Tourist from the Balkans and beyond will flock to the historic Greek city of Xanthi by February’s end in order to observe the colorful festival there. Xanthi is called the “city of the thousand colors“, and the popular carnival in Old Town is ready to welcome record crowds in 2017.
Organizers say thousands of participants for Xanthi Carnival have already registered for the 49th Thracian Folk Festival, scheduled from February 14th to March 2nd. The Vice president of the Greek-Turkish Chamber of Commerce of Northern Greece, Stefanos Hatzimanolis told Athens-Macedonian News Agency:
“In order to serve the accommodation needs, hotels from Orestiada to Drama, Serres and Thessaloniki are full. People from Bursa, Istanbul, East Thrace, Dardanelles, even from Smyrna come to Xanthi.”
The Old Town of Xanthi is known worldwide for its distinctive architecture, which combines Byzantine overtones with, Ottoman influences, and neoclassical buildings built by Greek merchants in the 18th and 19th centuries. The festival traditionally features wonderful theatre, music and art exhibitions, along with a vast assortment of culinary and shopping possibilities.
People dance about in carnival disguise through the streets, and playing interesting pranks on each other and spectators during the fest. Come 40 plus cultural associations participate in the Carnival program and set up their stalls in the streets. Expect the best entertainment and the best food and wines when you attend.