Every summer the town of Apriltsi and its neighbourhood called Ostrets play host to the “Balkan festival of Bulgarian songs”. The idea of the festival is to bring together amateur groups and soloists from both sides of the Balkan Range, and guests from near and far to enjoy the singing, but also the incredible diversity of herbs, the crystal-clear spring water, the stunning landscapes. The festival takes place on the night before Enyovden – Midsummer’s Day, 24 June. That is the reason why it brings together the life-giving power of herbs with folklore.

“The “Balkan festival of Bulgarian songs” is taking place for the 18^th consecutive year with the support of Apriltsi municipality and the chitalishte (community culture club) in Ostrets residential area. The festival gives the symbolic start to the tourist summer – with the surrounding pristine nature, the crystal-clear air, the stunning landscapes and hiking trails. The event is connected with Enyovden – Midsummer’s Day – and in our part of the country we have unique herbs. More than 35 ensembles and groups have signed up for the festival, a great many of the participants are young people. This means tradition is alive in Bulgaria. At our chitalishte we have 5 amateur ensembles who sing and dance. We have an authentic folklore group, a vocal group, a quartet, a folk horo dancing club, a drama group. We have a pottery club (the so-called Troyan pottery being typical of the region), clubs for bronze casting, fine arts etc. The chitalishte is a veritable hub of the spirit. It gives me great pleasure to extend an invitation to the Balkan festival of Bulgarian songs– it opens at 10 AM on Saturday, 23 June, in the square in front of the chitalishte building in Ostrets, in the town of Apriltsi. Come and have some fun, feel the magic of folklore and take in the beautiful landscapes! It is well worth it.”

English version: Milena Daynova