Tsakkisti elia (green olive) festival – 7-12.10.2024

This year’s “Green Olive Festival” aims primarily to further promote the traditional product of the green cracked olive and its preparation method, as well as to introduce the public to other products that feature olives as a key ingredient. Additionally, through this festival, we seek to highlight our cultural heritage, the customs and traditions of our region, as well as our traditional dances and songs. This year, the entire event will be significantly upgraded and extended in duration.

The “Green Olive Festival” will take place from October 7 to October 12 this year. During the week, experiential workshops will be held for the preparation of traditional olive pie and other baked goods at a local bakery, as well as a screening of a film about olives at a local open-air cinema (there would be a parallel screening at the indoors cinema hall). On October 12, the event program will begin with the opening of the traditional olive mill, followed by a small artistic performance at the outdoor space of the mill and a contest for cracking green olives. Then, accompanied by live traditional music, there will be a “patinada”—a traditional procession where musicians and dancers parade through the streets, performing lively folk music and dance— the the parking place of Protis Apriliou (1st of April) Square. There, the event will continue with a traditional celebration including live music Vasiliki Hadjiadamou’s band and Cypriot folk dances performed by the “Othellos” dance group.

At the event main venue, there will be stalls selling green cracked olives, extra virgin olive oil, traditional sweets made with olives, olive paste, various olive-based baked goods, olive oil-based cosmetics and an experiential workshop on olive cracking. Upon entering the main menu, each visitor will receive a traditional treat consisting of warm bread with olive oil, cracked olives, and wine, as well as canapés where cracked olives will be used in a more contempory manner. Additionally, there will be a publication available to the public that will include both the preparation process of green cracked olives, as well as traditional and modern serving suggestions recommended by a professional baker and a professional chef, along with recipes for dishes featuring olives as the main ingredient. Food, drinks, desserts and other traditional products would be available too.

Entrance is free for all the events.

The cost to purchase food during the traditional eveningis: Adults – €20, Children (up to 12 years) – €12

Start time/ End time:

Workshop: 18:30 – 20:30
Cinema: 20:15 – 22:15
Opening event at the Traditional Olive Mill: 18:45 – 19:45
Traditional evening : 20:00 – late