The European Folk Craft Festival (EĽRO) will return to its original form after two years. The Main and Castle Square in Kežmarok will be transformed into a closed festival area, where folk ensembles and craftsmen from all over Slovakia and neighbouring European countries will present themselves. A stable place among the craftsmen is held by the Kings of Crafts, to whom the 30th edition will be dedicated.
EĽRO is about European craftsmanship, traditions, music, singing and most importantly, people. That is why we have decided to dedicate this anniversary edition to all people and all craftsmen. The whole festival will be about fun, it will be in a friendly spirit and will return to the celebration of traditions and crafts. Residents and visitors of Kežmarok can look forward to domestic ensembles, many of them very well known, but we have also turned to our neighbours - the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary and we will try to attract their important ensembles to the town, said Mayor Ján Ferenčák.
During the three festival days, the town under the Tatras will be alive with crafts and folklore as well as modern music and a rich accompanying programme for all ages. History, guild customs and knightly duels will be presented to visitors by theatre troupes, historical charm and martial arts groups. DEthiopians will be able to enjoy theatre performances, fun games and street attractions.
The cultural events will also include a tour of the expositions at Kežmarok Castle and the Bloody History event, which is of great interest every year.
This year, tours of the castle will be unrestricted during the day and visitors will be able to move freely around the exhibitions. The evenings will be dedicated to traditional and popular theatre performances. There will also be the popular Bloody History, the theme of which will be the displacement of the Carpathian Germans. We know that this is a difficult subject, but we still think that these stories and the people who suffered their own fate should be spoken about loudly. Unless we know our own history well, we cannot realistically evaluate what is happening around us now, explained Erika Cintulová, director of the Kežmarok Museum.
The fact that EĽRO is one of the most popular summer festivals is evidenced by its attendance. During the 29th edition in 2019, a total of 65 thousand visitors passed through the historic gates of the city over three days. Over the years, it has become part of a global movement to protect and promote intangible cultural heritage.
More information about the event will be brought by the municipality in the coming weeks on the website www.elro.kezmarok.sk and social networks of the city.
