You’ll Never Forget Your First Time at One of Romania’s Glamorous Fairgrounds

I first took photographs at a Romanian fairground in 2008, in the city of Rosiorii de Vede. I hung out with the kinds of people who draw their living from following the fair: merchants, grill masters, and craftsmen, all of whom were unavoidably covered in a weird mixture of glitter and grime.

I also watched the crowds arrive, dressed to impress—many in their Sunday best, girls in bright colors and high heels. When I saw these clashing identities, I quickly understood that the fairground was a place where I could witness firsthand the modernizing of Romanian traditions and rural culture.

Since then, I’ve been to many others across the country—in Fieni, in Lapusani, in Bogdan-Voda, in Calarasi, in Pietrari, in Galicea, and many other places. It never ceases to amaze me how much can change while basically remaining completely the same.

See more of Ioana’s work here and here.

Click through for more of photographs from Romanian Fairgrounds.