Dragacevo`s brass bands festival in Guca is a unique competition of folk brass bands in the world and one of the most important events of the overall national creativity and cultural amateurism in Serbia. Held each year in the first half of August (the first Festival was held in the churchyard of St. Archangel Gabriel`s Church in Guca, on the14th October 1961).

Trumpeters from Serbia compete for the titles of the best orchestras and soloists in three categories: pioneer, youth and senior. Through the qualifying rounds in areas of eastern, western, southern and central Serbia and Vojvodina pass hundreds of bands, and about forty of them have the possibility to participate on final competition of brass bands in Guča. Winning some of the titles of Dragačevo’s brass bands festival opens them the way for performances in world capitals, the national and international festivals, music programs, television, film ...

During the period of five decades on the Festival, together with festival competitors, began to arrive guests: orchestras, cultural societies, singing groups, soloists, painters ... from various parts of Serbia, former Yugoslavia, and since the mid-eighties also from around the world. The number of participants in all Festival programs ranges over 1200, while the number of Festival visitors is hundreds of thousands - including tens of thousands of foreigners.

In its content, in addition to trumpet competition, Festival is the overall review of national spirituality: art exhibitions are organized, also literary meetings, competition of toast-proposers, all-round national sport tournament, competition for the most beautiful national costumes, performances of folk customs (Dragačevo’s wedding from the 19th century), many brass bands concerts , concerts of singers, dancers ...

Festival is followed by numerous print and electronic media from country and abroad, books and publications about this event are written, films are recorded, there are also television and audio recordings ...

The organizer of Brass band festival in Guča is a municipality of Lučani, which the immediate organization of cultural programs entrusted to the Centre for Culture, Sport and Tourism "Dragačevo" in Guča. Related activities are implemented by municipal governments and local community of Guča. Patron of the Festival is the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

This year, the 50th anniversary Festival will last ten days, from 13th -22nd August.

All roads lead to Guca. Welcome!

source: http://www.saborguca.com