Ottawa Serbian Festival celebrates all things Serbian in the capital

Ottawa Serbian Festival As CTV's Shaun Vardon reports, food, music, sport and culture are on display at the kickoff of the Ottawa Serbian Festival.

The Ottawa Serbian Festival, a centerpiece of the Serbian community for over two decades is on this long weekend.

The festival brings people together to celebrate all things Serbian, while building bridges with other communities in the capital.

The three-day festival is held at the St. Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church on Prince of Wales Drive, where you will find traditional food, music and activities for all ages on the banks of the Rideau River.

Organizers say this is the first time since the pandemic they have been able to hold the full event. Branka Jankovic, the festival's volunteer coordinator, says they are thrilled to be back.

"It’s very important for us to promote who we are, what we are; to promote our food, our culture, our people," Jankovic said. "We’ve gone through the pandemic, we’ve gone through being isolated, this is more let’s get together, let’s have fun let’s sing and dance, let’s eat it’s all about that.”

The Ottawa Serbian Festival runs until Monday Sept. 4