From 23 to 25 October 2026 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), the Association “PEONIYA” from Kratovo is organising the three-day festival “Balkan Heritage of the 19th Century” in the town of Kratovo, North Macedonia. The festival is part of the project “CULTURAL AREA – Cultural Heritage Community and Attractive All-Season Tourism” (Ref. No. BGMK0200027). The project is implemented under the Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria – North Macedonia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021–2027 and connects four towns on both sides of the border: Kyustendil, Dupnitsa, Kriva Palanka and Kratovo.
The festival is a new initiative for the cross-border region and for the Balkans. It is being piloted for the first time within the project between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, and other Balkan countries may join it in the future. It draws on the old tradition of border fairs, places of meeting, trade and celebration that for centuries brought together people from both sides of today’s border. Participants from both countries will present Balkan folklore, cuisine and traditional costumes. There will also be a re-enactment of a battle against the Ottomans.
The programme includes:
Concerts: traditional music, folk games and dances.
Bazaar: the Bazaar of Balkan Heritage and Living Tradition, with traditional food and crafts.
Workshops: educational and creative workshops for children and adults, including loom weaving, basket weaving, felt making, cotton crafts and “The Little Masters’ Guild”.
Round tables and exhibitions: on Dupnitsa embroidery, on the bread of the Balkan peoples and on 19th-century urban costumes, as well as the photo exhibition “Woman – Guardian of Tradition and Heritage”.
Re-enactment of a battle against the Ottomans: on Saturday, 24 October, at 13:00, with the participation of the “Haiduti” Association from Plovdiv.
The official opening will take place on Friday, 23 October, at 10:30. On the same day, the project’s travelling exhibition “Old Town Houses Tell Stories” will also be presented. It traces thirteen old houses from the four towns, built by craftsmen, merchants and people of ideas who connected the region.
Folk ensembles, musicians, craftspeople and researchers from Kyustendil, Dupnitsa, Plovdiv, Sofia, Kriva Palanka, Kratovo, Kumanovo, Skopje, Shtip, Bitola and Probishtip are taking part. Through them, the festival shows that the cultural heritage of the region is shared, and that it can bring people together again and attract visitors to the old towns on both sides of the border.
The Association “PEONIYA” warmly invites you to visit the festival in Kratovo and enjoy its rich programme.