site.btaYoghurt Fair and Festival of Folk Traditions and Artistic Crafts to Take Place in Razgrad

Hundreds of guests from the country and abroad are expected to arrive for the traditional Yogurt Fair and Festival of Folk Traditions and Arts and Crafts in Razgrad. 
Deputy Mayor Dobrin Dobrev told BTA that this is the most large-scale event in the cultural calendar of the municipality and promotes Razgrad as a tourist destination. 

From July 26 until July 28, for the 21st time, Razgrad will celebrate traditions, dances, and the multicultural message of unity at the Yoghurt Fair and the Festival of Folk Traditions and Crafts. For three days, the city will host representatives of over ten countries. Delegations from sister cities of Razgrad will also be official guests of the celebration. The opening of the cultural event will be attended by Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov, as well as BTA Director General Kiril Valchev.

The purpose of the festival is to popularize the folklore traditions and heritage of the Razgrad region not only in the country, but also on a wider cultural scale, Deputy Director of the Regional History Museum and ethnographer Daniela Gancheva told BTA.

Gancheva explained that all ensembles performing local folklore, and since 2004 also groups from other settlements, have tried to incorporate into their repertoire the idea that their yogurt is " the tastiest, most healing, and even has magical power". She added that the fame of the local yogurt is associated with the people of Getsovo, who tell a story of the grass grows in their region, which contributes to the thickness and taste of yogurt and its healing properties. 

Several main highlights are included in the fair and festival programme this year, Gancheva pointed out, including workshops in the Ethnographic Museum, where children can take their first steps in learning Bulgarian traditional crafts.

Gancheva added that since the first edition of the festival, a competition for home-made yogurt and yogurt dishes has been a main attraction. In addition to local residents, foreign guests also show off their culinary skills, including guests from Belgium and France, as well as a guest from Japan, who surprised the organizers with a sushi with yogurt. The most interesting recipes from the traditional cuisine of the people of the region are traditionally collected in a booklet that has been translated into three languages.

Gancheva also noted a favorite annual part of the festival, a recreation of a traditional local wedding ceremony. The performance is presented on the square in the village of Getsovo in front of hundreds of spectators. The guests are transported from Razgrad to the village with specially designed donkey carts, an attraction for both the residents of the city and tourists. "This form of cultural advertising turned out to be so significant that for years people talked about the wedding from the village of Getsovo," added Gancheva.

In previous years of the festival, foreign folk ensembles from five continents have attended, including North and South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Many folklore and art groups from Razgrad and the region have participated in the evening concerts.