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Local and authentic festivals in Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a must-visit country for every festival addicts. No matter when and where there will be a festival or local feast for sure. Thus, I am going to make an ultimate guide to local and authentic festivals in Bulgaria to help you choose which one to visit.
Chase the evil during local Kukeri Festivals
No doubts the summer in Bulgaria is awesome – nice wheater, summer dolce farniente on the beach, an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. However, if you prefer to come in the winter for skiing, don’t miss out to participate in Kukeri festivals. Festival “Surva” is the most famous one and takes place in January in the city of Pernik. The participants are called Kukeri and wear scary masks and copper belts to frighten the evil.
I visited Kukerlandia in Yambol and was more than impressed. The Kukeri festivities are once in a lifetime experience and if you decide to visit Bulgaria check out when and where you can be frightened by a Kuker ):
Festival of Roses in Kazanlak and local villages
Next on the list comes the Festival of Roses. It is famous worldwide and takes place in the first week of June in the Kazanlak region and the Rose Valley. Most of all it celebrates the flowers, the beauty and the fertility. Seems like, this is the first festival in Bulgaria organized back in 1903. If you decide to join the festivities, don’t miss out the Rose picking and the Oil extraction rituals. To learn more about Kazanlak rose, check out The Rose Museum.
Varna Summer Festival
We continue to visit the local and authentic festivals in Bulgaria and it’s time to head to Varna. Varna is the biggest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and offers a lot of cultural events, especially in the summer. Varna Summer Festival with its rich program of theatre plays, operas, ballet and jazz competitions starts in June and ends in August. Varna Summer Jazz Festival is an absolute must-see if you hang out in Varna in the summer.
Bulgaria International Fair of Arts and Crafts
Another festival is Bulgaria International Fair of Arts and Crafts held during the entire month of August in Varna. You definitely won’t miss it if you go for a walk in Central Park.
Sand Sculpture Festival in Burgas, Bulgaria
Furthermore, we continue to explore the Black Sea Coast and arrive in Burgas – the second big city of the Bulgarian Seaside. One of the main attractions in Burgas is the Sand Sculpture Festival. This event became very popular over the last few years and attracts a lot of visitors. Hence, I visit this festival almost every year. If you go to Varna, you can easily do a day-trip to Burgas. The trip is only two hours by bus.
Bulgarian National Costume Festival of Zheravna
Besides, a traditional get-together is the Bulgarian National Costume Festival of Zheravna. Most noteworthy, you can marvel at the magical colours of the Bulgarian “Nosia” from all the regions of the country.
Local festivals in the Silistra region
In the North of the country, in the village of Smiletz (close to Silistra) takes place a Watermelon jam Festival called Madjun. As watermelon jam is only produced in this region, the locals reunite to taste the new harvest as they call it.
Also, Silistra region hosts The International Children Dance Festival “Tomorrow’s peace begins with the friendships we create today”. This tradition started more than 20 years ago and dancing groups from all around the world participate in the competition.
July morning
Finally, it’s time to celebrate “July morning” at the Seaside. It takes place on the night of the 1st of July and you can easily pack for it as the only thing you need is a beach/ bar/camping on the beach, friends, and beers. The idea is to party all night long and to watch the sunrise. Cool, eh?
Which festival does sound appealing to you? Share your experience of visiting a festival in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!