GLENDON – The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden glow upon the lush green of Pyrogy Park in Glendon on Sept. 9. Laughter and lively chatter of residents and visitors alike filtered through the air, as the Troy Gates band played tunes in the background.
Children joined them, tapping their feet and dancing on the open ground. Dancers from the Glendon Shevchenko Ukrainian Dance Club also performed, receiving plenty of cheers from the audience.
Not too long after was the much-awaited pyrogy eating contest, where contestants ate several pyrogies as fast as they could.
Daryn Galatiuk, deputy mayor of the Village of Glendon, recalled how the pandemic lockdowns shut down the festival for two years, only starting up again last year. He said many events happened at the same time last year, and “We might not have had the crowds that we were expecting.”
But it appeared the 2023 edition of the event drew a larger crowd, which was welcome.
Galatiuk thanked everyone who attended.
“I’ve been meeting people from Bonnyville, Cold Lake, St. Paul, and other areas... taking the time to drive to Glendon and stop to support the local economy here.”
He also thanked the staff at the Village office and all volunteers who helped with the event. “Everybody here has been great.”
After the Pyrogy Festival, Glendon Cruise Night took place. The car show traditionally has been held on a different date than the festival, but this year organizers decided to run the events on the same day. That same night, an outdoor movie was available for the community to enjoy.
There was “lots of stuff for kids, the adults... and a little bit of everything,” said Galatiuk.
