For twin sisters Alicia and Sophie Stefanoff, the Multicultural Festival is more than a celebration – it’s a way to honour their heritage, connect generations and keep their family’s Bulgarian traditions thriving.
When the Multicultural Festival returns to Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga on Sunday 23 November, two sisters will proudly be flying the Bulgarian flag – in full traditional costume, no less.
Alicia and Sophie Stefanoff have been involved with the festival for years, representing the Bulgarian community with the warmth and enthusiasm that has made them favourites among regular festival-goers.
“We were about 13 or 14 the first time we did it,” Alicia says. “My sister and I – and the Bulgarian community as a whole – always get excited for the call-up each year.”
For Sophie, the festival’s growth into an annual celebration is something to cheer about.
“We’re very excited that it happens every year now as well,” she says. “We started when it was every two years so it’s been quite a few years now since our first one.”
A place to belong
The 22-year-old twins have been part of Adelaide’s Bulgarian community for as long as they can remember.
“We probably were at The Bulgarian Club in Fulham Gardens the day after we were born, so everyone could see us,” Sophie says.
“The Bulgarian Club is a meeting place for our whole community.
“We’ve got a traditional Bulgarian dance group that myself and Alicia are a part of. We practise pretty much every week. We’ve also got our Orthodox Church and our Sunday School. It’s definitely a place for all of the community to meet and to connect and share the culture.”
Embracing the Bulgarian spirit
Hosted by Multicultural Affairs in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the festival will feature more than 85 multicultural community groups showcasing their heritage.
The Bulgarian dance group won’t be performing this year – but Alicia and Sophie will still be there in costume, running the Bulgarian stall and sharing their culture with festival-goers.
“We’ve got trinkets and things to sell, and some historic items that people can learn from,” Sophie says. “We’ll be sharing our culture and the story of Bulgaria – its history and what people would see there today.”
They’ll be hard to miss in their beautiful traditional Bulgarian dress, richly embroidered, layered and full of colour – but not the ideal choice for an Adelaide spring day.
“They’re quite similar to other Eastern European styles – they’re thick and woollen because it’s cold there, so they can get a bit hot in the Adelaide sun,” Sophie says. “But they’re very colourful – lots of reds, greens and yellows – and we usually wear roses in our hair.”
And while there won’t be Bulgarian food on offer at the stall this year, visitors can mark their calendars for the club’s next Bulgarian Festival in Fulham Gardens on 8 February, when traditional dishes and dancing will be on full display.
Dancing through generations
Bulgarian folk dancing, known as horo, is a central part of the community’s cultural life.
“It’s a kind of circle or line dance where everyone links hands,” Alicia explains. “It’s really heavy on the footwork – we like to think our calves are pretty strong from it! It looks impressive when you’ve got lots of people doing the same steps in a circle.”
Beyond the performances, horo is also a way for generations to come together.
“If we have a function at the club, we’ll put on one of the classic songs everyone knows, and all the grandmas and grandpas get up to dance too,” Alicia says. “It’s so collaborative – you see a line of 50 or 60 people dancing together. That’s why we do it – to bring everyone up and connect.”
Keeping a heritage alive
For the Stefanoff sisters, their involvement in the Bulgarian community is about much more than dancing or festivals – it’s about honouring the sacrifices of their ancestors.
“Our great-grandparents were born in Bulgaria and came over when they were about 18,” Sophie says. “My grandmother was born just after they arrived in Australia. So, we’re now third generation, and I think it’s important to remember where we came from and keep that culture going. We owe it to our family to keep it alive.”
Alicia agrees, pointing to their great-grandfather’s name engraved on the Bulgarian Church as one of its founding contributors.
“It’s a reminder of what they built and the responsibility we have to keep it going,” she says.
The sisters hope to one day visit Bulgaria with their grandmother, to see the village where it all began. “It’s on the list,” Sophie says. “We’re working towards that while she’s still able to travel.”
What makes the festival special
When asked what they’re most looking forward to this year, the answer comes quickly – “the food,” Sophie says with a laugh.
“We love visiting all the other stalls and trying their food and seeing all the national costumes too. It’s fantastic to see the colours and how different each culture is, even between neighbouring countries.”
She says the welcoming, open atmosphere is what makes the Multicultural Festival truly special.
“The public who come along are so genuinely interested,” she says. “They want to learn about the cultures, the history, and the traditions – and that makes it really rewarding to be part of.”
Alicia agrees: “It’s such a great opportunity to share Bulgaria with people who might not know much about it. We love seeing people walk away knowing a little bit more than when they arrived.”
Why multicultural festivals matter
South Australia is home to people from more than 200 different countries, speaking more than 240 languages and practicing over 120 religions – and the Multicultural Festival is a vibrant reflection of that diversity.
Events like this don’t just celebrate difference – they build connection. They’re a reminder that, as Sophie puts it, “it’d be very boring if we were all the same”.
“It’s important to celebrate our identity and share it with others,” she says. “At the same time, we get to learn from so many other cultures too. That’s what makes it so special.”
The 2025 Multicultural Festival is on Sunday, 23 November, in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, from 12pm–6pm. Find out more details here.
