Songs and dances filled the main stage, while all around, a true round dance of «Belarusian delicacies» unfolded — everything made from potatoes or meant to accompany them. Enterprises, farms, and cultural centers were frying draniki on large griddles and cast-iron skillets at their own stands. And what accompaniments were! Cracklings, sausages, mushrooms, garden-fresh pickles and tomatoes, «verashchaka» sauce, and delicious homemade kvass.

At the top of the list, of course, were the Nacha draniki with porcini mushrooms, with a long queue forming almost immediately. It is hard to believe that the humble potato, in the skilled hands of local cooks, can be transformed into such a culinary masterpiece.

«The main thing is to cook with love,» said Lyudmila Lebedevich, a specialist at the Nacha Cultural Center. «The unique recipe, which is included in the list of Belarus’ intangible heritage, was passed down to us by a local resident, Anna Yatsukevich, who in turn learned it from her mother.»

Nearby, workers from the Pogorodno Cultural Center were frying draniki on two skillets, with eager festival-goers patiently waiting for each fresh batch.

«On our table, we have draniki, potato pancakes, machanka sauce, sausage, and homemade saltison,» said Inna Rodevich, head of the Pogorodno Cultural Center, warmly welcoming visitors. «In our area, there is also a traditional dish — potato dumplings made from grated potatoes. They are boiled in salted water and then fried with cracklings and onions. Very tasty!»

A point of pride for Voronovo District is the Oktyabr experimental farm, which grows elite varieties of agricultural crops, including potatoes.

«This year’s harvest is looking good, and the varieties are our own — Belarusian,» said Andrei Ventskevich, director general of the experimental farm. «We plan to start harvesting on 1 September. But as you can see, we have plenty to treat our guests today. Our signature dish at the festival is potato sausage.»

Two young girls in colorful printed headscarves were hard to miss. As it turned out, they were also namesakes. Dominika Morozova and Dominika Trusilo came to Voronovo from the agrotown of Vertelishki in Grodno District. They are members of a folk ensemble performing at the festival. In between their sets, they have already explored the festival grounds and, of course, tried the draniki. «We like them crispy,» the girls said. «That’s exactly what we tasted. Hearty, delicious, and piping hot. Now we’ll perform and enjoy the music. The festival is wonderful today.»

Among the guests to Voranauski Dranik were visitors from Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. Voronovo District and Sechenovo District have been cooperating for several years, and at the recent fifth congress of small towns of Grodno Oblast and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, they formalized their friendly ties with an official agreement. The people of Voronovo were delighted to invite their Russian friends to their signature festival.

«We are very impressed,» said Irina Makarova, deputy head of the Sechenovo municipal district administration in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. «A very interesting center dedicated to the Belarusian dranik has opened in the district center. They plan to teach children and organize tours. This is an example of how to preserve folk traditions. The festival itself is wonderful — everything is interesting and delicious, there are many people, and the atmosphere is fantastic. We are staying and will celebrate with the people of Voronovo until the end of the day.»

The festival featured a large food court where visitors could sample a variety of potato dishes and choose their favorite. The dish that won the most votes from the public was declared the winner of the competition.

Guests also spent time at the family-friendly game area Dranik-Picnic, in the Town of Artisans, competed in the Voronovo Strongman 2026 extreme strength competition, raced to grate potatoes, and took part in dranik-eating contests. The event also included a concert featuring stars of Belarusian and Russian pop music and the grand fireworks finale.