Over 600 participants at this year's 9th International Children's Folklore Festival in Ilidža

ILIDŽA, (Patria) - The Ninth International Children's Folklore Festival Ilidža 2018 will be held in Sarajevo from July 26 to 30.

The Association for Children and Youth "Nominativ", just like in previous years, is organizing the festival which, in addition to socializing, competitions, and visits from over 600 participants, also includes the promotion of both the city of Sarajevo and the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition to representatives from our country, the festival will feature representatives from Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, and Turkey. It should be noted that several cultural and artistic groups from some countries will present traditional dances from their own and other countries during the festival, and through various social gatherings, performances, and workshops, they will present their people, country, and culture.

A grand concert will be held on July 29 at the Ilidža Summer Stage.

During the festival, representatives of all delegations will visit the Monument to the Murdered Children of Sarajevo 1992-1995, where they will lay flowers to pay tribute to all those who perished in the past war.

All participants of the festival will visit all cultural and historical landmarks of Sarajevo, such as Baščaršija, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, the Old Orthodox Church, the Synagogue, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Vrelo Bosne, and there will also be a ride on the recently renovated Trebević Cable Car.

Visits to the Olympic mountains Bjelašnica, Igman, and Jahorina, as well as to Bihać, Mostar, and Počitelj, are planned so that all participants can become acquainted with the beauties of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

One of the festival organizers, Adis Ćuhara, said that everything is ready for the start of the festival and that everyone is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first guests.

- On behalf of the organizing committee, I can say that everything is ready and that we are eagerly awaiting the start of the festival, which is slowly growing into one of the largest of its kind in our country and has become a tradition. We are pleased that, as in previous years, there will be a large number of participants. The most important thing for us is that everyone feels good in our city and homeland, that they socialize and establish new friendships.

In addition to the festival itself, our goal is to promote both the capital city and the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina, because our homeland has much to offer tourists, and we are proud to have the opportunity to live in it, surrounded by all these natural and historical beauties. That is why we strive to show as many locations as possible to everyone who comes and to introduce them to Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are particularly pleased by the fact that we will enable all participants to ride the Trebević Cable Car, which has been renovated after more than two decades and is one of the symbols of this city - said Ćuhara.

Participants in the festival include: Folk Dance Ensemble "ZVEZDITCA" Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria), Folk Dance group H.O.I of Loannina (Greece), KUD "Frankopan – Remete Zagreb (Croatia), Folk Dance group "Kankalin" Hodmezovasarhel (Hungary), Folk Dance Ensemble "KrasnoSolyshko" (Russia), Children's folk group "Vartášik" Krupina (Slovakia), Folk dance Ensemble "TxorimalokSoinuTaldea" (Spain), Folk Dance ensemble "Kuzeyin Uşaklari" Ankara- Girne (Turkey), Folk Dance Ensemble "InegolHalkEgitimFolklorEkibi" Bursa (Turkey).