TOURISTS and expats will be spoilt for choice this weekend (May 6-7) with two Aegean festivals being held.
Food Festival; Selçuk
Selçuk, the town nearest Ephesus, will be hosting a new and different festival. Called the “Kantaron Festival”, it seeks to celebrate the natural flavours of the Aegean region.
The festival will promote Selçuk’s natural herbs and unique regional dishes. Participants will also be able to enjoy food competitions, interviews and taste award-winning dishes from cooks of the Selçuk district, featuring lamb meat, shortbread, artichokes and figs.
The festival, which will take place in the shade of the town’s aqueducts, will once again emphasize Selçuk’s historical and cultural richness.
Incorporated into the festival is the Festival of St. John’s Wort, which will be held between May 6th and May 7th in Selçuk. The “Aegean Region Food Contest” will be held on Saturday, May 6 and a contest on Sunday in which Selçuk locals compete for various awards as well as exhibiting their skills.
In addition, the festival will research the stories, beliefs and latest scientific data on the kantara herb. During the festival, specialist presentations and workshops will be held. Promotional and sales stands for natural and handicraft products will also be available.
Flower Festival: Bayındır
Bayındır, around two-hour car-drive from Didim, will be hosting its 20th annual flower festival through to Sunday May 7.
When flower cultivation began to become a real source of revenue in Bayındır, a flower festival was organized to promote the district and provide an opportunity to local producers. This festival, which became an international event in 2010, has become a window to the world on the region – one of Turkey’s most important flower cultivation centers.
The Flower Festival will include folk dance teams from Ukraine, Macedonia, Kosovo and Azerbaijan, as well as local teams.
Bayindir
There are plans for street musicians, Flashmob Dance Group, Bando, Live Sculptors, Animators, Wooden Legs, Walking Puppet, Cartoonists, Flower / Leaf Artists, and painters will perform in various places during the festival.