Friends of Ukraine - Madison

08/24/2026

🇺🇦 З Днем Незалежності України! Happy Ukrainian Independence Day! 🇺🇦

Today Ukraine celebrates its 35th anniversary of restoring its independence. Please take a moment today to think of the generations of heroes who have sacrificed for that independence and are continuing to bravely fight for it now.

In recognition of the milestone of the 35th Independence Day, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway issued proclamations, congratulating Ukrainians living in Wisconsin and in Madison on the occasion.

The mayor presented the proclamation to our organization on Saturday at Ukraine Fest 2026 and she was given a Wisconsin flag signed by Ukrainian military service members as a thank-you for Wisconsin’s support for Ukraine. The flag was brought back to Wisconsin from Ukraine by Alex Kricha who volunteered for Jeeps For Peace.

08/24/2026

We owe another immense thank-you to the donors, sponsors, and super volunteers whose contributions - monetary and in-kind - allowed us to carry out Ukraine Fest 2026. Your generosity is appreciated and won’t be forgotten!

💛*Gold Sponsors*
Katharisma Cleaning, LLC
Oleg Kizimenko Madison and Beyond Realty - Sponsored the Beverage Station
WORT FM 89.9

🩶*Silver Sponsors*
CelBlox
Heartland Building & Design, LLC - Sponsored the Borshch Station

💙*All Sponsors*
Bloom Bake Shop Monroe Street
Buck and Honeys
Candy Cloud
Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co.
Comedy on State
Cooper's Hawk
The Creative Company - Sponsored the Borshch Station
Crossroads Coffeehouse
Diane Pelliteri
Eken Park Fest
Food Fight Restaurant Group
Forward Madison FC
Fred Astaire Dance Studios
Fresh Mart
Grab Your Sweets
Harbor Athletic Club
Harmony Valley Farm
Intermarket International grocery store
Ian’s Pizza
Just Right Cake
Kwik Trip, Inc.
Latitude Graphics
Orange Tree Imports
Pellitteri Waste Systems
Restaino Realtors Relocation
Schwoegler's Park Towne Lanes
The Sow’s Ear Cafe and Yarn Shop
SteamPlus
Sunberry Orchard and Pastures, Inc - Sponsored the Face Painting station in the Kids’ Zone
Tammy Borden, Writer Author Speaker - Sponsored the Kids’ Zone
Tom’s Travelin’ Coffee Truck
Vitense Golfland
W***y Street Co-op

🌻*Sunflower Level Donors*
Andy Gross with Ukraine Focus
Kevin Ketchum

❤️*All Donors*
Annette & Randy Hillebrand
Diane Kitzerow - Beautiful Eggs by Diane
Kate Bausch - Peace Doodles
Lana Frantskevich - Top Tailoring
Linda & Tom Arlt
Maryna Gumenyuk
Svitlana Stefinsky
Tamara Tsurkan - Art by Tamara

08/23/2026

Thank you to everyone who made Ukraine Fest 2026 such an exciting day! We are humbled by the number of people who came out to show their support for the Ukrainians living in the Madison area and for Ukraine. We enjoyed celebrating Ukrainian culture with all of you.

We want to give a special thank you to all of the volunteers, vendors, bakers, and others who helped make Ukraine Fest such a success. We could not have done the event without you! We are grateful to Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway for making a special appearance. Thank you also goes to the performers who kept the party going: the Namysto choir, Madison Ukrainian School students, Dark of the Moon Contra-Band, dancers Anna Kalinichenko and Yaroslav Bihas, and especially Yid Vicious Klezmer Ensemble and the Ukrainian Village Band.

Дуже дякуємо! 💙💛🇺🇦

08/23/2026

Today we had Madison’s first Ukrainian-owned bakery, Grab Your Sweets, at our Ukraine Fest. As a special treat for tomorrow, Sunday, August 23rd, they are offering deals on their delicious baked goods:

🍪 SUNDAY FRESH-BAKED SALE 🍪

Freshly made treats at special Sunday prices! 💕
Available Sunday from 9 AM – 3 PM — while supplies last!

🍪 BIG FAT COOKIES — $3 each
• Nutella
• Cheesecake
• Marshmallow
• Peanut Butter

🍪 MINI COOKIES — $8 / pack of 12
Assorted flavors:
• Nutella
• Cheesecake
• Marshmallow
• Peanut Butter

🍰 CHEESECAKE STICKS — $5 each
• Snickers
• Oreo

🍓 VIRAL CRUNCHY FRUIT DESSERTS — $15 each
Crunchy chocolate shell with delicious fillings:
• Mango 🥭
• Pistachio 💚
• Banana 🍌
• Strawberry 🍓
• Raspberry ❤️
• Blackberry 🫐

📍 PICKUP LOCATION
643 Tabby Turn Dr
Middleton, WI 53562

🚗 DELIVERY AVAILABLE
Free delivery on orders of $50+ in the Madison area.

⏰ SUNDAY | 9 AM – 3 PM

✨ Freshly made
✨ Special Sunday prices
✨ Limited quantities — first come, first served!

📲 PRE-ORDER & RESERVE YOUR FAVORITES:
Call or text: 608-381-8884
Instagram: .yoursweets

Don’t wait until they’re gone! 💕
Grab Your Sweets 🤎🍪

08/21/2026

Tomorrow is the big day! Get ready to celebrate Ukraine Fest 2026 with us starting at 2:00pm at the Olin Park Pavilion at 1156 Olin-Turville Ct. Bring your appetite, a lawn chair or picnic blanket, your dancing shoes, and excitement!

Madison's annual Ukraine Fest is a celebration of Ukrainian culture, food, and traditions. It will be August 22 at Olin Park and feature Ukrainian cuisine, dancing, music, crafts, kids' events, and more

08/20/2026

Our thoughts today are with our loved ones in Ukraine following a night of relentless attacks on civilians by russia.

08/19/2026

What’s better on an afternoon in summer than sitting outside in the shade with a cold lemonade?

Doing that while enjoying a free concert surrounded by your new Ukrainian friends!

We’re just a few days away from Ukraine Fest 2026 where you can enjoy the free concert by Ukrainian Village Band (UVB), Yid Vicious Klezmer Ensemble, Dark of the Moon Contra-Band, and so much more! See the full lineup at www.friendsofukrainemadison.org/2026ukrainefest!

We encourage you to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket, as seating will be limited.

Madison's annual Ukraine Fest is a celebration of Ukrainian culture, food, and traditions. It will be August 22 at Olin Park and feature Ukrainian cuisine, dancing, music, crafts, kids' events, and more

08/18/2026

Ukraine Fest 2026 is just a few days away, so we want to remind you of the top 10 ten reasons to join us at the festival:

10. To experience Ukraine’s most important cultural tradition: hospitality.

9. To eat homemade borshch and be able to say you tried something on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

8. To learn Ukrainian folk dancing for free!

7. To bid on silent auction baskets full of your favorite things.

6. To fill up on Ukrainian food and other delicacies from the food trucks and a smorgasbord of Ukrainian desserts from the bake sale.

5. To learn about nonprofit organizations helping on the frontline in Ukraine.

4. For your kids to have a blast in the Kids’ Zone - absolutely free!

3. To meet artists, writers, small business owners, and other Ukrainian leaders from the community.

2. To be blown away by the talent during the free concert and stage show.

1. To leave knowing more about Ukrainian culture, feeling closer to the Ukrainian community in the Madison area, loving Ukrainian and klezmer music, and thinking everything tastes better with a little sour cream and dill!

08/17/2026

Anna Kalinichenko and Yaroslav Bihas will be special performers in the Ukraine Fest 2026 program this year. Performing a partner dance, they're combining an energetic jive with Ukrainian folk elements for a unique fusion sure to entertain!

08/16/2026

Reminder for Ukraine Fest 2026: Outdoor picnic tables and indoor seating will be limited. We encourage you to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets as a backup option.

We will have lemonade, water, juice boxes, and some soft drinks, along with Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck with iced coffee for purchase. Olin Park’s rules do not prohibit carry-ins but do prohibit glass, so if you choose to bring alcoholic beverages to serve yourself, please do not bring glass bottles.