Glen Echo Balkan Fest

Glen Echo Balkan Fest: A Celebration of Balkan Music and Dance Saturday, October 17, noon - 5pm in the Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park. Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band - founded in 1983, based in New York, is the foremost presenter of traditional Balkan brass music in the US. They have performed for concerts, weddings, and festivals across the US and in the Balkans, from the halls of the Kennedy Center in Washington to the illustrious Guča Brass Festival in Serbia, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors. They were the first musicians from abroad to perform Serbian music at Guča, and they have been invited guests five times. Their 2010 visit was featured in the documentary Brasslands . They have released four albums of music for listening and dancing. In 1986, they created New York’s Golden Festival and have joyously sponsored it ever since. Karpouzi plays music on traditional instruments from the Greek mainland and islands, and Asia Minor. In Greece, karpouzi means watermelon – sweet and tasting of summer. Led by Dr. Spyros Koliavasilis, the Karpouzi ensemble is dedicated to preserving and sharing the beautiful and deeply-rooted repertoire of the many and varied regions of Greece. The group has played events sponsored by the Library of Congress, The Revels at Lisner Auditorium, Hill Center, Greek Embassy, Cypriot Embassy, Delegation of the European Union, and numerous restaurants, parties, camps and folk festivals, including many FSGW events. In 2025, Spyros was a winner of a prestigious Maryland "Heritage Award." Spyros Koliavasilis (vocals, oud, kemane, laouto), Margaret Loomis (santouri), Len Newman (laouto), and Niko Mitrione (oud, laouto, bouzouki). See https://www.karpouzitrio.com/ and https://spyroskoliavasilismusic.com/ for more information! Woven throughout the day is A Journey Through Ex-Yugoslavia - A living celebration of shared Balkan heritage . Authentic folk costumes from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Slovenia, K…