The Taste of Tradition: “Pestil Festival” at the Etar Museum, 5–7 September

From 5 to 7 September 2026, the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum “Etar” in Gabrovo once again welcomes thousands of visitors for the ninth edition of the “Pestil Festival”. The three-day event, which earned the museum the “Spirit of Bulgaria” award from the Ministry of Tourism in 2018, brings together culinary heritage, craft demonstrations, contemporary sugar art, and a rich musical programme.

At the heart of the festival is the traditional preparation of pestil – also known as “Gabrovo chocolate”. Visitors will be able to follow the entire authentic process of making the plum delicacy and learn about the traditional crafts and tools used in its production over the centuries.

Programme Highlights

Avenue of Flavours & “Sugar Fairy Tale at Etar” (5–6 September): Producers of plum and fruit-based products present their goods across the museum grounds. The third edition of the Sugar Arts Festival will surprise guests with unique author exhibitions, tastings, and demonstrations by master confectioners.

Bulgarian Ancestral Memory Beyond the Danube: Special guests of the festival are our compatriots from the village of Izvoarele (Romania) – a community founded more than 200 years ago by settlers from the Gabrovo and Pleven regions. They will present preserved archaic Bulgarian speech, traditional costumes, and plum marmalade prepared according to centuries-old migrant recipes.

Large-Scale Folklore Stage: Over the festive days, more than 500 performers will sing and dance on the museum’s open stage. Among them are the representative ensembles “Detelini” (Pavel Banya) and “Chudesia” (Pazardzhik), the ensemble “Nastroenie” (Stara Zagora), as well as a festive concert by the Brass Band – Lovech and the folklore duo Radostina Damyanova and Gabriela Mihaylova.

New Exhibitions and Family Games: On 5 September at 12:00, the guest exhibition “The Wedding” will be officially opened at the Museum Centre. Young visitors can take part in the educational game with prizes “Lucky Plums”.

The Pestil Festival is proof that the museum is not a static showcase frozen in time, but a living organism. Today, Etar is a space of transformation where traditional crafts meet contemporary culture, young people, and international partnerships.

The Pestil Festival is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.

FULL PROGRAMME BY DAYS

5–7 September 2026 | Open-Air Ethnographic Museum “Etar” – Gabrovo

5 SEPTEMBER (Saturday)

Throughout the day:

  • Live demonstrations of traditional pestil making
  • Demonstrations of crafts, activities, and tools used in pestil production
  • Educational game with prizes “Lucky Plums”
  • “Avenue of Flavours” – culinary exhibition
  • “Sugar Fairy Tale at Etar” – Third Sugar Arts Festival (exhibition and demonstrations)

11:00 – Official opening of the Pestil Festival (Open Stage) 11:30–13:00 – Music programme: Ensemble “Detelini” (Pavel Banya) and PTS “Chudesia” (Pazardzhik) (Open Stage) 12:00 – Opening of the exhibition “The Wedding” (Museum Centre, Level II) 14:00–15:30 – Music programme: Ensemble “Detelini” (Pavel Banya) and PTS “Chudesia” (Pazardzhik) (Open Stage)

6 SEPTEMBER (Sunday)

Throughout the day:

  • Live demonstrations of traditional pestil making
  • Demonstrations of crafts, activities, and tools used in pestil production
  • Educational game with prizes “Lucky Plums”
  • “Avenue of Flavours” – culinary exhibition
  • “Sugar Fairy Tale at Etar” – Third Sugar Arts Festival (exhibition and demonstrations)

11:30–13:00 – Music programme: Ensemble “Detelini” (Pavel Banya) and Ensemble “Nastroenie” (Stara Zagora) (Open Stage) 14:00–15:30 – Music programme: Ensemble “Detelini” (Pavel Banya) and Ensemble “Nastroenie” (Stara Zagora) (Open Stage)

7 SEPTEMBER (Monday)

Throughout the day:

  • Live demonstrations of traditional pestil making
  • Demonstrations of crafts, activities, and tools used in pestil production
  • Educational game with prizes “Lucky Plums”

11:30 and 14:00 – Festive concert: Brass Band – Lovech and folklore duo Radostina Damyanova & Gabriela Mihaylova (Open Stage)