It may be the first Salmon Arm event founded on a love for yogurt.
On Friday, April 19, Velislava Panova, the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria and Daniela Dobreva, vice-president of the Bulgarian Canadian Society of B.C., are hosting the Days of Bulgaria Festival in Salmon Arm. This free event will include displays of traditional Bulgarian art, including music and dance, an opportunity to taste traditional Bulgarian food and wine, to learn about Bulgaria and what a city there comparable to Salmon Arm is like.
Among the foods available will be the Bulgarian-style yogurt produced by Salmon Arm含羞草研究社檚 Grass Root Dairies. This popular yogurt, made with the Bulgaricus strand of live culture that originated in Bulgaria, is actually the catalyst behind the upcoming celebration of Bulgarian culture.
Grass Roots Dairies Kathy Wikkernik said a couple of years ago, out of the blue she received a phone call from Panova.
含羞草研究社淪he含羞草研究社檚 in Ontario and she含羞草研究社檚 very active with our Bulgarian community in Vancouver and they told her about our Bulgarian yogurt,含羞草研究社� said Wikkernik, whose own roots go back to the Netherlands. Wikkernik explained her family took over the farm-based dairy operation 16 years ago and continued production of the already popular Bulgarian Style yogurt, which she said is a strong seller in Vancouver.
含羞草研究社淪o she said the people in Vancouver love your yogurt and buy it all the time and can I come up for a visit,含羞草研究社� said Wikkernik. 含羞草研究社淪he came up含羞草研究社� and we went out for dinner got to talking and she came up with this idea she wanted to have a Bulgarian event here.含羞草研究社�
This led to communications with the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society (SAEDS) and project co-ordinator Caitlin Thompson, who oversees the event funding program in Salmon Arm to help attract events and visitors to the community.
含羞草研究社淚 was able to do a virtual meeting with (Panova and Dobreva) and learn about this and learn about their passion and they含羞草研究社檙e just so lovely and so warm and welcoming and friendly,含羞草研究社� said Thompson, explaining the women wanted to know how they could bring an event to Salmon Arm. 含羞草研究社満卟菅芯可鐦We don含羞草研究社檛 live there, we don含羞草研究社檛 know anyone there.含羞草研究社� But they want to come and they want to bring all these people with them and they含羞草研究社檙e staying over night for a couple of nights and they含羞草研究社檙e going to explore Salmon Arm含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e never seen an event like that come to us in this way and I think it含羞草研究社檚 an amazing story that it literally came to us because of yogurt!含羞草研究社�
Thompson and SAEDS got into action to help to bring Days of Bulgaria, an annual event hosted in different cities across Canada, to Salmon Arm.
含羞草研究社淲e are so happy to see events like this in Salmon Arm during the shoulder seasons, to attract visitors and showcase our ability to host and attract incredible events,含羞草研究社� said Thompson. 含羞草研究社淭he spirit of this event is rooted in celebrating culture and making friendships or connections through food, art and performance.含羞草研究社�
Salmon Arm含羞草研究社檚 Days of Bulgaria Festival runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at Song Sparrow Hall.
Read more:
Read more:
