Traditional folk music from Western Bulgaria will be performed for two days in the meadows near the monastery of " Sts. Cosmas and Damian" above the village of Gigintsi in Breznitsa region, where the folklore festival "In the Heart of Graovo" is taking place for the fourth time. Young professional and amateur performers and ensembles are singing and dancing mostly Graovo folklore at the festival. The Philip Koutev National Folk Ensemble is a special guest of the event.

Livestock breeding is the main livelihood in the Graovo region, as the territory of the Breznik and Pernik valley in western Bulgaria is known, and the owners of local breeds will show their accomplishments with the best animals from their herds. Local dairy artisans will demonstrate the wide range of their production and beekeepers from the region will offer organic honey.A farmers' bazaar, an exhibition of monastery products, as well as workshops for monastic handicrafts are also part of the festival‘s programme.

Guests of the monastery will be able to join the Bell Ringing Workshop and try ringing the monastery bells and clapper themselves. In special workshops they will be able to learn monastic embroidery.

The idea is to revive the spirit of folk festivities, family reunions, village festivals - such as the Bulgarians used to gather in the past, but also to support tourism in the Pernik region.

Compiled by: Gergana Mancheva