Greeks love celebrating their culture by holding festivals each year.
As the country is known for its delicious foods and drinks, several food festivals celebrate Greek food and drinks.
Food Festivals in Greece That Celebrate Greek Food and Drinks
These food festivals are a great way to try Greek food and drinks and learn about their culture.
If you are a foodie, then here are Greek food festivals that you should add to your bucket list.
1. Athens Food Fest
The Athens Food Festival is one of Greece’s most popular food festivals.
Held every year in September, it aims to celebrate the country’s street food culture.
The festival features over 300 pop-up restaurants, food vendors, food kiosks, and food trucks.
In Addition – The festival incorporates street food not only from Greece but also from around the world.
Drinks are available as well – beer, milkshakes, and elaborate alcohol concoctions are served at your behest.
So, if you are a foodie eager to sample a wide variety of street food, you want to add the Athens food festival to your bucket list.
There is also music at the festival, where local DJs and live bands entertain the festival goers.
2. Kythira Wine Festival
If you enjoy wine, specifically free wine, then you want to attend the Kythira wine festival.
The festival takes place every first weekend of August in Mitata, Kythira.
The Kythira wine festival, which goes all day and night, attracts locals and foreigners alike.
The goal is to celebrate the production of fantastic wine, which is free during the occasion.
Besides wine, there is food, dance sessions, and live bands entertaining the attendees with traditional Greek songs.
3. Mushroom Festival
The mushroom festival takes place every year in the northern Greek town of Greneva at the end of summer to mark the end of the mushroom season.
Thousands of mushroom lovers congregate in the three-day affair to cook and eat mushrooms.
Over 2500 species of mushrooms are grown in Greneva, giving people a wide variety to sample and choose from.
Chefs and local merchants also grace the festival.
The mushroom dishes you will find at the festival include:
- Mushroom soup
- Mushroom jam
- Mushroom truffles
- Mushroom pickles
Mushroom liqueur is also available in plenty.
Besides the food and drinks, there is rock, jazz, and Larin music to create a merry mood.
Camping is available for people who want to spend the night onsite.
Also, the region has a large area of green forests, which is perfect for hiking.
4. Feta Cheese Festival
Feta cheese is produced in Elassona. According to Greek mythology, cheese was a gift to humans by the gods.
Interestingly, Elassona is only a 30-minute drive from Mount Olympus.
The feta cheese festival celebrates the major production of cheese in the town.
The area produces about 27000 tons of feta cheese annually, making up a third of the country’s production.
The festival, which happens every two years in September, attracts people from far and wide to enjoy cheese in all the creative ways it is served.
Live music, arts, and street fair are also featured in the celebration.
Besides celebrating the delicacy that cheese is, the festival boosts Elassona’s financial autonomy.
5. Artichoke Festival
Every year in May, the artichoke festival takes place on Tinos Island.
If you are a fan of the Mediterranean diet, you want to make a point of attending this festival.
The housewives of the local producers of artichokes start cleaning and preparing more than 10,000 artichokes 10 days before the festival begins.
In the festival, artichoke is presented in different ways:
- Fried artichoke
- Stuffed artichoke
- Gratin artichoke
- Souffle
- Minced artichoke
- Artichoke with vinegar
Local music and folk dancers bring pomp and color to the festival.
6. Corfu Beer Festival
This 5-day festival happens every summer in Corfu.
It started in 2013 and is one of Greece’s most recent festivals.
As the name suggests, the festival is for beer lovers and also incorporates local cuisine. Admission is absolutely free.
In Every Edition – The festival features a foreign country. The foreign country’s beer and beverages become the main items in the celebration.
The aim of inviting other countries is to exchange experiences and expertise while drinking and having fun.
To top it all off, Corfu has beautiful beaches, which are perfect for summer.
Find out – Can You Drink Tap Water in Corfu?
7. Aubergine Festival
The Aubergine is a festival that celebrates eggplant delicacies.
It is held in Tsakonia, Leonidio, every last week of August.
It is also commonly referred to as the melitzazz festival because jazz is a big part of it.
The eggplants in Tsakonio are famous for being uniquely long, thin, seedless, and sweet. In fact, they are the sweetest eggplants in Greece.
In addition, they grow without pesticides which is rare for such crops.
In 1996 – These eggplants attained the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.
The Aubergine is a multicultural festival that features open-air bars, street food, and a wide variety of aubergine recipes.
The recipes include moussaka, aubergine casserole, and fried eggplants accompanied with ketchup and feta cheese.
Guests also take part in cooking competitions where eggplants are the main ingredient.
8. Pistachio Festival/ Aegina Fistiki Fest
The pistachio festival, or the Aegina Fistiki fest, is an annual festival held every September to celebrate pistachio delicacies in Aegina.
Most of the island is covered by Pistachio orchards, so pistachios are a trademark of the place.
In 1994, Aegina earned a PDO for its pistachios.
The locals have a unique roasting technique passed down through generations, which is one of the attractions of the festival.
About 30,000 attendees from far and wide grace the occasion each year.
A theatrical performance at the beginning of the fest teaches guests the island’s history and culture.
In addition, famous chefs come and cook in an open space to impress the festival goers.
The various pistachio delicacies you will find at the festival include:
- Pistachio cake
- Sarikia
- Pistachio pate
- A drink – pistachio liqueur
You will also be entertained by traditional music and dances.
Final Thoughts
There are many reasons why you should visit Greece.
The country has a rich history, sceneries to die for, exciting nightlife, and incredible beaches. None of these things beat the food, though.
There are many food and drink festivals each year, allowing locals and foreigners to sample, enjoy, and appreciate different Greek cuisines.
If you are a foodie, you definitely want to make it to at least one of the festivals mentioned in the article.
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