VACANCY FAIR
 

My entire family on my mom’s, as well as my dad’s side come from Northwestern Bulgaria. The least developed, poorest, and unhappiest region of the entire European Union.

 

When I was little, I would spend every summer in the far Northwest. As I was never a social kid, I had a hard time finding friends there. My task was made even harder by the fact that the village was not far from deserted. Even the neighboring towns and villages had severely depopulated.

 

At the end of summer, though, it was the time of county fairs. First was the one in my grandma’s village, then it was at my grandpa’s, and then came the surrounding towns. This was when everyone came back Northwest. There were people, music, entertainment, hope, and everything that usually lacked.

 

The “Vacancy Fair” series aims to show the end of summer with all the fairs and festivals. As most of them are still held but unfortunately now they have become a formality. Vendors are becoming fewer, guests stay for shorter, or they do not show up at all.

 

Fairs are the last piece of hope of culture in this part of Bulgaria. They are the last thing that sustains life and keeps traditions going.