8th Amari Green Festival
From
July 21, 2023 08:00
until
July 24, 2023 22:30
At Amari
Posted by
Super User
The 8th Amari Green Festival offers a remarkable opportunity to experience the true essence of Crete. Taking place July 21st to 24th in the captivating region of Amari Rethymnon, at the School of Asomaton, and at the surrounding villages, this festival is a celebration of rural life, emphasizing culture, tradition, knowledge, and the environment.
With an extensive program of over 30 events and activities, attendees can enjoy concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances, nature excursions in Amari, gastronomic events, educational workshops, and a diverse array of other engaging activities. The festival caters to both young and old, providing a distinctive chance to become acquainted with the authentic spirit of Crete.
Throughout the festival, a multitude of scientists, artists, musicians, local villagers from the Municipality of Amari, and cultural associations of the region will warmly welcome visitors and participants, sharing their abundant hospitality, expertise, talents, and love.
The Amari Green Festival is an initiative of the municipality of Amari and is co-organized with the support of the Region of Crete, the Rethymnon Chamber of Commerce, the Rethymno Region, the Rethymno Regional Council, the Network of Municipalities of Psiloritis "Idaion," the Geopark Psiloritis, and the Institute of Ecological Agriculture DIO.
It is worth noting that all events and activities of the festival are offered completely free of charge, ensuring that everyone can partake in this extraordinary celebration.
PROGRAM
Friday, July 21, 2023
8:00 – 11:00: Hiking routes in our Nature, Culture and History - APODOULOU: FIRST hiking route for Apodoulou - Kaloufkas - Agios Giorgos Xififoros. Meeting in the square in collaboration with the Apodoulou Cultural Association.
17:00 – 18:00: Patsos Gorge – Church of Agios Antonios: Guided tour, marking.
18:00 – 19:00: Kourkoulos Winery: Vineyard walk. Wine tasting.
17:00 – 21:00: Spiritual Center of the Parish of Kouroutes: "The women of Kouroutes open their chests".
19:00 – 21:00: Cultural Association Square of Apostoloi: "Taste Tradition: From cheesemaking to enjoyment". Local producers - cheesemakers make cheese and treat the people while ‘’myzithropites’’ and cheese pies come next. From production to consumption in collaboration with the Cultural Associations of Nithavri, Fourfouras, Petrochori, Pantanassa, and Apostoloi.
19:15 – 19:30: Cultural Association Square of Apostoloi: Presentation of the websites discoveramari.gr & game.discoveramari.gr of the Municipality of Amari. Presentation: Giorgos Mourtzanos – Irenaios Geroyannis.
19:30 – 20:00: Cultural Association Square of Apostoloi “Business opportunities in Amari. Value chain of products in Psiloritis". Speaker: Manioudis Manolis, ESEE.
20:30 – 20:45: Cultural Association Square of Apostoloi: Speech on "Geological transformations in Crete and in the region". Speaker: Dr. Charalambos Fassoulas – Museum of Natural History and member of the Council of the UNESCO World Geopark program, president of IDEAS NETWORK.
20:45 – 21:00: Cultural Association Square of Apostoloi "Experience tourism, the case of Amari". Speaker: Vicky Vamiedaki, journalist.
21:15 – 22:30 Municipal Theater of Apostoloi: CONCERT "The traditional Winds of Crete". Old melodic motifs, primitive instruments and timbres come to life in a musical performance. They are revived, recreated, and adapted to today. Giorgos Zacharioudakis: thiaboli - mantura - bagpipe, Maria Louka: singing - percussion, Stelios Sykakis: lute, Bulgari, Andreas Paragioudakis: guitar, mandolin.
22:30 – 00:30: Municipal Theater of Apostoloi: CONCERT “TOPOS”: With elements from the Cretan sousta, traditional voice shots, pop, rock, and new age folk, the Topos are influenced by their island life and their references resonate in seas, skies, gorges, freedom, sun, love and the magic of life. Matthaia Spitadaki: singing, Eleni Aleksantonaki: synthesizer - bass, Argyris Exarchos: electric guitar, Filippos Zeibekoglou: drums
Saturday, July 22, 2023
08:00 – 11:00: Nithavri: Second ascent with a guided tour. We will be waiting for you in the Fountain of the village for a 4X4 ascent at an altitude of 700m to the cave "Southern Hole" Paul Faure. Guided tour - hosted by the Cultural Association.
17:00 – 21:00: Halls of Cultural Associations: "The local women from Amari open their chests" in Apodoulou, Nithavri, Fourfouras, Petrochori, and the exhibition continues in Kouroutes.
18:00 – 20:00: Surrounding area of the Theater of Apostoloi: "Artistic event inspired by the exhibits of the Psiloritis Geopark". Children appropriate animal fossils and the natural landscape by drawing and creating. Editor: Katerina Giavridi, visual artist - educator.
18:30 – 19:30: Square of the Cultural Association of Apostoloi: Speech on "Possibility of growing subtropical plants (avocado, mango) in Amari". Speaker: Dr. Lionakis Spyros, professor of the Hellenic Mediterranean University in collaboration with the Institute of Organic Agriculture DIO.
19:00 – 19:30: Square of the Cultural Association of Apostoloi: "Presentation of modern and innovative products of the Amari Land". Farms of Crete - Manolitsakis SA.
19:30 – 20:15: Square of the Cultural Association of Apostoloi: Speech on "Prospect of extensive carob cultivation in the region". Speaker: Mr. Kopanakis Ioannis, founder of the company "Arodamos", cultivation - processing of carob, in collaboration with the Institute of Organic Agriculture DIO.
20:15 – 21:00: Cultural Association Square of Apostoloi: Presentation of the "Digital Routes in Amari" project. Presentation: George Mourtzanos – Nikos Neveskiotis.
21:30 – 00.30: Municipal Theater of Apostoloi: GREAT CONCERT with dance "Crete hosts the lyres of Greece". Each place has its own lyre with its own shape, construction, tuning, playing technique, and separate repertoire. This small and big world, as Elytis says, which stretches from Macedonia and Thrace to the North and East Aegean, the Dodecanese, and Crete is a wonderful mosaic with different faces and images!
The event will be accompanied by dance groups from the aforementioned regions!!
Vangelis Mamalakis: Cretan lute - land lute, Manolis Mpountalakis: Cretan lyre - lyre from Pontus - Laconian lyre, Alexis Partinoudis: Thracian lyre, Dimitris Arvanitis: Thracian lyre, Alexandros Papoutsis: lyre from, Drama, Stelios Georgiadis: lyre from Pontus, Kostas Kontaxakis: Cretan lute, Stelios Kasapakis: oud, Michalis Chaniotakis: qanun, Evangelos Sotiropoulos: bagpipes, George Georgiou: tupan– tupan from Siteia – bendir – goblet trump
Sunday, July 23, 2023
08:00 – 12:00: Hiking routes in our Nature, Culture, and History – FOURFOURAS: Third hiking route Fourfouras – Ochra. Gathering outside the Fourfouras High School in collaboration with the Cultural Association.
10:00 – 14:00: "Ornaments on the balconies: Amari’s Wovens come out of the chests". The villages of Amari open their chests, exhibit the woven fabrics and they put them in their balconies for the whole day long (Nithavri – Agios Ioannis – Apodoulou – Kouroutes – Fourfouras – Labiotes – Petrochori – Vistagi – Pantanassa, etc.). The visit to the villages of Amari with the handmade taste of the local women combined with the culinary opportunities in the taverns of our villages is an ideal Sunday option.
14:00: Meetings for the ascent to Psiloritis on the route Lochria – Kouroupito – Agathetes. The Cultural Associations of Agios Ioannis Kyminaris, Apodoulou, and Nithavri etc. have confirmed their participation in this route.
21:00: "Meeting at the top". Meeting at the top of Psiloritis at 2456m – Divine Liturgy.
18:00 – 20:00: Vistagi:
• We invite adults and children to feel creative and make the soil a work of art in a demonstration by Giorgos and Natassa Vardaxis .
• Traditional games and treats from the grandparents
• Guided tour of the Folklore Museum of Vistagi.
17:30 – 19:30: "Cycling: From the Holy Monastery of Asomaton we discover the beauties of the Amari villages" in collaboration with the ATLAS cycling club of Rethymnon and the Bike Friendly network.
17:30: Gathering of cyclists at the Asomaton School and guided tour of the Asomaton Holy Monastery
18:00: Start of cycling route Holy Monastery of Asomaton – Opsigias – Nefs Amari – Asomaton School – Agia Fotini – finish at the square of Apostoloi (kilometers).
19:00 – 21:00: Square of the Cultural Association of Apostoloi: "Completion of the Waste Treatment Unit MEA) and Sanitary Landfill of the Remains of Amari". Update on MEA, possibilities, utilization, data, and benefits from its operation. Afterward, there will be the possibility of transportation and a guided tour of the MEA factory in collaboration with ESDAK.
18:00 – 20:00: Fourfouras Square: "Textile construction". Children weave their own loom with yarns and fabrics and they learn the technique of weaving on the loom and the geometry of traditional patterns. Responsible: Katerina Giavridis, visual artist - educator
18:00 – 20:30: Fourfouras Square: Presentation on "Active Aging and Issues of old age". Speaker: Mrs. Papadakaki Maria – associate professor of the Department of Social Work ELMEPA.
The evening will end with Cretan Music and dancing.
20:00 – 21:00: Cultural Association Square of Apostoloi: Speech on “The influence of local products and gastronomy on the travel experience. The case of Amari". Speaker: Dr. Georgios Apladas, ELMEPA Tourism Services Lecturer.
21:00 – 22:00: Municipal Theatre of Apostoloi: Performance entitled "Apo tin poli erchomai kai stin korfi Kanella" of the award-winning Maria Vardaka. Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella "meet" Cinnamon, Cornelius the playboy, the Prince, Giselle, the (good) Wolf, the Huntsman, and the (nursing) Stepmother, in a fairy tale that tells the journey from the innocence of children in adulthood and the responsibility of choices. Both children and adults travel with our heroes and heroines in the fairy-tale environment, created especially for them by the leading lighting designer Ian Dennis, and enjoy live the songs and dances of the show! Eleni Daga: director, Starring: Vasiliki Markou, Andromachi Sapountzi, Leonidas Dramitinos, George Xenikakis
Monday, July 24, 2023
10:00 – 14:00: Kouroupito: "Reception of the riders of Psiloritis". Traditional hospitality - a treat from the local breeders.
18:00 – 20:00: Vistagi: We invite adults and children to feel creative and make the soil a work of art in a demonstration by Giorgos and Natassa Vardaxi with the support of the Cultural Association of Vistagi.
Guided tour of the Folklore Museum of Vistagi.
Agia Fotini Town Hall: "Legends and traditions. Lost stories connected with customs of the villages of Amari with toponyms and the heirlooms we have" with the aim of:
The awareness of the local society for the value of preserving the intangible cultural heritage as an element of collective identity and memory.
The activation of the Local Society and the participation in a project with the aim of systematic work to save the intangible culture of the region.
The recording of the intangible cultural stock of the region.
Highlighting the intangible cultural stock and strengthening the elements that are considered sustainable.
19:00 – 20:30: 1st event: "Voices - Oral History in the Spotlight". On the occasion of collaboration between the Municipality of Amari and the Cultural Society of Crete in the framework of the program "Crete, Oral History / Crete Oral History" we discuss oral history, the rescue and promotion of intangible Culture.
The designers of the program participate in the discussion:
• Chara Andreadou (MA, MEd, PhD candidate) historian, archaeologist, culturalist, educator, and scientific collaborator of the Chania Film Festival.
• Mattheos Frantzeskakis, mathematician, journalist, adult trainer, Director of the Cultural Society of Crete and the Chania Film Festival.
On behalf of the Municipality of Amari, the following people participate:
• Maria Kanava, Philologist – Researcher at Sorbonne University,
• Areti Marmataki, Sociologist – Educator,
• Emmanuel Psaroudakis, President of the AMGF Organizing Committee.
We mobilize researchers - writers - historians - professors - teachers - scientists and active citizens who want to contribute to the realization of this effort.
21:00 – 22:00: Platanos: Children's show "Thomas and his boxes". An interactive Game Show for children from 1 to 7 years old. Let's all come together, let's find the "blue key" and unlock the 5 boxes one by one! Let's discover what stories and games each of them hides inside! Let's play, dance, and sing together with Thomas and his friends, Zachos the frog, the brown bear, the little spider, the playful hen, and the sweet rooster! We will count, we will recognize colors, and we will have fun! We will have a SUPER time! Thomas Kantifes: actor – texts – sets – direction, Maria Kantife: song – sound, Anna Tzanidaki: lighting
