Eight years ago, we gathered the people of Kurtovo Konare at a public discussion at the local community center. First we asked them what their problems were. The list was long – unemployment, bad infrastructure, unfriendly environment for the local business.  Then we asked them what their biggest advantage was.  “Vegetable growing”, they replied, not hesitating a bit.  “Our red Kurtovo pepper and our pink Kurtovo tomato. And the wonderful lutenitsa we make with these vegetables. It is so delicious that you can’t stop eating it”. That is how the idea for the Festival of the Pepper, Tomato and Lutenitsa was born.  Its first edition was in 2009 and it exceeded all expectations – people travelled from Plovdiv and Sofia to attend.  The Festival was colorful and joyful.  The local people exhibited their home-made products. The square was full of visitors with red lutenitsa mustaches, loaves of bread in their hands.  The recipe for the festival was balanced: The Queen of the Lutenitsa Contest, a market place for home-made food and souvenirs, dances and songs – ethno, jazz and rock, workshops for the kids.  This really empowered the local community. 

The Agora Platform with the support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation funded the first two editions. We granted 7,500 for the first one and 3,800 for the second one.  From there on, the event started living its own life.

The festival became the most powerful advertising tool for Kurtovo Konare.  The collective wisdom of the village found the way to boost the local business following the stepping stones of tradition.

This is what we teach people – that anything is possible.  What matters is the motivation and the unity of the community.

Emilia Lisichkova, Chairman, AGORA Platform for Active Communities for Development and Alternative