Visit-Montenegro.com : Autumn Marked with Gastro and Wine Festivals

Tourism Metropolis Prepares a Vivid Entertainment Program During the Post-Season: According to the announcements, this autumn in Budva will be most interesting, first and foremost, due to the organization of two Festivals – Gastro Fest 2008 and Wine Fest 2008. Festivals will take place between 22 and 24 September, in organization of the Municipality of Budva, local Tourist Organization, hotel company “Budvanska rivijera” and “Copyright” company.

Budva – According to the announcements, this autumn in Budva will be most interesting, first and foremost, due to the organization of two Festival – Gastro Fest 2008 and Wine Fest 2008.

Festivals will take place between 22 and 24 September, in organization of the Municipality of Budva, local Tourist Organization, hotel company “Budvanska rivijera” and “Copyright” company. These festivals will also be a grand-finale of a cultural and entertainment manifestation called “Budva’s Summer”, which is a joint name for the total of seven festivals which took place this summer.

In words of Festival’s director, Aleksandar Armenko, Gastro and Wine Fest will take place for the first time, with intention to turn them into traditional manifestations.

“These Festivals have been envisaged as Mediterranean fiestas, which will, on the first place, make sure that all visitors and participants – showing us their skills in food-making, wine-making and wine-tasting – would have lots of fun.

We have decided that both festivals would be put into one this year, in order to greet the guests of the biggest event of the season – Madonna’s concert at Budva’s Jaz beach - in the best possible manner.

So, primary goal of these festivals is the promotion of local cuisine and domestic wines, which are constitutive part of our tourist offer, but also the brand-products for our country.

Almost everyone, including restaurant, cooking schools, wine-producers, representatives of famous wine-producers, as well as housewives who are hiding their recipies with their lives and small- producers of local wines”, Armenko told “Ljeto.”

“Various programs will take place during this three-day event, including evenings of the traditional cuisine, vegetarian evening and evening of sea food, as well as daily tasting of wines.

Night of traditional cuisine and wine tasting on 22 September will most certainly, in the sense of the visual organization, be the most attractive.

Participants will be wearing attractive local costumes, originating from Montenegro, Pastrovici clan and Boka – or costumes of their choice, but corresponding with the spirit of the entire event, and preparing traditional dishes and sweets. We expect that women making “makarule” and “rustule” will be the particular attraction.

Visitors will also be able to buy authentic local products, including dried figs, olive oil, cheese in olive oil, olives, honey, which would be some sort of authentic gastronomical souvenirs which will make a unique memorabilia to their stay in Budva and Montenegro.

Special attraction of the Festival will, most certainly, be the presentations set up by the embassies of foreign countries where ambassadors and/or their associates would prepare dishes from their countries. Throughout the evening, guests will be able to try out wines from various countries of the Mediterranean”, Armenko said.

He also announces that the evening of vegetarian cuisine and competition of sommeliers would take place on the second evening of the festival.

“As modern man dedicates more and more attention to healthy food, we have decided to dedicate one evening to the cooking of healthy, tasteful and attractive dishes based only on all sorts of vegetables, which are growing in our region.

Many bands will contribute to the atmosphere of the Festival with their music, along with the mime-artist, wearing a costume of a tree, with fresh fruits, as well as carnival-hosts, wearing costumes symbolizing fruits and vegetables.

An interesting competition for the best wine-taster (sommelier competition) will also take place.

The third night of the festival is dedicated to the seafood specialties. Presentations of these delicacies will be decorated with fishing nets and life-safety belts, participants will wear sailor’s costumes, ethno-choirs will sing music originating from the coast… All this will provide unique feeling for the visitors, as they enjoy tasteful food and superb wines”, Armenko has concluded.

”Theatre Wave” for Children

“Budva’s Summer” manifestation took place with support of local Tourist Organization (TO), Municipality of Budva, HTP “Budvanska rivijera” and companies ““Tob & CO” and “Copyright”. For the first time this year, event included children’s festival “Theatre Wave” which took place in Petrovac between 16 and 27 August.

In words of Budva’s TO’s manager, Tanja Draskovic, children had lots’ of fun during the final evening of the festival. Beside in the theatre show “The Willow”, young ones also enjoyed trying our traditional dishes, performance of a mime-artist, balloons and similar entertaining stuff.

“With this Festival, our youngest audience in our Municipality had the opportunity to enjoy famous fairytales, told in a different way, and adjusted to the classical music of Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky.

Beside the performance of Podgorica’s City Theatre with plays “Willow” and “Three Little Pigs”, three additional theatre-companies from Serbia, Republika Srpska and Macedonia performed before the audience in Petrovac, with five different shows.

Festival was a success. Huge interest and entertaining topics, which have been, at the same time, very educative, have been accompanied with excellent organization which marked this festival from its’ very beginning to its’ end”, Draskovic has concluded.

(1 September 2008, “Ljeto”)

By: V.LAJOVIĆ