Some of Türkiye’s most highly anticipated and popular harvest festivals are coming up this month and next. It may seem strange that people from all over the nation descend upon popular holiday towns to celebrate the harvest of a fruit, a fruit blossom or, in this weekend’s case, the surfacing of a vast array of wild and bitter greens. But it’s true. In the months leading up to and entering into spring, there are several festivals devoted to various harvests that are well worth visiting.
The first of these harvest festivals took place last month with Datça’s annual Almond Blossom Festival. Thousands descended upon the town for multiple days to celebrate this beloved town that is a popular vacation destination in summer. The annual almond festival, which is strategically timed for when the almond flowers bloom, serves as an opportunity for people to take a hard-earned vacation in February. The festival in Datça takes place throughout the peninsula with nearly half a dozen bases set up with stands selling regional products, as well as serving up local culinary specialties. In addition to cooking demonstrations and competitions, as well as bike rides, hikes and various other field trips, each evening, there were also multiple concerts with headlining performers in the town’s main square. The four-day event made for a wonderful opportunity to experience a festive atmosphere in February and discover the popular region in the milder weathertime versus during the sweltering summer.
Luckily, there are several well-attended and colorful festivals marking the start of spring that offer an interim holiday break and the opportunity to discover different regions in the less crowded off-season months. Festivals to look out for include the Bodrum Bitter Greens Festival, Alaçatı’s Herb Festival and Urla’s Artichoke Festival, which are all coming up this month and next.
Festival on March 9 and 10
This weekend, on March 9 and 10, the 5th annual Bodrum Bitter Greens Festival (in Turkish “Acı Ot” Festival) will take place in the village center of Ortakent. Ortakent, which in Turkish translates into “middle town,” is one of the most central districts of Bodrum, which houses a large year-long residential population due to its proximity to many schools, official offices such as the Tapu Registrar and the Court House, as well as the fact that it parallels the sea. Ortakent is where the peninsula’s most popular beach clubs and restaurants are located and also has some of the largest and most luxurious housing complexes.
For two days this weekend, however, the town of Ortakent will be transformed. Stands will line the streets selling gift items, regional products and dishes, highlighting the bitter greens the Aegean region is famed for. Well-known chefs will demonstrate various preparations of wild greens. Folk dances and local musicians will perform, and there will also be a concert by Turkish pop singer Bora Gencer.
The chefs taking part in the festival are Zekeriya Yıldırım, the Executive Chef of Tyro Restaurant and Bodrium Hotel & Spa, television personality Hazer Amani, and national chef and YouTuber Ayvaz Akbacak, just to name a few. They will be offering workshops and giving presentations on various ways of preparing bitter greens.
Highlights of Ortakent
The Bitter Greens Festival offers an ideal opportunity to delve deeper into the Ortakent district on the Bodrum peninsula. Inspera is the newest and trendiest spot on the peninsula at present, with a restaurant and café, as well as a cultural and arts center with a library. You can also head to the coast and visit Pab Bodrum or Caravan, which are located on the beach and serve up great snacks and drinks, or try out the newest popular meyhane on the scene for a fish dinner at Yüzgeç.
Mark the dates: Herbs, Artichokes and Massage Fests
The most widely attended and anticipated festival to take over a holiday hotspot in spring is the Alaçatı Herb Festival (in Turkish Alaçatı Ot Festival). Taking place from April 18 to 21, this festival serves as an excellent opportunity to experience Alaçatı. It is one of the most upscale and trendy vacation destinations famed for being a windsurfing hotspot and boasting chef restaurants and artisan boutiques surrounded by windy cobblestone streets and preserved historic stone houses. Throughout the festival, the streets are lined with stands and restaurants feature culinary specialties centered on bitter greens. Also, concerts, parades, field trips and hikes take place on the sidelines.
The annual Urla Artichoke Festival (“Urla Enginar” Festival) is another popular event that takes place over multiple days during the final weeks of April. Another one to plan a road trip for, Urla is located between Alaçatı and Izmir and is famed for its artichokes. Chefs and foodies from all over the world come to this town to witness cooking shows utilizing artichokes, peruse stands selling local handcrafts and products and enjoy entertainment such as competitions and concerts taking place on the sidelines.
While this one diverges from the foodie-driven harvest concept, the Blooming Touch Festival, which is centered on massage, Tai Chi and other holistic practices, can also serve as the ideal opportunity to discover Fethiye’s Kayaköy, where it will be taking place from May 15 to 19.
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