Mount Prospect Celebration of Cultures 2026 - Bulgaria in the Parade, on Stage and in the Folk Dance Circle
The official photos from the 8th Mount Prospect Celebration of Cultures have arrived, and with them we want to take you back to August 22, 2026. Communities from around the world gathered in Kopp Park for a parade of cultures, a stage program and 18 cultural booths. Bulgaria was part of the celebration once again - with its flag in the parade, its own booth, the Bulgarica Dance Group on stage and a big Bulgarian folk dance at the end.
The Parade of Cultures
The day began with the parade of cultures, where the BULGARIA sign and the Bulgarian flag marched alongside those of Korea, Japan, Italy, Mexico and the other participants. At the official opening on stage, Bulgaria was represented with a short speech, together with the representatives of the other communities.
The Bulgarian Booth
All day long, the Bulgarian booth welcomed visitors with folk embroidery, handmade bags and souvenirs, a large martenitsa and photos of traditional costumes. Representatives of the hosts from the Village of Mount Prospect also stopped by the booth.
Bulgarica on Stage
The Bulgarica Dance Group, with choreographer Petur Iliev, closed the festival's stage program with two sets of Bulgarian folk dances.
In between, Ellie Geshowska, a student at Bulgarica School, took the stage and won over the audience with her performance.
The Folk Dance Circle
After the last dance, the celebration moved off the stage. With the Bulgarian flag in the lead, the dancers started a big folk dance circle, and many festival guests joined in - Bulgarians and friends from other communities.
Thank You
We thank the Village of Mount Prospect for organizing the festival, the volunteers, the ladies who prepared the Bulgarian booth, our dancers and everyone who joined the folk dance. The next edition of the festival is on August 21, 2027 - we look forward to seeing you!
Photo credits: Village of Mount Prospect
