20 August 2013
By day, Corvara is alive with traffic. Cafés are full with coffee enthusiasts, coaches arrive and unleash excited visitors en masse as cars slow to find a space and cyclists push themselves to the top of the hill. By night, and particularly every Thursday evening in the summer, the road closes and local acts come out to entertain.
It’s between 5pm and 10pm that barriers are laid out to prevent any cars driving through. Almost instantly people take advantage of being able to walk on the road without worry as shops open their doors for late night intrigue. It’s at 9pm that the town really comes to life!
As I headed down to the open air stage, crowds began gathering from every direction in anticipation for the first act of the night. Before long, a group of ladies in long skirts and cowboy boots joined the stage to show off their country style moves. A warm round of applause encouraged the dancers to put all of their effort in, persuading the crowd to tap a foot to the music.
Between acts I decided to have a look inside an inviting building behind the stage. The open room had been filled with impressive water colour paintings for all to browse and enjoy, with each piece representing the Dolomite Mountains. It was clearly a perfect place for parents to respite as I saw many children queuing just outside for the free candy floss and popcorn on offer.
Upon hearing an accordion further up the street, I wandered over to have a look. Two young boys, no older than 12, sat confidently each with their own instrument, taking it in turns to play. Fantastic skill and entertainment surely enriched the dinner being enjoyed by a couple sat outside a restaurant behind them.
Toward the bottom of the street, I saw yet another gathering. Bouncing excitedly down the road I caught a glimpse of men dressed smartly in traditional Lederhosen. As I ducked through the crowd, the men burst into Schuhplattler, a traditional folk dance, rhythmically striking their knees, thighs and soles to the beat of an accordion. It did nothing but bring smiles to people’s faces as the tempo increased and then men churned out some striking high kicks in turn.
To top off a wonderful fun-filled evening, a Zumba group burst into action, blasting out catchy music across the street. With a large area at the back (covered mostly in darkness), it would have been rude not to join in and give it a go. The Zumba-experts let out a cry of encouragement as I jumped into position, promoting the idea to other passersby. The atmosphere during the entire evening was fantastic with a wide variety of entertainment; I might just have to pop back next week to find out what’s in store.
Collett’s blogs are written by our resort diarist, photographer and walker, Kelly Diggle. If you are out on a walk with her you are sure to be included in her photographs in one of her weekly blogs. Kelly’s personal travel blog can be found here.
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