle sunflowers in Ukrainian blue and yellow as a gift to the Gilea Dancers for their performance.

The traditional Ukrainian food prepared by Ukrainian Canadian Volunteers Association was not only delicious, it was enjoyed by several hundred people!

An extra special thanks to Elena Heychenko and Kenny Kushnir for lending a helping hand and saving the day on several different occasions!! We couldn’t have done it without you!!

And last but not least a huge thank you to all the vendors including DNApparel for making our market a fun and festive place to be!

Ukraine Independence Day celebrations will be taking place at Grizzly Winery in West Kelowna this year.

Local groups have organized a festival that will include food stalls, wine tasting, kids games and other vendors, as well as a special screening of the Ukrainian animated movie Stolen Princess (no subtitles).

Donations will be collected to help support those recovering from the recent bombing of a children’s hospital in Kyiv that killed more than 40 people, including five children.

Ukraine Independence Day is August 24. It has been marked publicly in the Central Okanagan for the past three years, ever since the Russian Invasion in February 2022. Last year’s commemoration at Stuart Park in Kelowna was postponed to early September, due to wildfires.

The national holiday in Ukraine dates back to 1991, the first anniversary of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine passed by Ukraine's parliament in 1990.

The family-friendy event at Grizzly Winery (2550 Boucherie Rd.) takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 24, with the film screening beginning at 8:30 p.m.

While it’s free to attend, capacity is limited to 200 people. Reserve your tickets here. Participants are also encouraged to bring a chair, if possible.

The Ukraine Independence Day Festival and movie screening are hosted by Ukraine Harmony Foundation and Film Hive. Other sponsors include the United Way, Bravery Foundation and Sustain Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Canadian Volunteers Association, Kelowna Stands With Ukraine along with other organizations and local vendors are joining the event as participants.