More than 10 tourist buses arrived in Jurilovca for a festival that was never held. Mayor: “People asked ChatGPT”

Jurilovca was flooded with visitors this weekend who arrived expecting a festival that did not exist. More than 10 tourist buses reached the Romanian commune, according to Mayor Eugen Ion, while many others came in their own cars.

They believed they were attending the Lipovan Borscht Festival, but the event was not organized in 2026. Local authorities had already announced that it would not take place. The festival was initially suspended in 2025 because of austerity measures and budget difficulties.

“Be careful with false information! Always check official sources!” Ion wrote on Facebook. He said residents and tourists who followed his official page and the Jurilovca town hall's page knew that the festival would not be held this year.

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Be careful with false information! Always check official sources!

Even so, buses and cars began arriving in the morning. “More than 10 buses arrived in Jurilovca today, bringing tourists who believed they would attend the festival,” the mayor said. He added that many other tourists had come independently for the same reason.

Ion said he was not upset that tourists chose Jurilovca. He wanted them to know where they were going and what the commune offered, rather than arrive for an event that was not taking place. Local officials said tourism agencies had advertised trips since early summer, using dates ranging from mid-August to early September.

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More than 10 buses arrived in Jurilovca today, bringing tourists who believed they would attend the festival.