It is almost that time of the year again, the annual wine festival held in Limassol. Limassol
(Lemesos) is known as the party city of Cyprus and when you visit the wine festival you will
see why! It is also Cyprus’s wine capital and has hosted the annual event every year since
1961. This popular festival is held at the Municipal Gardens which is right on the promenade,
(and also where the much debated Limassol Zoo is located).
The Wine Festival initially began as a tribute to Cyprus's wine making tradition. Every year
it has gotten bigger and better with more variety of wines, activites, Cypriot foods and
events. It was originally inspired by the ancient festivals dedicated to the God of Wine,
Dionysos and the Goddess of Beauty and Love, Aphrodite. Some featured events are
folkloric dances, songs and theatrical performances from local and international artistic
groups. There is wine on offer from large and small wineries that can be sampled for free
with the minimal entrance fee of 5 Euros. Along with the entrance fee you will receive a
free bottle of wine from the winery of your choice and for just 1 or 2 Euros you can choose
a souvenir plastic wine goblet of your choice that will be refilled all night! Lastly, guests
have the opportunity to watch or participate in dancing on grapes to tread them which is a
popular event as you don't often see a traditional wine press. It is fun to watch and
depending on how much wine you have had it is also fun to do!
Another of the the festival’s trademarks is the towering “Vraka Man” that welcomes
visitors at the entrance with the phrase “Drink wine to be healthy”. For those who don't
know the "Vraka" is a traditional Cypriot way of dress specifically referring to the pants.
The basic costume has the pleated baggy pants or "vraka" which are seen in one way or
another on all the Greek Islands. This is also worn with a waistcoat which is called a
"yileko" and a jacket or "zibouni". The vraka is dyed black for older men and blue for
younger boys. The shirt is usually cotton for day to day use and a silk shirt is worn on
special days. Depending what region you are in will determine the ornate decorations
on it. Since this is a traditional Cypriot festival and hardly anyone wears a "vraka"
anymore the statue is a welcome and friendly site and reminder of some of the
older Cypriot traditions.
This is an event where I would highly suggest taking a bus or taxi to or the free
shuttle bus that runs from all cities. You can find more information about transportation
that is offered by the Lemesos Municipality by clicking here. There is also a free public
parking area east of the Municipal Garden Theatre (Pafilia ground).compliments of the
Limassol Municipality however, I would recommend a designated driver!
The festival will kick off on August 27th, 2010 and conclude on September 5th. It opens
at 7:00 pm and closes at 11:00pm except on Friday and Saturday when it stays open an
extra half hour until 11:30pm.