Folk Crafts Fair in Etara

L. Lukanova

The Folk Crafts Fair is organized at the "Etar" in September every year. This year you can call on it on 7th, 8th and 9th September. It is conducted under the aegis of the Minister of Culture and the Mayor of Gabrovo.

The main purposes of the Folk Fair are to present the Bulgarian folk crafts at the general public, as thereby contribute to keeping the interest in them alive, and to encourage the cognitive interest in different craft skills, connected with the all-Bulgarian and regional traditions. Apart from that organizers hope their initiative will help preservation and development of the cultural traditions under the conditions of globalization through pointing out the diversity and wealth of the regional and all-Bulgarian contributions to the all-European area.

So they did their best to make it most attractive destination in tha Balkan during these tree days.
- There will be temporary attractive spacial opening of the museum. It will be more interesting then any time before. To your attention will be exhibited everyting you would like to know for Bulgarian national folklore and customs in a fascinating new way.
- Over 60 craft masters will demonstrate their mastership. There will be participants not only from Bulgaria, but also from France, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Germany.
- You will be able to see numerous different crafts. Some of them are: pottery-making, cowbell-making, cutlery, carpet industry, coppersmith’s trade and basket-making.
- The best is that you will be able too see how some of the crafts are practiced in the everyday live - for example, painting with plant dye or weaving baskets.
- Every year for the acknowledgement of the all their colleagues compete representatives of one of the crafts. This year the great trail will be between whittles.
- The sounds of the traditional Bulgarian music and dances will make guests of the Fair cheer all the time.
- There will be also attractive fashion-show of Bulgarian national costumes of all ethnographical regions of the country.
- Lazar Urumov, the winner in the master competition in 2006, will open his art exhibition “Wrought Iron”.

Now you are officially invited to the Folk Craft Fair in Etara to feel, see and touch Bulgarian folklore riches. While do that, you can seat and try some of the delicious traditional dishes. And after all, as going home, except for the colourful and vivid memory, you can take away also a material piece of Bulgarian craft heritage.