If your mouth starts to water at the mention of chestnuts and your heart beats a bit faster just at the thought of Greek feasts with tsipouro and dancing, then October in the Greek domain is a month not to be missed.
Chestnut festivals
Chestnut is one of the main protagonists of autumn growing all over Greece, from Macedonian forests in the north, all the way down to the Cretan mountains in the south. With the chestnut harvest come chestnut festivals celebrated in many small towns and villages. Meet the locals in feasts across the land and savor this delicious nut accompanied by tsipouro or wine!
From north to south
The Chestnut Festival in Paleochori, Pageo is another popular event, which takes place in this charming village and should not be missed. The smell of the grilled chestnuts (over charcoal) is a key ingredient for autumn! The folkloric festival begins shortly after, with plenty of chestnuts, wine and tsipouro prepared to warm every palate. The event is held in the chestnut forest of Paleochori, on the last Sunday of October or the first Sunday of November.
In Central Greece
In the scenic mountain villages of Nafpaktia, when the distillation process is over, the roasting of chestnuts begins accompanied by music denoting the inauguration of the Chestnut Festival. Visitors are welcome to watch the traditional folk feast of the region, savor the abundant roasted and boiled chestnuts and, as always, the local tsipouro.
The Peloponnese in the spotlight
If you travel to Kastanitsa, a traditional village, well protected by the slopes on the eastern mountainside of Mt Parnonas, you will experience a multi-sensory event which comprises of traditional music, dancing and a cooking contest. A 3-day festival is also held in the nearby Arna, Lakonia, featuring artistic events and a charming flea market next to the roasted or boiled chestnuts and the locally made tsipouro. Another chestnut festival takes place in Ampeliona village, Messinia. The neighboring Trani Vrysi is an imposing stone fountain in the village square. From there on, you can take a walk in the neighboring chestnut tree forest!
Drink well, Eat great & Celebrate
Festival of the patron saint of wines Agios Averkios, Santorini
On October 22nd, Agios Averkios, Patron of wine is celebrated in most villages in Santorini. Back in the old days, the wine makers would go to the canaves to bless and taste the new wines. Then, they set a table with all kinds of tapas, ate, danced, and sang all day long. Everyone had to feast, sing, dance, forget the woes and sufferings to resume the work in the vineyard, the pruning, the winding until the new harvest comes again.
Cabbage Festival, Agia Varvara, Crete
Agia Varvara is a small cabbage town in the prefecture of Heraklion with appr. 2.000 inhabitants whose main occupation is olive-growing and viticulture. The cabbage produced in this area has a special reputation and is praised every October with the respective festival and a Cretan feast. Legend has it, the town of Agia Varvara is the “navel of Crete” and the longest village on the island.
Raki Festival, Edessa
October is the month of “raki” or “tsipouro” production. To honor this event, the community of Messimeri in Edessa organizes the well-known “Festival Tsipouro”. Visitors and locals renew their annual rendezvous every October to eat, sing and dance in a feast celebrating the traditional distillation of tsipouro.
Theodorakion Cheese Festival, Almopia
Theodoraki is a seemingly ordinary little village nestled at the foot of Μt Paiko at an altitude of 420 m. Most of its 520 permanent residents are occupied with stock farming and agriculture (vines, olive trees and cereals). What’s extraordinary though, is the variety of different types of cheese produced here and their high quality! The 2-day-cheese festival held annually in October celebrates this incredible produce with traditional dishes, local dance groups, and folklore exhibitions wrapping up the event.
Read also:
Lush village in Greece’s Arcadia region ideal for escape to nature
Nafplio, Greece: The app changing the travel experience
Veria, Greece: an autumn destination with an intense spiritual atmosphere
