It is Thursday afternoon, the sky is clear and the temperatures ar in the 80s or 20s depending on your age. It is 14:30 and I have just got off the number 14 bus outside the "Sea Garden" near the stadium. I walk down the steps leading to the underpass to my left, handy for the return journey, and the path down into the park to my right. I have been informed that there is a music festival taking place at the fountain below the statue. I see several banners as I admire the gardeners hard at work in these temperatures keeping the gardens looking beautiful. I can hear music so follow my ear down the path into the park.
Instead of cutting across the grass track I follow the road, slightly longer but I approach viewing the festival from the inflated arch and pass the sideshows to my right and the first of the 'roasting ox' I have been told about. I was to discover later that this is in fact, the "Festival of the Grill" which accounts for the heaps of freshly cooked sausages, chops and all sorts of other goodies sizzling away well into the night.
Beer on tap and bottled, wine or soft drinks if you prefer. I had a portion from the spit roast shown in the photograph above. How much, however much you want it is sold by the centimetre. Freshly made Greek salad of yogurt and aubergines (I think, never sure what all these veggies are called), a piece of the traditional flat bread and a plastic beaker of cold beer, smashing. The flat bread is placed briefly onto the grill to warm which also makes it rise slightly. Just the thing to mop up sauces and yogurt based salads.
I continued on to the main area where the stage was set in front of the fountain and was amazed at how well prepared everything was. Tables and benches under umbrellas abound. There are ample amenities in the form of portaloos and there are large TV screens to watch the Euro 2016 games taking place during the course of the event should you so wish. I was so surprised that I walked over to the information booth to enquire if the event was, in fact, free. I received a program and a souvenir bottle opener for my trouble.
The afternoon entertainment started in the form of instruction on how to perform the traditional Bulgarian dances so beloved in local bars and restaurants on a Friday and Saturday night all over the country. The more energetic were then taken to the stage to perform as a group for the rest of the growing audience. I selected a table and tucked into my late lunch. At around 16:00 a couple of brave young people sang from the stage as sound checks were carried out in preparation for the first main event.
The first two hours entertainment of song and dance was drawn from local talent in the schools and clubs of Varna. It is amazing how plucky and confident such young talent was, seemingly lost in the immense stage, It is also amazing how talented these children and young people are. We were entertained to song and dance from traditional to contemporary and I have tried to capture the flavour of the show in my photographs.
In some cases the performers came down into the audience in front of the stage to dance or sing, personalising the event in a way not found in a 'professional' arena. Some of the performers were presented with trophies won in local competition. Some of the children in the crowd caught stuffed toys thrown by the compere.
All the while the rich aromas from the huge selection of vendors made the mouth water as the jive, jitterbug, can-can and traditional dances interspersed with a range from rock and traditional songs gave a lively performance as the sun shone down.
In theory there was an interval but I didn't notice as the main supporting act entered the stage and give their all to a now packed venue. A virtuoso on the guitar played along to the powerful voice of the singer. If you look at the photographs they appear to enjoy themselves immensely. One doesn't have to understand the words to be swept along by the singing.
The final act of the evening the "Gamzata Brass Show" concert. This was incredible for two reasons. The lineup entered the stage individually building up a wall of sound the energy of this continued throughout the performance. The power failed part way through their act, instead of quitting the stage they grouped together and continued to perform, no lights, no mics until power was restored. A fun evening for everyone.
(unfortunately you can only read the comments using the 'info' button against each photograph now that Google is using 'photos' instead of 'Picasa'.)
It is Thursday afternoon, the sky is clear and the temperatures ar in the 80s or 20s depending on your age. It is 14:30 and I have just got off the number 14 bus outside the "Sea Garden" near the stadium. I walk down the steps leading to the underpass to my left, handy for the return journey, and the path down into the park to my right. I have been informed that there is a music festival taking place at the fountain below the statue. I see several banners as I admire the gardeners hard at work in these temperatures keeping the gardens looking beautiful. I can hear music so follow my ear down the path into the park.
All the while the rich aromas from the huge selection of vendors made the mouth water as the jive, jitterbug, can-can and traditional dances interspersed with a range from rock and traditional songs gave a lively performance as the sun shone down. 
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