With more than 50 activities, events and experiences in 25 villages and settlements, the 11th Amari Green Festival returns from July 23 to 26, transforming the heart of Crete into an open space of culture, gastronomy, nature, creativity and public dialogue for four days. Dedicated this year to the mantinada, the festival aspires to highlight not only the rich cultural heritage of Amari, but also the potential of a place that invests in sustainable development, extroversion and the connection of tradition with the present.
The deputy mayor of the Municipality of Amari, Manolis Psaroudakis, speaking to APE-MPE, points out that the Amari Green Festival has evolved into an institution of particular importance not only for the local community, but also for people who maintain strong ties with their place.
“The festival is a meeting place for people living in Amari, the Amariites of Athens, but also for all those who love the area. Every year it attracts thousands of visitors and functions as a place for fermenting ideas, proposals and reflection on the future of the place. This is also proven by the theme chosen each year,” he says.
As he explains, in a municipality with dozens of small settlements and without a single urban center, the value of such an organization is even greater.
“Amari does not have a central point where social life is concentrated, as is the case in an urban environment. The festival gives the residents of all the villages, as well as visitors, the opportunity to meet, get to know our place better, promote it, but also reflect on the challenges facing the mountainous hinterland and discuss solutions,” he emphasizes.
The audience response, according to him, confirms the momentum that the organization has gained.
“Last year, each event gathered more than 1,000 people. It is something that fills us with optimism but also responsibility. As soon as the festival is over, the organizing committee begins planning for the next year. This is not a static event. It is constantly evolving, enriched with new ideas and attempts every year to provide answers to the issues that concern our country,” he notes.
This year’s event is dedicated to the mantinada, recognizing it as one of the most important carriers of the intangible cultural heritage of Crete. From the first day, visitors will participate in the creation of a living archive of mantinadas from the villages of Amari, while the photographic exhibition “From village to village with our organ players” will also be inaugurated, dedicated to the people who kept the musical tradition of the place alive.
A special place in the program is occupied by the event “The female voice in modern Cretan mantinades”, through which female creators from all over Crete will present their mantinades and their personal journeys, highlighting the decisive role that women have played throughout time in the preservation, transmission and renewal of the Cretan tradition. The event will be accompanied by a musical program with songs and mantinades by the creators themselves.
The festival’s program extends far beyond musical events. It includes workshops on ceramics, papier-mâché, traditional Cretan needlework and creative archaeology for children, culinary activities with the preparation of sourdough, sarikopita and traditional dishes, visits to olive groves, bee gardens and wineries, as well as hikes in the unique natural landscapes of the area.
At the same time, a significant part of the program is dedicated to the dialogue around the development of the Greek countryside. Workshops and discussions will focus on the history and modern practices of olive cultivation in Amari, the social interventions of the Municipality, the possibilities created by the cluster epathros+, as well as the applications of artificial intelligence and small entrepreneurship in local communities. The program is complemented by voluntary blood donation, book exchanges, open-air cinema and the established 5×5 football championship of the villages of Amari.
The four days of the festival culminate with great musical evenings, in which Cretan tradition meets contemporary creation, through the concert “Two Ends – One Tradition”, the appearances of Marios Christonakis and the musical tribute “Where does the place have its voice”, which presents the journey of the mantinada from region to region throughout Crete.
The 11th Amari Green Festival is co-organized by the Municipality of Amari, the Region of Crete, the Sub-Region of Rethymno, the Chamber of Rethymno and the Idaion Network – UNESCO Geopark Psiloritis, with the participation of dozens of organizations and associations, and is under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism. Admission to all events is free and free transportation to and from Rethymno is provided for the first three days of the event.
Source: efsyn.gr