Bansko’s Festive Events Programme

In this week’s Buzz:

• Book a doctor’s appointment via an app in Bulgaria

• Festive events programme released

• Bansko Municipality calls out inconsiderate motorists and pedestrians

• Student Weekend is coming up

• Key dates when different places will open

Tree Lighting, Concerts, and More:
December in Bansko

This week, the Bansko Municipality released its official calendar of events for December 2024. Some of these events might be small, whereas for other events hundreds of people may attend. The ones you might be interested in are:

• Friday 6th: Turning the Christmas tree lights on in the main square

• Tuesday 10th: School Christmas concert

• Thursday 12th: Folk Christmas concert

• Saturday 14th: Ski resort open day and culinary exhibition in the main square

• Friday 20th: “The Good is in Prague” Christmas concert

• Tuesday 31st: New Year’s Eve celebrations in the main square

• Wednesday 1st: Traditional Kukeri procession

I’ll include any relevant events in the Bansko Buzz’s events section the week before they happen, but if you want to see the full event calendar, click here.

The Chef’s House

The Chef’s House: A place where food and atmosphere intertwine in harmony, leaving impressions that will be remembered long after your visit. Learn More.^(featured) 

Inside the BNB Group

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New Cake Shop Opens in Town
A new dessert/cake shop posted that they’ve opened their doors this week. D'Elliecious is open from 10am to 6pm Tues-Sun and is located near the main square. The cakes and desserts in the photo look delicious.

Get a Doctor via an App in Bulgaria
It looks like Bulgaria is catching up with the rest of the western world when it comes to convenience. Rob posted that he’d recently used the Healee app to book an online appointment with a doctor. See what other people had to say.

Do You Need to Update Your Residency Card After Getting a New Passport?
Roy posted to ask whether he needed to head to the immigration office in Blagoevgrad to update his residency card after being issued a new passport. Quite a few people shared their thoughts.

Does Anyone Know a Lawyer? Looks Like I’ve Been Scammed
Jamie posted a screenshot about a landlord/agent not returning his deposit on Whatsapp and being in need of a local lawyer. The Whatsapp screenshot might look familiar, I included one of his previous posts in issue #17 of the Buzz about his earlier dealings with negotiating a rental price and deposit amount. Looks like he isn’t having much luck.

A Better Alternative To Buying Expensive Firewood
Philippe posted that people could buy RUF bricks at a DIY/hardware store like Mr. Bricolage, as they’re much cheaper than firewood. Apparently, these bricks burn much cleaner and are cheaper than traditional firewood.

Local/Municipality News

Snow Fall Causes Trees To Fall & Block Mountain Road
With the first proper snowfall in Bansko town this weekend, some trees on the road from Bansko to Shaligarnika were under so much pressure that they fell onto the road. The Pirin National Park team was out this morning (Sunday) to clear the road as fast as possible. More info.

Bansko Municipality Calls Out Inconsiderate Locals & Visitors
After investing quite a lot in different road construction projects this year, the municipality posted on their Facebook page about inconsiderate drivers and pedestrians who seem oblivious to the time and effort put in to make Bansko a good-looking and well-functioning town. More info.

Skiing in Dobrinishte Rumored to be Opening Tomorrow
The slopes in Dobrinishte have seen a lot of activity today, with piste bashers heading up and down the slopes. The rumour is that tomorrow (2nd) they will open for people to ski. It’s still another two weeks until the ski resort in Bansko officially opens.

Bansko Municipality Seeks Feedback on 2025 Projects
Bansko Municipality has launched a public feedback form for people to suggest what projects to invest in for 2025. This investment project usually concentrates on the repair of streets, sidewalks, and green areas in the villages of Bansko municipality. More info. [Translation required].

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Events Next Week

Bansko Street Dogs Pub Quiz
Tomorrow (Monday 2nd) sees the BSD quiz nights return, this time at the Avalon. Everything kicks off at 7.30pm and the event was booked out to capacity the day after it was announced!

Municipality Events
There will be a book presentation on Thursday (5th) at 5.30pm at the local school. On Friday evening (6th) at 6pm, there will be lighting up the Christmas tree in the town square (and I presume any other Christmas lights in the town will be turned on, too). On the 6th, 7th & 8th, there will be a “Christmas Bazaar of users of social services” at the local school (near the main church): there are no more details or times on this one though.

Student Weekend in Bansko
This coming weekend (Friday 6th, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th) sees student weekend in Bansko. This is an annual event that happens before the ski season starts. It sees hundreds of students decent on the town for a weekend of fun and drinking: my kind of weekend! 😆 
Keep in mind that places like Ginger, Euphoria, The Station, Contra Bar, Jack’s House, and Flash will probably be busy with many students.

House Express at Contra Bar
Love house music? Get down to Contra Bar on Saturday (7th) at 9pm where House Express will bring you an “unforgettable journey” of the different types of house (progressive, funky, hip, deep, melodic, tech, and afro-house). 10BGN entry fee. More info.

Photo of the Week

Friday (29th) night saw the first proper bit of snow in Bansko town.
It definitely feels wintery with snow all around.

Tag @banskobuzz to get your photo in the Buzz.