Limassol Wine Festival

Cyprus News 31.8.09

Visitors and residents alike are eagerly awaiting the start of the Limassol Wine Festival, one of Cyprus’ largest festivals which this year begins on Thursday 28th August. Limassol really lives up to its reputation as a party town during the 10-day extravaganza of fun, laughter, and of course - wine! You can watch the traditional pressing of the grapes, enjoy music and dance performances and, best of all, the wine is free of charge!

The festival was first launched in 1961 and since then, it has become a regular fixture at this time of year. Limassol is Cyprus’ wine capital and every year it hosts the festival in the Municipal Gardens just across from the sea-front near the old town. This year it will start on Thursday, 28th August and go on until 6th September.

The Wine Festival began as a tribute to the island’s long winemaking tradition and has grown in size and variety over the years. It’s inspired by the ancient festivals which were dedicated to the God of Wine Dionysos and Cyprus’ famous Goddess of Beauty and Love - Aphrodite. Both Dionysos and Aphrodite would surely approve of this event which has grown into an international festival attracting thousands of people every year. Alongside the wine, the festival offers traditional Cypriot food and entertainment with a variety of performances from local and international artistic groups. Naturally, there’s the opportunity to sample different local wines from large and small wineries across the island.

When you arrive at the festival you will be greeted with fountains and music and the huge statue of the famous 'Vraka Man' in traditional dress welcoming all to the festival, with the welcoming motto “Drink wine to be healthy”. The Limassol Wine Festival is a wonderfully hedonistic event celebrating the end of summer in a truly Greek style.