Serbian Youth Culture Festival
For more than five decades, the Serbian Youth Culture Festival has been held in Knjaževac, a unique review of the top achievements of young people in music, poetry, theater art, film, painting, photography, comics.
Since 1962 year, when it was founded on the initiative of Knjaževac students, every July, thanks to the Festival, Knjaževac becomes an unavoidable point on the cultural map of our country. Many, today’s famous artists, started their career precisely on the Knjaževac stage.
Trumpet sounds from Timok
“Trumpets from Timok” is an event that promotes the potential of the municipality of Knjaževac. It includes a series of events: the old-timer show of the Knjaževac Association of Old-Time Vehicle Lovers, a bazaar of the highest quality products from local producers, a presentation of local specialties (fish and hunting) and a rich cultural and artistic program. The central event of the manifestation is the performance of brass bands from Knjaževac and the wider area.
Prayer under Midjor
“Prayer under Midžor” is a festival that takes place every year on St. George’s Day (6th of May) in the villages of Vrtovac and Balta Berilovac at the gate of Stara Planina. Đurevdan is a joyful holiday celebrating the power of spring and nature. In Vrtovac, in the cell dedicated to St. George, the ritual sacrifice of a lamb is performed, which the Budžak people call “prayer”. A ritual procession is organized – litia, consecrates cheese, weaves wreaths of mountain flowers, dances and sings. On the first Saturday after Đurevdan, the event continues in Balta Berilovac.
Assembly on Panadzur
In the village of Jalovik Izvor, 40 km from Knjaževac, under the Stari planina, every year on Velika Gospojina (August 28) the “Sabor na Panadžur” is held, an event dedicated to the original song and dance. Singers, accordionists, flutists, bagpipers, and trumpeters show their talent here. The beauty of Sabor is chosen and eventually develops a circuit of 1000 players. The festival is an opportunity to hear the sounds of forgotten traditional music, but also to enjoy the beauty of untouched nature and clean air.
Assembly at Kadibogaz
Two twinned municipalities, the municipality of Knjaževac from Serbia and the municipality of Belogradčik from Bulgaria, have been fostering economic, cultural, tourist and sports cooperation for years. The coming together of two towns and two peoples culminates every summer with the Assembly on Kadibogaz, in the atar of the Knjaževa village of Novo Korito and the village of Salaš on the Bulgarian side of the border. For three days, the border is crossed without a passport, friends hang out, relatives meet, sing and dance, buy and sell. The Kadibogaz Assembly is the largest cross-border assembly in the Balkans.
Lilac days
With the support of the Tourism Organization of the municipality of Knjaževac, the Mountaineering Association of Serbia and the Mountaineering Club “Šiljak” from Boljevac, every year, in the second half of May, they organize “Lilac Days”, a mountain climb to Tupižnica. The ascent of several hundred participants from all over the country and abroad starts from the village of Bučja (18 kilometers from Knjaževac). Glogovački kamen is reached by a 15-kilometer long, well-marked trail. When you reach your destination, you will enjoy the pleasant smell of lilacs and a wonderful view.
Along the paths of Stara Planina
The hiking club “Babin zub” is the organizer of the national hiking campaign “Trails of Stara Planina”. Every July, several hundred mountaineers and nature lovers from all over Serbia go on a hike to the “roof of Serbia”. The ascent, with stops along the way, takes about six hours. Mountaineers are accompanied by herds of semi-wild horses, rare birds and plants in a unique nature reserve. The effort will pay off when you look down from Midžor at centuries-old forests, gold-bearing streams, or, on clear days, at the Danube itself.
Accordion fest
Elementary music school “Predrag Milošević” is the organizer of the International Accordion Festival “Accordion Fest”. The festival has been held for nine years and gathers a large number of competitors from primary and secondary music schools and students of the Faculty of Musical Arts. As part of the Festival, accordionists who won world cups present themselves to the audience with solo concerts, some of them are Jurij Shishkin, Aleksandar Komeljkov and others.
Meetings of ethnic associations
Under the slogan “Tradition to Europe”, meetings of ethnic associations and associations of Serbia are held in Knjaževac every winter. This manifestation brings together participants from all over Serbia and the countries of the region, who present their skills in making souvenirs and clothing items inspired by folk tradition. Also, traditional old crafts are presented at these meetings. Under the auspices of the municipality of Knjaževac and with the support of the Tourist Organization, the meetings are organized by the “Izvor” Tradition Cultivation Association.
Shippuriad
The main motif on which the event is based is sipurak, an edible wild plant that grows on the slopes of forests. The organizers of “Shipurijade” are preparing a competitive, exhibition, artistic, educational and entertainment program. A competition is held for the biggest and most beautiful rosehip, for the best rosehip marmalade, the most original recipe with that fruit, the most beautifully decorated stall, the best artistic and literary work.
Participation in the category of literary and artistic works is intended only for children from preschool institutions and elementary schools. The event is held in the building of the village Cooperative Home in Novi Korit, the last inhabited place on the road from Miničevo to the border with Bulgaria.
Cherry days
The event “Cherry Days” is held in the village of Vasilj, in honor of the cherry, the fruit for which the municipality of Knjaževac is recognizable. The event includes an exhibition of handicrafts, domestic cherry products and a rich cultural and artistic program. It gathers cherry growers, housewives and hosts who make gastronomic specialties from cherries. The event promotes the touristic, economic and cultural values of the municipality of Knjaževac.
Walnut days – Mother-in-law’s eye
The “Walnut Days” event dedicated to this fruit was named “Mother-in-law’s eye” by the people of Vitkov after the cake of the same name, a real energy bomb.
Residents of this village and its surroundings present products and dishes from walnuts, which they say can be used to make everything – from syrups, teas, tinctures, medicinal brandies, to salty and especially sweet treats. The event also gathers folk poets, musicians, storytellers, folklore school, which every year arranges a rich cultural and artistic program.
