The Bulgarian community in Las Vegas gathered for a big festive gathering in ‎‎Bruce Trent Park on May 21, with which they celebrated in advance the Day of ‎the Holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian alphabet, education and ‎culture, and of Slavic literature - 24 May. ‎

The event was preceded by a proclamation by the mayor of the city Las Vegas, Carolyn ‎Goodman. ‎

‎"Continuing the excellent relationship we have built with the mayor of Las Vegas, ‎we are pleased to inform you that May 24 has been officially declared a day of the ‎Bulgarian cultural heritage!" wrote the Bulgarian Consul General in Los Angeles ‎Boyko Hristov, expressing hope that this news will bring joy to our compatriots ‎in Las Vegas. ‎

‎"Many people gathered in the same park as last year. There were also special ‎guests, including for the first time from Bulgaria," Maria Samichkova, who is also ‎one of the organizers of the event as a spokesperson for the Bulgarian Association ‎in Nevada, told Radio Bulgaria. ‎

‎"We had special guests from other states. From Phoenix - another national ‎association that also organizes Bulgarian assemblies and festivals, from Texas - ‎book author Antonina Duridanova who presented her memoir "Escape from the ‎Iron Curtain: A New Beginning and Return". Our fellow citizens were also with ‎us - the talented Diana Alexandrova, who is the author of more than 13 children's ‎books, two of them have been translated into Bulgarian and are in bookstores in ‎our homeland. Two more are expected to be released for Children's Day - June 1, ‎in Bulgarian bookstores. 

Also the talented artist Valentin Yordanov, who makes ‎street art and created a unique panel, which includes important sights from ‎Bulgaria and places worth visiting by tourists. He himself is from Veliko Tarnovo ‎‎– Bulgaria’s old capital, a town with a lot of history and remarkable architecture”, ‎Maria Samichkova reported.‎

‎“It was an extremely dynamic, long and interesting day. Also for the first year we ‎had a tennis class. We invited a tennis club in which there is a champion - Raya ‎Kotseva, who plays tournaments in Indian Wells and is the champion in the age ‎category up to 12 years old. Her personal coach is her older sister Irene Kotseva, ‎who is coming here to study in the USA on a scholarship, thanks to her tennis ‎achievements in Bulgaria. Now her younger sister is reaping great success in tennis ‎tournaments and is at the top of the national rankings”, Maria Samichkova told ‎Radio Bulgaria.‎

There was also participation of a jazz band from the Las Vegas Academy of the ‎Arts, in which the saxophonist is Bulgarian. Many talented children, a wonderful ‎dynamic program, guests and sponsors who did everything possible to make this ‎festival even more successful than last year. ‎

‎“There was festivity, merriment, people continued to dance Bulgarian folk songs ‎until the late hours. We thank everyone who came to help in advance, all the ‎Bulgarian businesses and restaurateurs in our city”, said Maria Samichkova. ‎

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Report and photos by Maria Samichkova, Las Vegas