Herbs Festival (Mladen)Фестивал на билките в село Младен

The Festival of Herbs in Mladen is a midsummer event held around Enyovden (June 24) celebrating the healing power of medicinal plants 1 2. For two days (June 24–25), villagers and visitors gather to learn about herbal remedies and local traditions. The festival typically features thematic booths on herbs and crafts, lectures on plant properties, a 'Labyrinth of Health' herbal orienteering contest, and evening folk concerts (e.g. performances by singer Petya Paneva) 1 2. The festival is free and family-friendly, with activities like guided herb picking, wreath-making workshops, and free herbal tea tasting. It is rooted in the ancient Bularian custom that herbs gathered at sunrise on Enyovden have the greatest potency. The event, first held in 2013, occurs biennially (odd years) with the goal of promoting Bulgaria’s herbal traditions 1 2.

Enyovden (St. John’s Day, June 24) is one of the oldest Bulgarian folk holidays, marking the summer solstice and the peak of the sun's power. It is traditionally dedicated to herbs and healing rituals. Locals believe that plants gathered on this day have exceptional medicinal virtues 1. The Mladen festival preserves customs such as herbal wreath-making and bonfires, reinforcing ties to the natural environment and traditional medicine in rural Bulgaria.