For the Love of Tea: Happy Birthday Novomoskovsk!

Woke up to a flurry of activity in the square this morning. Hmm, no...that's wrong. Actually, it all started yesterday morning at 4am when the men started to erect the stage. At first I didn't know what the clanging was, but when the sun came up I saw them and remembered that the town was celebrating it's 67th birthday this weekend. I was told it is an international fair, but when I went to down to see, it was all Ukrainian fare. This was most likely simple mis-communication. Folks have really put a lot of time and effort into setting up their displays, which run the gamut from quirky to garish. It was really crowded but I managed to see it all. There were performers, musicians, venders selling food and handicrafts, and lots of kids stuff. There were beer tents, yummy deserts, fresh honey and fruits, and wonderful breads to buy. In fact, the breads were too pretty to eat! I've included a picture below.

There were very few handmade items which surprised me. I saw one woman sewing and tying twine to make these really simple dolls that had a nice rustic charm to them. They were not overly expensive which came as a big surprise. Another woman crocheted some beautiful parasols and scarves, while another made interesting woven decorative items. The quality of these things was really wonderful. There were many venders selling the same types of cheap goods most likely made in China or Turkey. It was a real shame because it's the same stuff you can find anyplace. In one area they had two men carving wooden spoons. The quality of the spoons they were selling and the skill which the men had were worlds apart. After walking around and seeing that many venders sold these same type of carved items I realized that this was their 'hook' to get folks to buy. I don't want to be unkind and say it was a cheap trick but...

The music was great...there were traditional Ukrainian bands, a pan flute player that was really awesome, and of course, the stage was a hive of activity with traditional chorals. It was wonderful until the different venues begans playing all at once and the cacophony of noise became unbearable.

All in all, it was a nice festival, but I think the day will be a long one for me. I've mentioned before that noise rises up from the square and I am dead center of all the activity, and it's super loud in my apartment. The music and fireworks will continue on into the evening so I am preparing for a very late night. Ukraine sure knows how to put on a party...Happy Birthday Novomoskovsk!