Bansko Hosts Its First Open-Air Mountain Festival

In this week’s Buzz:

• Large dog bites woman near gondola, local municipality acts swiftly

• First-of-its-kind winter festival comes to Bansko

• School students receive cyber awareness training

• Something strange: local restaurant gets 1,000+ reviews in under 12 weeks

• Local horse riding recommendations

• Build a LEGO city for children event this Saturday

• Legends of Music Tribute Act at The Hub

• Some businesses say it’s been the quietest February so far for years

Global DJs Headline Bansko’s first-of-its-kind Winter Festival

In just under four weeks’ time, the EXE Winter Festival will arrive in Bansko, bringing a new style mountain music event to the resort.

On both days (Saturday 14 March and Sunday 15 March), the daytime event runs from 12pm to 7pm in the “Rave Zone” at Banderishka Polyana.

The lineup includes: HUGEL, Miss Monique, Juany Bravo, Yotto, Pavel Petrov, Dimo, Bagerziev, and Jaffar, mixing international headliners with Bulgarian electronic music acts.

After parties will run from 6pm to 1am at Happy End, and 11pm until late at Flash Club. Both are ticketed events, with Flash Club tickets available on the door only.

According to organisers, all of the VIP/Backstage tickets have sold out, and over 80% of the regular tickets have already gone, so if you’re thinking about going it’s worth buying soon.

Tickets are priced at 170€ for the two-day event (festival & gondola), and 200€ (festival, gondola & lifts). Single-day tickets are priced at 95€ (festival & gondola) and 110€ (festival, gondola & lifts). There is currently no published information for people who already have a ski pass.

You can buy tickets here.

Also, expect a significant influx of people in town for this event weekend.

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Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 183 New Posts, 💬 812 Comments, 👍️ 3,415 Reactions

Dog Bites Woman Near Gondola, Municipality Reacts Swiftly
Yulia posted that her and her friend had been attacked (and one person bitten) by a roaming dog (Kangal: a big dog) near the gondola. I provided an update about the actions the local municipality took. Read the post to see the actions taken and information about the incident.

What’s a Better Supermarket to Use Because I Think I Was Just Ripped Off!
Dominic had just visited a supermarket in town (he doesn’t say where), thinks he’s been ripped off (paid waaay too much for things) and wants to know where is best to go.

Any Advice on What To Pack for The Hot Springs?
Finola wants to visit one of the local hot springs and wonders what people usually take with them. See what people recommended.

I Want To Go Horse Riding. Any Recommendations?
Kayleigh knows you can go horse riding in the local area, but wants to know the places that people would recommend visiting. There were a few suggestions.

I Had a Bad Skiing Accident and Have a CD from a CT Scan. Where Can I View it?
Anamaria posted that she’d had a CT scan after having a bad skiing accident and wanted to know where to view it. There were multiple offers of help from the local community, and some suggestions.

Bansko & Beyond

Treehouse Social Club Opens
Treehouse Social Club, a third space designed for families with children in Bansko, opened this week, located on Zahari Styonaov Street (in the Noviyat Grad part of town here). It offers a resource library, facilitated engagement, focused time for parents, and community events. Read more.

Bansko Welcomes Winter Olympians
This week, Bansko welcomed athletes competing in the Winter Olympics in Italy. Malena Zamfirova, Tervel Zamfirov, and Alexander Krushnyak all train or prepare at the Bansko Winter Resort, ready for their winter competitions. They were welcomed with plaques, music, and celebrations of the Bulgarian spirit, courage and achievement in sporting events. The mayor, Stoycho Banenski, said, "We are proud that this [Bansko] is where athletes of such a rank train and grow." Read more.

Students Receive Cyber Awareness Training
Local students in the 1st to 4th grades (5 to 10 years old) from two local schools in town attended a cybersecurity seminar, where they learned how to keep their data safe, how to spot and respond to suspicious messages, how to identify a scam, and who to contact for help. Read more.

Local Taekwondo Team Wins Seven Medals
Local Taekwondo club Hawk Bansko competed in the ITF State Championship in Blagoevgrad, walking away with 7 medals (first, second, or third place) across several boys & girls weight classes. Read more.

Couple Arrested After Stealing a Wallet
Earlier this week, an individual reported their wallet stolen to the police (it contained personal documents and an undisclosed amount of cash). Police acted swiftly and arrested a 40-year-old woman from Yambol (who had already stolen the money) and a 42-year-old man from Sliven (who had already attempted to withdraw from an ATM with a stolen card). Read more [translation required].

Syrian National and Bulgarian National Arrested for Possession of Drugs
Two men have been arrested for possession of illegal substances. A 40-year-old Syrian man working at a doner kebab place (who didn’t have valid documents) was found in possession of amphetamine and cannabis. A 53-year-old man from Nessebar who works in a hotel bar in Bansko was arrested in possession of cannabis (he attempted to dispose of some drugs when police detained him for a search). Read more [translation required].

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Events Next Week

Bansko Street Dogs Pub Quizzes
The next two quizzes are confirmed as tomorrow (Monday 16th) at Smokey Mountain (I hear it’s fully booked) and next Monday (23rd) at The Hub. Both will start at 7.30pm and entry fee is 5€ per person. The quizzes are usually full in February, so it’s best to book your table as soon as you see the event posted on the notice board.

The Legends of Music (Tribute Act)
On Wednesday (18th) and Saturday (21st), Aaron King will perform his tribute act at The Hub, including hits from Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, George Michael, Elton John, and Boy George. Price is 10€. More info.

Telescopes Under The Stars (Planetarium)
These take place on Fridays and Saturdays 7pm to 8pm (price 7€) and lectures on Saturdays and Sundays at 2.30pm to 4.30pm (price 5€). The lectures will be in English or Russian. More info.

Build a LEGO City in Bansko!
On Saturday (21st) from 9am to 5.30pm at The Evangelical Church (here), there will be a “build a LEGO city” event for children aged 7 to 13. Participation fee 10€ (includes food). Pre-registration required. More info.

Party in Pink: Bansko Zumbathon
On Saturday (21st) from 12noon, there will be a Zumbathon in Bansko at the main community centre (near the big tree). Dress in pink and join other ladies doing Zumba. Minimum “donation” amount [participation fee] of 5€. More info [translation required].

Offline Society Meetup: Winter Edition
On Sunday (22nd) from 5pm at sCHEERS Bar & Coffee, the offline society will meet to switch off phones and switch on real-life, and meaningful connections. Price is 10€. More info.

Photo Exhibition: The Living Memory of Razlog
On Sunday (22nd), from 11.30 am at the Razlog Historical Museum, there will be a photo exhibition showcasing Razlog through the years, preserving the memory of generations: the faces, the masks, the costumes, the dance, and the cultural identity. More info [translation required].

Regular Weekly Events

Here is a list of the twelve regular events that will be happening every week throughout the winter season:

- Pub Quiz: Monday from 7pm at different venues (Bansko Street Dogs).
- Bansko Run Club(ish): Tuesday at 6.30pm meet at Altspace Coworking (Central).
- Spanish Speakers Meeting: from 6pm at DiVino Wine Bar
- Latin Dance Night: Tuesday from 7pm at Four Leaf Clover.
- Pool Tournament: Thursday from 6.30pm at Smokey Mountain.
- Bingo: Thursday from 7pm at The Hub.
- Friday Beers: Friday 6pm to 8pm at Altspace Coworking (Central) [BYOB].
- Latin Dance Night: Friday from 7pm at DiVino.
- Karaoke: Friday from 8pm at Tipsy 360.
- BSD Saturday Sale: Saturday 10am to 2pm at Bansko Street Dogs shelter.
- Sip & Paint: Saturday 2pm to 4pm at Lucky Bansko Aparthotel.
- Sunday Walk: Sunday from 11am, meeting at the gondola.
- Free Walking Tour: Saturday at 2pm at the big tree near the church (duration: 1.5hours)

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Photo of the Week

Bansko winter resort at night. Looks beautiful, doesn’t it?

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