In a serene Serbian village two hours' drive from the capital Belgrade, Sunday dawned to the sound of brass orchestras, marking the climactic finale of the 63rd Guca trumpet festival.
Every summer, this renowned international celebration pays homage to the traditional trumpet melodies of Serbia and the broader Balkan region.
A highlight of the day was a traditional Serbian wedding ceremony, accompanied by a large procession. Participants adorned in vibrant folk costumes, accompanied by horses, paraded through Guca's streets in time to the distinct Balkan brass sounds.
During the festival, which began on Aug. 2, local media reported that the quaint village of around 2,000 inhabitants welcomed an astonishing 150,000 visitors every day. Sunday marked the culmination of the three-day extravaganza -- a showcase which saw Serbia's premier brass bands vying for prestigious titles on the main stage.
The festival also offered a tantalizing glimpse into Serbia's culinary heritage. Roast suckling pigs and lambs, alongside the local dish of "wedding cabbage", adorned food stalls and pop-up restaurants across Guca.
Marija Tomasevic, a business owner from near Guca, attended the festival for the first time to sell her homemade cheesecakes and sweets. She said, "There are so many fine things to see here, from folk costumes to our traditions and old crafts, which people here have been persistently trying to maintain for years. This is a good opportunity to make some profit, but even more importantly, it is beneficial for promoting my products. Foreigners are especially interested in products with domestic raspberries."
Trumpeter Stole, an orchestra leader from Vladicin Han in Southern Serbia, noted that European tourists are somewhat familiar with the music, and often request songs such as "Mesecina" (Moonlight by Goran Bregovic) and the Italian resistance anthem "Bella Ciao."
Nikolina Tomic, a 12-year-old girl from the nearby town of Lucani, said: "For me, the best moments are those when the trumpeters perform the Kolo folk dances, which I love to dance to as I attend folk dance classes. I hope that I will perform at this festival one day."
As the festival drew to a close, cannons marked the final event in the festival program -- a competition of 16 brass orchestras held in front of an audience of thousands, with a jury composed of Serbia's finest musicologists and folklore experts.
