Bulgarian Christmas already? Well, yeah, sort of… For me, it all started with a small parade marching along Main Street.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Discovering an early Bulgarian Christmas in New York
A little past noon, Saturday, I was talking with my sister on the phone when I looked out and saw a costumed parade approaching the subway. What was it? At a distance, it looked like, maybe, three Santas with a trailing entourage.
I gave my sister a play by play as they passed, but marching under a shady row of trees, they never got enough light for a reliable photo. And they didn’t look so much like Santas anymore either.
As luck would have it though, when I headed out for Four Freedoms, a little later, I caught up with the group in a meadow south of Cornell Tech. On a beautiful autumn day on which everyone seemed to be out, they were setting up for something.
I asked a trio of women watching, in costumes themselves. They told me they were making a video in preparation for Christmas and New Year celebrations in traditional Bulgarian style. More specifically, they were part of 101 Kaba Gaidi New York.
The group, according to their website, was born “…to teach and create awareness about the art of playing the traditional Bulgarian KABA GAIDA and TUPAN, not only through the Bulgarian community in New York City, but also among the wide audience in the tri-state area and the entire United States.”
One of the groups coordinators is Zora Boyadzhieva, a Manhattan Park resident. Young Bulgarian Voice is dedicated to celebrating their love of Bulgarian Culture. Here’s a live performance from the Cornell Tech meadow on Saturday…
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- Thursday’s PSD blotter: two hospital runs, a trespass summons at 888 MainRIOC’s Nov. 12 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents: six medical calls, two alarms at 546 Main Street, and a late-night trespass at 888 Main Street that ended with a summons.
- Queens Home Prices and Rents Rise in October 2026 as Long Island City Condos Draw BuyersQueens home prices and rents rose in October 2026. See StreetEasy’s housing figures and Long Island City condo contract activity at Radiant and Vesta.
- Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7: Get Answers on 2027 ChangesMedicare open enrollment ends Dec. 7. Sen. Krueger’s Nov. 16 virtual town hall covers 2027 premium, deductible and Part D changes, with a HIICAP expert’s Q&A.
- Wednesday’s PSD blotter: two medical calls, a water leak, a custody reportRIOC’s Nov. 11 PSD blotter lists 10 incidents, all on Main Street, including two medical calls at 555 Main Street, a water leak at 560 Main and a custody or visitation report.
- Six-Unit Apartment Building Planned for 10th Street in AstoriaPlans for a six-unit apartment building in Astoria call for four stories at 35-25 10th St. See proposed dimensions, apartment sizes and permit status.
- Tuesday’s PSD blotter: noise calls, a harassment reportRIOC’s Nov. 10 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents, all on Main Street, including four noise complaints, a harassment report and one hospital transport.
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“Yes. I’m Present.”
It is October 20, 2022, and the Cultural Center Theater at 548 Main Street has again been made to serve as a boardroom, its folding tables carrying the temporary authority of the state. The folding tables are perfect for RIOC. They support anything, question nothing and collapse under pressure. At 5:45 p.m., Chair Designee Alex Valella calls the meeting to order.
