2011 marks the 1st edition of the annual Days of Cluj Napoca festival. The celebration promises to be a great opportunity for visitors and locals alike to discover the beauty of our city and to participate in a wide variety of creative activities and interesting events. Whatever your interests may be, one thing is certain: there will be a celebration in every park, market and neighborhood in Cluj. Every street corner offers something different to explore.
Apart from the main event there will be some other activities to attract a different kind of public. There will be live concerts and modern dance demonstrations for a younger audience. There will also be photographic exhibits, a puppet-show, face painting, and street animation. In addition to all of that, there will be a beach volley tournament, martial arts, handball, basketball and all kinds of sporting events. As you can see, a wide variety of events have been planned to please visitors of all ages and interests.
Activities by Location:
Mihail Kogalniceanu Street: A culinary challenge will take place on 28 May. Adi Hadean, a well-known blogger will create a 100-meter skewer made of chicken meat, sausage and vegetables. This colossal shish kebab is rumored to become the largest skewer ever created.
Museum Square (Piata Muzeului): Concerts of jazz and folk music will take place at Museum Square. Dance performances and live theatre are also scheduled on this spot.
Tailor’s Bastion (Bastionul Croitorilor): Some of the events that can be attended Tailor’s Bastion include an art exhibition and performances of works by William Shakespeare. There will also be several workshops for you to enjoy. Be sure to catch the highly acclaimed Torch-Dance Parade!
Matei Corvin Square (Piata Matei Corvin): At Matei Corvin Square you can take part in puppet theatre, face painting, and painting while being entertained by living statues.
Other activities will also take place at the following locations: Potaissa, Inocentiu Micu Klein, Citadel wall (all of them being located relatively close to each other), the Student Culture House (Casa de Cultura a Studentilor) as well as at Memo 10 (the City Hall restaurant).
Don’t fret the end of the activities, though! There is always something going on in the city. As the Days of Cluj Napoca festivities draw to a close, the Transilvania International Film Festival will begin, running from 03 – 12 June. The festival will start at the Student Culture House and will continue in the major cinemas throughout the city.
Celebrating the Days of Cluj-Napoca
This is the program for the First Edition of the “Days of Cluj-Napoca” event:
Friday, May 27th
In Unirii Square
15:30 – Cluj’s Carnival
Throughout the event period there will be medieval knights participating at the Medieval Festivities taking place at the Tailor’s tower. They can also be found later on in the I.L. Caragiale Park together with street performers as well as other guests that wish to participate.
16:00 – The Cluj;s sports parade: the Cluj-Napoca sports-club juniors will start of the parade at the Peace Square (Piata Pacii) and head towards Union Square (Piata Unirii).
17:00 – Official opening of the “Days of Cluj-Napoca” festival, followed by:
17:05 – Concert “Andra”
18:00 – Carnival costumes presentation and different contests
20:00 – Concerts: Deep Central and Akcent
In Museum Square
18:00 – Folk Concert by the popular school of arts “Tudor Jarda”
18:30 – Concert “Six Martini” band
At the Citadel Wall, Potaissa Street, Fortaretei Street, I.M.Klein Street
12:00 – Opening of the ONG Transilvania Festival*
Day 1: Education, research, professional associations.
12:00 – The Fair of Popular Dabs from Cluj*
* The two manifestations will take place every day throughout the duration of the festival event.
On Kogalniceanu Street
13:00 – Opening of the “Books Promenade”
Events that include: Books stands, books launchings, expositions, poem recitals, debates, dialogues with the reader.
Taylors’ Bulwark
19:00 – Opening of the “Medieval Celebration” that will take place throughout the week. You will be able to attend a crafts fair, the apple market( apples and traditional products), a painting exhibition with the theme “Medieval Architecture”, medieval tapestry exhibition, a guild banners exhibition as well as a traditional dolls theatre.
There will also be a medieval painting school, a medieval cooking school, a fencing school and a archery school available ig you wish to partake in these activities.
There will also be daily screening of British documentaries for the duration of the event at 12:00 and 14:00.
Starting at 23:00 – themed parties in associated partner clubs
Saturday, 28th of May
Starting at 8:00 at the botanical garden: There will be a guided tour taking place. A young PhD will be holding a case study on the birds in the botanical garden. A study like this has not taken place since 1977 making it quite a unique and worthwhile experience.
Starting at 10 at the sports hall: Sports marathon encompassing street ball, volleyball, handball and cycling competitions as well as martial arts demonstrations. These events will take place all the way through Thursday.
On Saturday the street ball competition will take place. Both male and female divisions.
Starting at 10 at the Students’ culture house: there will be a Fair taking place called: discover the brands of Cluj”.
Ion Luca Caragiale Park:
Between 10:30 and 18: the reconstruction of the antique “Napoca” citadel will take place. With the help of the Virtus Antiqua association and the Museum of History. Period costumes, craft workshops and gladiator fights can be found here.There will also be a presentation of the ruins done by historians.
Taylor’s tower:
11:00 – 22:00: “Medieval celebration” day two.
Kogalniceanu Street:
11:00 – 19:00 The “Books Promenade” day two.
Starting at 13:00 The parade of literary characters: Small show organized by the Writer’s Union and School Inspectorate. There will be prizes given consisting of books for the best costumes.
Starting at 15:00 in the Museum Square:
http://www.welcome2cluj.com/2011/05/04/27-05-3-06-zilele-clujului-2011/
Sunday 29 th of May
Treasure Hunting competition finals ,,Discover the treasures from the heart of Transylvania’’
11:00-Toys Fair
19:00,,The little bicycle’event at Horia Demian Sports Hall
Mihai Kogalniceanu street
12:00 – Lucian Blaga recital with young actrice Elena Ivanca;
– Poetry recital acompanied by music performed by local artists
– Open space projections ,,Steps of the Poet in Cluj’’
15:00-Lucian Blaga Teatrichal essay performed by the school of popular arts ,,Tudor Jurda””
16:00-Museum Square-puppet show ,followed by the concert of the irish band Shamrock ,next theatre show;
Unirii Square
11:00-The Winner Awards for the high school competition ,,The architects of the future -Cluj
Napoca in the year 2020 ‘’competition
18:00-,,Cluj has talent’’VI.P.Junior and ,,Transylvania Voices’’ choirs headed by Anca Mona Marias
-show performed by the ,, Gheorghe Dima “Music Academy
-Cluj Opera Festivity – with the participation of the National Romanian Opera Orchestra and Hungarian Opera,choirs;In the schedual :pieces and choirs from famous Operas and Operettas
-Show performed by the Transylvanian Philarmonic.Precentor:Radu Popa
-Poetry recital:Florin Piersic
Monday 30 May 2011
-The events will be continued on Mihail Kogalniceanu street,at the Taylors Tower,I.L.Caragiale Park, Old City Wall,and at Florin Piersic Cinema ;
18:00-Student Culture House-Miss Universitas followed by Smiley Recital;
17:00-Museum Square-show performed by the ,, Viceversa’’theatre Company at the Cluj-Napoca Municipal Culture House
18:00-jazz concerts performed by two student bands (Transilvania Brass and Swinging Train).
21:30-the German Cultural Center in organising short projections on the buildings in the historical center;
In the Unirii Square we will be celebrating the day of traditional music and dancing ;
18:00 artists and bands :folklorical ensemble ,,Martisorul”,Romanasul’’,,Mugurelul ‘’,,Ordogtergy’’,,,Dor transilvan’’, ,,Traditii’’,,,Doina Clujului’’, ,,Craisorul ’’ ,Mazel Tov ‘’and others,like the Cununa Transilvana Orchestra.There will also be very popular artists like Dumitru Fărcaş, Sava Negrean Brudaşcu, Aurel Tămaş and Ioan Bocşa.The show will finish with a poetry recital sustained by Dorel Visan.
Tuesday 31 Mai 2011
-The events are being continued on Mihail Kogalniceanu street,at the Taylors Tower,I.L.Caragiale Park, Old City Wall,Sports Hall;
17:00-Museum Square- concerts series.The night will start with a medieval music concert,and will be continue with a concert performed by the irish band Shamrock ,followed by an Italian band (L-altra Italia).the two bands will be playing at the Days of Cluj as a result of their collaboration with the British Council and The Italian cultural center ;
18:30-22:30-Unirii Square-folk night
Performers: Mircea Vintilă, Magda Puskas, Emeric Set, Andrei Păunescu, Florin Săsărman, Vasile Mardare, Octavian Bud, Valentin Moldovan, Ioan Onişor şi Ionuţ Mangu, Adrian Bezna, Cătălin Stepa.
Wendsday 1 June 2011
-The events are being continued on Mihail Kogalniceanu street,at the Taylors Tower,I.L.Caragiale Park, Old City Wall,Sports Hall;
10:00-Museum Square- creative workshop series for children cartoons drawing ,origami ,balloons , face painting
13;00-shows for children and fairytale heroes parade
16;00 -Puppet show with Puck Theatre
In the afternoon the adults are taking over the Museum Square again.Cocerts will be held by local artists Raluca Vidican Mute and Maya
13:00-Mihail Kogalniceanu Street-book release ,Stories about Cluj’’.edited by the Writters Union
The Italian cultural center will Be preaped with cartoons,and The French Cultural Center will host short movie projections for children.
Unirii Square
-The events will be held on Mihail Kogalniceanu street,at the Taylors Tower,I.L.Caragiale Park, Old City Wall,Sports Hall;
10;00 -The traditional parade dedicated to the event ,, I like Cluj Napoca Clean ‘’awards
11;00 – the awards for the,, Mayor for a day competition”
20;00 -Oldies -Romanian music with Ilie Micolov, Mihai Constantinescu si Gabriel Dorobanţu.
Thursday 2 of June 2011
The events will be held on Mihail Kogalniceanu street,at the Taylors Tower,I.L.Caragiale Park, Old City Wall,Sports Hall;
Brush Factory- conference about the city,culture, development,from the perspective of the ,,Cluj Napoca in 2020-European Cultural Capital’’ project
20:00 Lucian Blaga Square-Luna Amara Concert and Speak Floyd
After the concert there will be a 3D projection on the rouf of the Student Culture Hall followed by a TIFF (Transylvania Film Festival) avanpremiere.
3D projections in the public space represent a premiere for Cluj Napoca and at this magnitude/level for Romania.
Friday 3 th of June
This is the last day for the actions/ activities of rebuilding the ancient fortresse of Cluj-Napoca ,that are taking place in the I.L Caragiale Park ,and also for the ones that are taking place next to the Old Wall (Potaissa Street ,Micu Klein,Fortaretei) ,next to the NGO Festival and the traditional Craftsman Fair .
Also this is the last day for the cooking event that will be held by Memo 10,The Mayor ‘s restaurant.
Meno 10 will be the host of this year s International Cooking Festival
Friday Hungarian Cuisine Day
Saturday Indian Cuisine Day
Monday Coreean Cuisine Day
Tuesday japanese Cuisine Day
Wednesday Italian Cuisine Day
Thursday Dutch Cuisine Day
Friday French Cuisine Day
17:00 @ Mihail Kogalniceanu Street The Bloggers of Cluj will try to beat the record for the longest Skiwer