Bagpipes and authentic Rhodope folk music to kick off the local Ilinden Fair in the village of Gela

A fifteen-hour programme of authentic Rhodope music will resound in the Ilinden meadows from today until Sunday on the occasion of the traditional local Ilinden Fair in the village of Gela. Thousands of visitors are expected to come to see the bagpipes, the craftsmen's alley and the competition for the longest playing of the traditional Rhodope instrument.

The singer Vanya Vakova and the Evridika Orchestra will perform on the first evening. On Saturday, dozens of bagpipers from all over the country will compete, and the two winners will be challenged to break the Guinness Book record for the longest bagpipe playing. The festival closes with a concert of various formations and free bagpipe lessons.

There will also be a reunion of hundreds of descendants of local families and a presentation of Rhodope cuisine delicacies and organic food from Bulgarian family farms.