SOFIA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- A Lavender Queen was elected for the first time in Bulgaria on Friday in the town of Chirpan at the beginning of the third edition of the national Lavender Festival.
The 11-year-old Alexandra Stoicheva was crowned with the title at a ceremony immediately after the competition, which was held in the town park.
A carnival procession, lavender workshop, and photo exhibition "Lavender Impressions" were some of the other events in Chirpan within the two-day festival.
It will continue on Saturday in the nearby village of Sredno Gradiste with lavender bazaar and folk show.
"The Lavender Festival was inspired by Bulgaria's position as a world leader in the production of lavender oil," said event organizer Nina Girginova.
Since 2012, Bulgaria has produced on average 100 to 120 tons of lavender oil a year, many times more than traditional producing countries, Girginova said.
She added the cultivation of lavender in Chirpan began around 1907, and the region currently produces more than half of the lavender oil in Bulgaria.
