Bansko Traditions Week was held during 17-24 May, 2004. The event, which was hosted by the Bansko municipality, was a re-birth of the annual fairs of the past inspired by famous Bansko citizen and politician Rayna Baleva. In addition to the student and amateur initiatives, the program included professional folklore demonstrations by “Edita” company, a culinary exhibition, and “Summer in Bansko” events and press conferences.

The Three Mountains folk fair was transformed into a local carnival that included performances from representatives of the numerous settlements along the Mesta river – a place where Christianity coexists peacefully with the Muslim religion in people’s songs, dresses, and lifestyles. More than 570 amateur groups took part in the fair and reaffirmed the great cultural potential of this region.

The culinary exhibition was no less impressive. Apart from the better known Bansko dishes, such as “Kapama” and “Chomlek” that anyone can order in the numerous mehana restaurants scattered around town, the exhibition included meals with more sophisticated names, such as “tseluv’archi,” “ch’esti kostureta,” “raztr’aseni kostureta,” “barkad’a,” “bur’ek,” “jalova banitsa,” and other. Ordinarily, one can spend a week in Bansko, and never even hear of those hidden culinary delights, unless he or she has a close friend among the locals. The exhibition included salty and sweet dishes courtesy of the restaurants of hotel Bulgaria, hotel Glazne, hotel Tanne, and the mehana restaurants Kasapinova Kashta, Motikata, Bai Kotse, and Bansko – all members of the Alliance for the Promotion and Development of Tourism in the Region of Bansko non-profit organization.

The closing press conference was held at hotel Pirin. Special guests and speakers were Mayor Alexander Kravarov, Anelia Dosheva of the Edita dance company, Alexander Grancharov of the sponsoring Carlsberg Company, Yanka Rahova of the local tourism organization and Ivan Hadjiev of the ULEN Ski Area Operator Company. The press conference also outlined the municipality programme for Summer 2004.

Pictures from the culinary exhibition.