North Cyprus Olive Festival, 2009
October 2, 2009 by Essential Ed
Filed under Arts & Culture, See & Do
Yes it’s that time of year again and it’s going to be a bumper North Cyprus Olive Festival for 2009! This event has been taking place for a number of years, gradually growing in size and popularity to become one of the major festivals in North Cyprus.
The event takes place yearly, towards the end of summer and the festival season, in the village of Zeytinlik (zeytin meaning olive), home of the humble Cypriot olive. In 2009 it runs from Friday 2nd October, lasting one week with the final celebrations taking place on Friday 9th.
It’s not just about olives either as you can see various activities and shows put on for the public to enjoy. Take in some folk dancing, not just from the Turkish Cypriots but from other counties, with the 2009 festival hosting Dutch and Polish dancers.
Other events will include theatrical plays, competitions, stalls and displays so that you can spend an entire day with things to do and participate in. 
The ever popular Dizyan 74 pottery shop will no doubt be there to entertain the children with their pottery wheel, producing some of their very tasteful plates and bowls with olive designs for the special event.
Take a stroll around the streets of the village and visit the old Olive Mill where you can see the old pressing apparatus that was used in years gone by. There are still olive pressing factories operating around North Cyprus and they are a hive of activity come cropping time!
On Sunday 4th at midday there will be an Olive Feast where you can sample various olive dishes and products such as bread, pastes and other treats followed by a tree planting session on the Zeytinlik road to celebrate the king of trees.
There are also numerous concerts during the Olive Festival week, with the Kyrenia Amphitheatre hosting stars such as Deniz Cevik and Isin Karaca and local band SOS belting out some popular hits at Zeytinliks village 
square.
So if you fancy popping along, and we recommend you do, it all starts with a parade from the centre of Kyrenia to Zeytinlik where an official opening ceremony takes place. Please see below for a full rundown of events. For more information and articles on the various festivals in North Cyprus please click on this link to find out more.
Have a lovely time supporting the ancient olive trees of North Cyprus!
Friday 2nd October
4pm Procession from Ramadan Cemil Square, Kyrenia
6pm Official Opening, Zeytinlik village square
7.30pm Folklore dance performances, Zeytinlik village square
8pm Cypress Classica concert, Kyrenia Amphitheatre
Saturday 3rd October
9.30am Shooting competition, Kyrenia shooting club
4.30pm Polish and Dutch folk dancing, Ramadan Cemil Square, Kyrenia
6.30pm Polish and Dutch folk dancing, Zeytinlik village square
7pm Silent Theatre from Italy, Zeytinlik village square
8pm Kyrenia Tango Club, Zeytinlik village square
8.30pm Folklore dance performances, Zeytinlik village square
Sunday 4th October
12 noon Olive Feast Day, Competition for hotels, Food stands and displays
3pm Olive tree planting, Zeytinlik main road
6pm Silent Theatre from Italy, Zeytinlik village square
7.30pm Darts competition, Kyrenia Darts Association building
Monday 5th October
8.30pm Concert by Isin Karaca, Kyrenia amphitheatre. Tickets 15TL
Tuesday 6th October
8.30pm SOS concert, Zeytinlik village square
Wednesday 7th October
9.30pm Concert by Deniz Cevik, Zeytinlik village square
Thursday 8th October
6.15pm Shadow play, Zeytinlik village square
Friday 9th October
8pm MFO concert, Kyrenia amphitheatre. Tickets 15TL.