Folk Costume Festival in Zheravna Opens Today

The 15th Festival of Folk Costume in Zheravna opens today, August 22 and will run until 24 August in the Dobromeritsa area.

More than 30 kaba gaidas (traditional Bulgarian bagpipes) will mark the start of the event, which annually attracts thousands of visitors dressed in traditional attire.

The organisers aim to immerse attendees in the atmosphere of 19th-century Bulgarian life and customs.

Among the guests are the professional folklore ensemble 'Strandzha' and the group '100 Kaba Gaidas' (Bagpipes).

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As part of the tradition, Zheravna Folk Costume Festival is held on the first Saturday and Sunday following the Feast of the Assumption of Mary (August 15). It was established in 2008, based on an idea by Hristo Dimitrov, producer, choreographer, and director of the 'Bulgare' National Folklore Ensemble.

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Zheravna is a village in central eastern Bulgaria, part of the Kotel municipality in the district of Sliven. The village, set in a small valley at the southern foot of the eastern Balkan Mountains, is an architectural reserve of national importance consisting of more than 200 wooden houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period (18th and 19th century), and a tourist destination.