The Kukeri Group will Aagain Perform in Bulgaria

On February 28th, 2009 the kukeri group from Community Center "St.st. Cyril and Methodius", Rakovski, will be in Plovdiv, Northern District. The parade will leave from the parking lot of Sankt Peterburg Hotel and will finish in the garden of Brezovsko Avenue, where the kukers will dance to expel evil forces.

On March 1st, 2009 the kukers will decorate the roads with martenitsas due to the fact that
They are taking part in a kukeri festival in Momin Prohod, Municipality of Kostenets.

Martenitsas

The week of February 23rd to the 27th, at Community Center "St.st. Cyril and Methodius", Rakovski, children will make martenitsas, after which a “Martenitsa Bazaar of Children’s Martenitsas” will open.

Once again, the staff of the community center and the lead teachers from the third grade at Hristo Smirnenski School, Mrs. Govedarova and Mrs. Pendakova, have taken on the task of organizing and implementing the event.

The kids will spend their free time constructively with the development of creative thinking and get a more detailed introduction to the March First holiday.

My Home is My Castle

This is the title of the production which will take place in the hall of Community Center “St. st. Cyril and Methodius”, Town of Rakovski on Tuesday, February 17th 2009 at 6:30 PM.
Entry is free!
The author of the production is Vladislav Karamfilov, director Alexander Iliev and composer Vlado Jambazov.
The cast includes Vladislav Karamfilov, Kiril Efremov, Kofe Babone, Plamen Peyev, Stefan Izvorov, Stefan Shterev and the Theatre Dreams troupe.
After the production an auction will be held for the winning wines from “Vinaria-Rakovski 2009”, which will take place on February 14th, 2009.

VINARIA 2009

The traditional Vinaria is being organized this year by the Municipality of Rakovski and Community Center “St. st. Cyril and Methodius”, Town of Rakovski, on February 14th, 2009.

Candidates who wish to participate in the competition for best wine may enter a sample of the wine – white, red and/or wormwood – from February 9th to the 13th at Community Center “St. st. Cyril and Methodius”, Town of Rakovski.

For the king of the wine and his runners up there will be different surprises, besides the traditions!

We await your arrival!

How the Festival Ended

The Seventh Annual International Festival of Kukeri and Masquerade Games “Kukove – Rakovski 2009” has come to an end. This year, in spite of the relatively short period of time for organizing, the 15 groups scrambled here for the prize. Two groups from the Republic of Macedonia participated in the opening ceremonies and at the beginning of the second day, followed by young majorettes from the Village of Trude in the Plovdiv Region who gave the start of the groups from Bulgaria.
A jury including Mrs. Irena Bokova, Mr. Angel Yankov, Mr. Nikolai Nenov, Mrs. Svetla Dimitrova, and Mrs. Tania Mareva, after a brief deliberation, delivered the following awards:
For good performance:
Village of Sokolitsa, Municipality of Karlovo; Town of Banya, Municipality of Karlovo; Village of Gabra, Municipality of Elin Pelin; Village of Kovachevtsi, Municipality of Kovachevtsi; Village of Kliment, Municipality of Karlovo;
For instruction in tradition:
Kukeri Association Alexandrovo – Osetenovo – Manolovo; Village of Karavelovo, Municipality of Karlovo; Village of Vasil Levski, Municipality of Karlovo; Village of Kamen, Municipality of Sliven;
For artistry and costumes:
Village of Stefanovo, Municipality of Radomir; Town of Batanovtsi, Municipality of Pavel Banya;
For artistry and support of the tradition:
Village of Shiroka Lucka, Municipality of Smolyan; Village of Turia, Municipality of Pavel Banya;
and the vote for complex performance:
City of Yambol; Town of Pavel Banya
Awards of achievement and encouragement go to the seven children’s kukeri groups from the municipality, who participated in the opening ceremonies of the festival.

Seventh Annual International Festival of Kukeri and Masquerade Games

The municipality of Rakovskli and Community Center “St. st. Cyril and Methodius”, Rakovski, are organizing the Seventh Annual International Festival of Kukeri and Masquerade Games “Kukove Rakovski 2009”. The festival will be carried out under the patronage of the Temporary Mayor of the Town of Rakovski, Mr. Stoyo Fitnev and the Chairman of the Rakovski Town Council, Mr. Ivan Antonov. According to the statute of the festival, it takes place every year the Friday and Saturday before Shrovetide, but this year the statute has not been followed due to the upcoming elections. The festival will take place on February 6th and 7th instead.
On February 6th at 5:30 PM, groups from the community centers and schools from the municipality of Rakovski will perform, and at 6:00 PM the real opening of the festival begins with the symbolic bonfire and the banishment of the evil spirits by the kukeri groups from the Plovdiv region and guest performers from Macedonia.
A majorette group with marching band will head up the second day of the festival, February 7th at 10:00 AM, when the groups from The Republic of Macedonia and The Republic of Bulgaria will perform.
A jury including Professor Irena Bokova from New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Mr. Angel Yankov from the Plovdiv Ethnographic Museum, Mr. Nikolai Nenov from the Russe Ethnographic Museum, Mrs. Svetla Dimitrova from the Stara Zagora Ethnographic Museum, and Mrs. Tania Mareva from the Smolyan Historical Museum will judge the performances of the groups of the seventh annual “Kukove Rakovski 2009”.