13th Annual Bukovina Fest
in Rio Negro (State of Paraná) and
Mafra (State of Santa Catarina), Brazil
July 3-6, 2003
Posted September 10, 2018
Between July 3-6, 2003 the Bukovina-German Cultural 
Association (Associação Alemã-Bucovina de Cultura – ABC) will celebrate the arrival in Brazil of Bukovinian colonists who settled in Rio Negro and Mafra 116 years ago.
Several events will be highlighted including a dinner-dance at which time a young lady from among the colonial families is elected as “Bukovina Queen”. She will hold this honor until elections at next year’s festivities. At the dance, which sometimes continues well into dawn, trophies and prizes are awarded to families of Bukovinian origin with the greatest number of members in attendance.
In addition, a parade of Bukovinian families in trucks and automobiles traverses Rio Negro and Mafra to the accompaniment of fireworks. This event concludes with free home-brewed beer (chopp) amidst a great show of friendship, solidarity and conviviality. All the inhabitants of Rio Negro and Mafra are welcome to participate in these festivities in these two cities located on opposite banks of the Negro River.
Some people dress in the attire of their Bukovinian forebears. Besides ethnic music there are also the traditional foods such as haluschki, mamaliga and malai along with the chopp.
Local choral groups from Rio Negro, Mafra and several neighboring cities will join the celebration of the Bucovina community by presenting a “Choral Evening.”
The scheduled events also include lectures on Bukovinian history and culture as well as a performance of the Bukovina folklore group, “Boarischer Wind.” Festivities will conclude with attendance at a Catholic mass to give thanks and to honor the memory of our forebears. Church services are followed by a typical luncheon served in the Sociedade Agricultura “União,” where most of the descendants of the Bukovinian immigrants congregate for social activities.
On the last day teams representing Bairro Bom Jesus (Rio Negro) and Vila Nova (Mafra) compete in a traditional card game called “Truco Dourado” (Gold Truco).
A detailed program with a schedule of events will be posted shortly. The ABC extends an invitation to the visitors of this website to join us in celebrating our Bukovina Fest. Visitors can reach the international airport of Curitiba via a connecting flight from São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. From Curitiba it is only an hour’s ride by auto or bus to Rio Negro.
In Rio Negro and Mafra you will find good hotel accommodations. We recommend that visitors consider staying at the Blumenpark Hotel or the Hotel Susin, both in Rio Negro and Mafra. These hotels provide excellent accommodations at a reasonable price.
In addition to the program of events scheduled by the ABC, you will have an opportunity to visit our neighboring towns and their numerous tourist attractions. In the proximity of Rio Negro lies the city of Curitiba, where the sightseer can spend many hours amidst its historical and cultural sites. A special tourist package can be arranged which includes a visit to Iguaçu Falls, the largest waterfalls in the world, with its imposing hydroelectric plant of Itaipu, located one-hour’s flight time from Curitiba. Trips to Argentina and Paraguay to tour the towns of Puerto Iguazu and Ciudad del Este can also be arranged. Traveling east from Curitiba for an hour and one-half by auto or bus will bring you to the beautiful beaches of Paraná and Santa Catarina where the visitor can take invigorating walks along the Atlantic seaboard.
For further information please contact Ayrton Gonçalves Celestino at his home address at Rua Waldemar Kost, 1505 – Bairro Hauer – Curitiba, Paraná 81.630.180, Brazil