The first edition of Făgăraș Fest, an event dedicated entirely to nature and the local communities living in the vicinity of the Făgăraș Mountains, took place on September 13-15 in the Lerești commune, on the plateau in front of the Voina Cabin, Argeș county.
Nature lovers and adventure seekers were invited to take part in the three days of the festival: to enjoy the amazing landscapes, to spend their time actively, to have fun and to support, at the same time, the local economy.
ProPark – The Foundation for Protected Areas was the main organizer, in partnership with Foundation Conservation Carpathia, who prepared the festival program and had a multidisciplinary approach to the event.
The beauty, the wildness and all the other natural values of the Făgăraș Mountains, such as the virgin forests or the large carnivores, make this massif an experience in itself. The participants were encouraged to discover these values and the surroundings of the festival, through guided tours in the forest, cart rides in Lerești commune (accompanied by a local guide), a fair with local products, a nature cinema or an adventure competition.
The festival gathered local producers of food and artisan products, local beer, and donuts. All the outdoor activities were complemented by the live concert of the band Nightlosers, which provided the entertainment on the second evening of the festival.
The children received more attention at Făgăraș Fest. The treasure hunt and the many ecological education workshops were designed to arouse their interest and attract them to the fascinating world of nature, in order to understand the environment as the basis of their lives.
The event promoted the uniqueness of the Făgăraș Mountains and the benefits that developing ecotourism can bring at a local level. The participants contributed to the preservation of some traditions and customs, to the conservation of nature and the rural landscape. The festivals organized in ecotourism destinations offer unique experiences to the visitors and bring economic benefits to the local communities, supporting their sustainable development. The use of local services benefits the local community, encourages them to grow healthy and protect one of the last wild regions of Europe.
Făgăraș Fest is a festival about responsibility, respect and care for nature, for the host and for each of us. We would like to thank our sponsor, Wepack (https://www.wepack.ro/), who helped us with complete sets of biodegradable cutlery, as a supporter of biodiversity conservation projects in Romania and of the Făgăraș Fest 2019 edition.
Partners / Supporters: The Equestrian Club, the Lerești-Muscel Cultural Association, CPNT Brașov.
Media partners: Rock FM, Radio Romania Brașov, Muscel TV, Radio Muscel, Jurnalul de Argeș, Clar TV, Ziarul din Muscel, Arges TV, Evenimentul Muscelean, Curierul de Argeș.
The national festival, Făgăraș Fest is being carried out within the project “Creation of a Wilderness Reserve in the Southern Carpathian Mountains, Romania,” implemented by Foundation Conservation Carpathia, in partnership with ProPark-Foundation for Protected Areas, Conservation Capital (U.K.), Newfoundland University(Canada), between 2019-2023, with financial support from the Arcadia Foundation through the Endangered Landscapes Program. ELP is managed by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and funded by Arcadia.
