The Bulgarian rose production is popularised every year during the Festival of Roses. This festival of the roses originates from the celebrations held at the beginning of the rose-harvesting period. Old rose growers used to organize pageantries in which manufacturers paraded, dressed up in rose flowers. The first rose festival in Kazanlak took place in 1903. Few years later, a similar fest was organized in the town Karlovo, situated in the same area – Rozova Dolina (Rose Valley) and also famous with its rose production.
     The first celebration on a national level was held in Pavel Banya on June 4, 1967. Manufacturers from the whole valley, together with masked dancers, called "kukeri" (mummers) were singing and dancing during the whole fest. This type of celebrations became traditional in Kazanlak and later on in Karlovo too.

     The Festival of Roses can be viewed as a tribute which is paid to beauty every year. Three main events are interesting for the guests of the festival - the elections for Queen Rose, the harvesting ritual in the rose gardens and the parade along the streets of the town. The rose industry has long ago proved its primary importance as a means of sustenance for the people living in the Rose Valley. For them, it has become a way of approaching Nature.
     Bulgaria is one of the biggest producers of rose oil in the world. The reason for this is hidden in the high qualities of the Bulgarian Kazanlak rose ("Kazanlashka roza"), a special type, that was cultivated in the country after many years of production and development. The Bulgarian roses are inheritors of the so called Damascena rose, which was brought here centuries ago. The rose oil is called "the liquid gold" of Bulgaria, because it is a very expensive product, used mainly for the making of perfumes, chocolates, liqueur and jam. The rose oil is 3 times more expensive than the real gold. One kilo of rose oil can be extracted from 3000 kg of roses. This means that for one gramme of rose oil are used more than 1300 rose blossoms! Every flower is picked by hands and preserved carefully for the distillation. More than 2000 people are occupied in the harvest every year.
     The Festival is usually held during the first week of June.