Elena hosts its Ham Festival from 16 to 18 October
The three-day Elena Ham Festival runs from 16 to 18 October. See the main times, locations and programme highlights.
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Elena will host the Elena Ham Festival from 16 to 18 October 2026. The three-day programme includes concerts, culinary demonstrations, crafts, children’s games and the traditional Race for an Elena Ham.
Friday, 16 October
The festival begins on Hristo Botev Square. Performances by the Balkandzhiyche folk group and Elenika folk dance club start at 17:00, followed by a concert by Nelina at 18:00. The evening continues with DJ Svetlyo.
Saturday, 17 October
The official opening takes place at 11:00 on Hristo Botev Square, hosted by Iskren Petsov. The programme includes folk and musical performances, culinary demonstrations and a children’s area at the open-air cinema from 11:00 to 16:00.
The Race for an Elena Ham starts at 14:00 on the sports ground beside the Art Gallery. Registration is open to adults in good physical condition and closes after 15 applications. Applications can be sent to obrazovanie@elena.bg and by telephone on 0879 101 458, according to the organisers.
Sunday, 18 October
The folk programme on Hristo Botev Square begins at 11:00. A demonstration of traditional butchery is planned around Bakalov House, while the children’s area at the open-air cinema will again be open from 11:00 to 16:00.
The organisers are Elena Municipality and the Local Tourism Council. Visitors should follow the organisers’ channels for any programme changes.
Sources: Municipal Tourist Information Centre – Elena; DarikNews, 12 October 2026
Illustrative photograph of a platter of cold cuts and cheeses: Rafael Pedroso / Unsplash. The photograph is not from the Elena Ham Festival.
