On a rainy Saturday over 2,000 people gathered in Uglich, Yaroslavl region, to celebrate the inaugural Festival of Small Towns. As one of the most famous members of the association, Uglich was given the honor of hosting the festival, which brought together representatives from 12 Russian towns.
The association only accepts as members towns that demonstrate a keen desire to develop their tourism potential and have a basic level of infrastructure already in place to support further development. The festival was a great opportunity for these towns, not known for their tourism, to promote themselves and draw in hordes of tourists with the greatest pomp and ceremony.
Traditional Russian dancing and singing dominated the main stage on Uspenskaya Square throughout the day, including a guest appearance from the Buranovskiye Babushki, Russia's novelty Eurovision entry from 2012.
Food lovers were not disappointed by the array of edible treats on show in a vast market of fresh, local produce. For travelers with children, Uglich focused on making the festival family friendly with fairground rides and workshops.
Fireworks on Uspenskaya Square rounded off a successful first outing for the Festival of Small Towns, which hopes to solidify its union with the continuation of this celebration next year in Yelabuga.
