Beer Festival - Beer Fest in Prilep

The town of Prilep has a tradition which has been carried over for ages from generation to generation. The craftsmanship, the old Bazaar, the song and dance. The spiritual culture, the creative works of art, music, the literature and the revolutional spirit are all unbreakable part of the life of all the citizens of Prilep. Thanks to all these positive characteristics, the town has built a tradition of consuming life itself. The old Bazaar as a special generator of enjoyment has modified the town into a place widely known and famous for its high quality grill, and the citizens-the best tasters to judge the best quality food. Since 1924 Prilep has its own brewery, so the citizens of Prilep has improved their taste for good beer to perfection. Beer Fest is a beer festival held in summer time in the city of Prilep , organized by the municipality of Prilep and commercial entities.The festival is open, held downtown and attended by famous producers of beer and local caterers. Visitors come from all over the Republic of Macedonia and neighboring countries. The festival is known for good entertainment, barbecue and cold beer and of course the massive attendance.The festival has gained tradition and on the tourist map of Prilep has one of the most important places. The festival is place where the most popular music stars in the region have been guests.

Strumica Carnival - Choose your favorite mask

The Strumica Carnival is first mentioned in 1670. This Carnival is held every year at the beginning of the Great Lent, an Eastern Orthodox Lenten period similar to the Roman church’s calendar about one month earlier. Few years ago The three days which are called the “trimer days” always begin on the Sunday night at Procka (Forgiveness Sunday) and last until the following Wednesday. The city made some changes so today we celebrate from Friday .On Saturday night, the Carnival takes place- masked groups of people stroll throughout the city, with men visiting homes of their fiancees and staying there until the early morning hours. The celebration continues with love songs and lyrics complemented with traditional musical instruments. Nowadays, the Carnival resembles similar Mardi Gras carnivals throughout the world and has a competitive character. Participants create their own masks. Each participant and group decides upon a theme and idea.  Masks should be up to 3.5 m high and the vehicles up to 12 m long. This large event encompasses hundreds of masked people on the streets of the city as well as thousands from other cities in Macedonia and from abroad. The sponsor of this event is the mayor of Strumica. Since 1994, Strumica is a member of the International Association of Carnival Cities, FECC.

Vevcani Carnival

One of the most famous village festivals held in the Balkans is the Vevčani Carnival. It is believed that the custom is over 1,400 years old. It is based on old Pagan beliefs and rituals. Essentially the Carnival is the ritual of calling after Saint Basil the Great, which coincides with the Twelve Days of Orthodox Christmas and the Orthodox New Year. The festivity is dedicated to Saint Basil the Great. Traditionally, this year from 12th to 14th January will be held Vevcani Carnival which is one of the oldest cultural events in Macedonia, which traditionally celebrates the arrival of the New Year according to the old calendar. The participants of the Carnival are known as “Vasiličari”. Vevcani Carnival as an event unites all forms of expression of our traditional culture, transforming the needs of contemporary society, treating topics from today. The annual carnival is a mix of pagan customs translated into modern language.  In 1993 the Carnival and the village of Vevčani officially became apart of the World Federation of Carnival Cities. In recent years a special "Carnival Passport" has been issued at the Carnival.The Vevcani Carnival, which claims a 14 century long legacy, is held every year from 13 to 14 January in the southwestern Macedonian village of Vevcani. Recognized by the Federation of European Carnival Cities (FECC), the carnival attracts thousands of both domestic and international visitors to see the people of Vevcani disguised in elaborate masks expressing humor and sarcasm. Some of the most common costumes include devils, demons and other mythical characters. During the raucous proceedings, traditional music is played on zurlas (a traditional double-reed woodwind instrument) and drums. Revelers lacking instruments indulge in making plain noise with bells, pots and pans, bins and whatever else is to be found. The vibrant Vevcani Carnival is one of Macedonia’s best.

Ohrid Summer Festival

If we are to talk about Ohrid Summer Festival at the encounter of its 50th edition, it is certain that its existence of many years indicates to an awareness that the festival leans on something that indeed represents a great tradition. This tradition originates from the place which is given from God, from the city of Ohrid – the spiritual capital of Macedonia, the antique city with its magically blue lake, a city with a cultural history marked with values of the ancient civilization, the city of the first Slavic university in Europe, the city of Samuil’s kingdom and finally –the city that represents the whole Macedonian cultural and spiritual history.  For these reasons, not accidentally in this city-holy place, God only had to send his noble message in order to mark the beginning of something that had to happen here. It happened on the remote year 1961 midsummer - on august 4th. A light sparkled under the amazing arches of the beautiful cathedral church St. Sophia – a part of the monumental and ancient values of Ohrid from the 11th century

Galichnik Wedding Festival - Travel through tradition

The Galichnik Wedding Festival is an annual festival held in the Macedonian village of Galičnik near the city of Debar in which a selected couple gets married in the traditional "Galichka" style wedding. Traditionally the wedding lasted for 5 days with the main activities on St. Peter's Day (12 July) every year. It was the only period of the year when couples got married. Today it is part of the festival "Galichko Leto" (Galicnik Summer) and it is a two-day event held on the weekend nearest to 12 July and it serves as a cultural and tourist attraction. During the wedding, men dance the Teškoto, symbolizing the suffering of the Macedonian people through the centuries. Each year, couples from all over Macedonia enter a competition run by the organisers to be the couple that gets to have a "Galichka" style wedding. Every year, a new couple gets the opportunity