Between August 28 and 30, Valea Raciulei, a valley in Calarasi district, will host the “EcoGastroEtnica at Uncle Ion's Hut” Fest. The organizers told a press conference at IPN that visitors will have a good time with tasty dishes and select drinks, as well as an open-air theater play.
Evdochia Ursu, organizers of the Festival, said that there will be several separate gastronomic areas with traditional soup, rolled cabbage, steak with mamaliga and garlic sauce, fish, etc. A new attraction will be the brandy prepared from melons and watermelons. According to Ursu, some of the organizers are farmers who noticed during harvest that some melons were overripe and cracked, so they thought to make brandy from them. Visitors will get the chance to taste it for free.
A traditional slaying of the pig is also scheduled. There will be a stove fire and children will be able to attend trainings for modeling traditional round bread and cakes. Besides other theatrical and educational activities, there will be an agricultural and craftsmanship fair.
The open-air staging of the play “Chirita in the province” will be followed by a concert featuring Dara and Carla's Dreams, Anisoara Puica, the „Plaiesii” ensemble, lead by Nicolae Gribincea, Nicolae and Isidor Glib, Mariana Mihaila, Doinita Gherman, Valentin Uzun and Tharmis band, Guz and Kapushon.
Lia Pogolsa, another organizer, said that daily lotteries with awards for visitors will be organized daily. A full ticket costs 110 lei, a 2 day ticket – 80 lei and a one day ticket – 50 lei. Visitors will be offered free camping spaces. Tickets can be bought online at ecogastroetnica.md, fest.md and bileteonline.eu, or by phone at 078997700.
There are 4 monasteries nearby that can be visited and organizers say that the festival was scheduled for the end of August so it can be an attractive destination for people during the small vacation they have on the occasion of the national holidays.
Those who don't like camping can stay the night at one of the B&Bs in the neighboring villages. Minibuses will travel daily from the Green Hills supermarket in Buiucani, Chisinau, to Valea Raciulei. Travel expenses are not included in the price of the festival entrance ticket.
Organizers expect about 15,000 visitors, twice as many as last year.
