Femei pe Mătăsari - More to Offer

I actually love this part of the year because there are so many wonderful things happening in Bucharest (and I assume in other parts, also). It's summer, officially. There's warmth and joy, and music, and all sorts of brilliant reasons to be happy.

And yet, I almost missed it this year. I was quite caught up in other things, and sort of keep getting smacked in the face with the passage of another year. It's June 1st again. Already. Children's Day here. But luckily, someone at a dance thing I was attending mentioned it, so I didn't miss it.

The event I mean is quite a well-known and atypical street festival in my native city, called Femei pe Mătăsari, taking its name from the eponymous street in one of the old areas of the city. Every year, for three days, Mătăsari Street comes to life with this huge explosion of light and music, and bonhomie.

The street (and adjacent little alleys, of course) is flooded with food trucks, and fancy attractive drinks, but most important by far, it becomes a place for trade where a lot of indie and alternative merchants and creators get to lay out and sell their beautiful wares. Some, you're already familiar with from other festivals. I, for instance, was super happy to find Flash Jewels there, a creator I first discovered at the International Tattoo Convention a few years ago whose bracelet I wear every day and just love. I stopped, of course, to browse their beauitful stand and considered getting something to match, but then I thought no. For me, that bracelet is a unique token from a point in my life, it has weight and meaning. It's not an accessory. Still, I loved to just stay and look for a while.

Then, of course, there are fashion designers, typically leaning boho, hippie, though also blending some inventive traditional motifs, which is exciting. Leather artisans and all sorts of other unusual and brilliant creators line the streets and draw people to their booths. There was an incense stand thingy, and even a psychology-related booth. I wasn't quite sure what they were doing there or offering, but they did have a wheel for you to spin that seemed to predict what psychological event is coming towards you.

I thought I'm pretty good where I am right now and didn't wanna tempt fate.

When you wish for something, the whole Universe conspires to bring it to you. <3

And of course, there is music. We, @graveyardpat and I, were actually there to catch a local band which is fun and the perfect excuse for dancing a bit and being happy, which was what we did. All in all, it's the perfect, indie-60s vibe place to spend a couple of hours, even though the wares do lean on the pricier side. But a lot of events and workshops during the day are actually gratis, so it's well worth hanging out if you're ever in Bucharest this time of year.

Of course, as with many beautiful things, the festival takes its name and is built on a much darker foundation. Femei pe Mătăsari, literally translating as "Women on Mătăsari", initially had a vastly different implication. Mătăsari Street was one of the most infamous streets in my city where women traditionally offered other types of services and wares.

I'm sure when people visit the festival, they typically focus on the bonheur and the beautiful vibes, and for good reason, of course. But it was interesting to me to try and put things into perspective a bit when we were there last night. Now, the street is lined with women merchants and creators and entrepreneurs, selling wonderful things like scarves and bags for other women to enjoy. And women can come and dance freely and enjoy themselves. After the festival, we were standing in line at a small minimarket nearby to buy some water, just laughing with everyone else who was coming from the festival. Ahead of us, there was this slightly older guy, behind us a group of 20-something-year-olds just buying beers, a couple girls but mostly boys. Being out, being loud, being free. It's strange to think, not so long ago, that would not have been possible. That if you were caught out after dark as a woman on this street, things might not end well for you.

Sometimes, I worry I take such freedoms for granted, but when I do, there's places that remind me and tether me. Last night was lovely. And I just wanted to tell you about it. :)