- Dates: Saturday, 30 & Sunday, August 31, 2025
- Venue: Municipal School of Kounavi
- Concert: Vaggelio Fasoulaki, Saturday 22:00
- Theatre: “Karagiozis’ Troubles” by Svoura troupe, Sunday 21:30
- Exhibitions: painting, sculpture, ceramics, woodcarving
- Special feature: reenactment of Asia Minor settlers’ daily life on Mikrasiaton Street
- Free admission for all events
The Cultural Association of Kounavi, with support from the Region of Crete, is turning the village into a stage for art and tradition on the last weekend of August. The festival is part of the wider Arts Festival of Archanes-Asterousia Municipality, and it is open to everyone, with no ticket needed.
On Saturday, August 30, music fills the air as Vaggelio Fasoulaki takes the stage at the Municipal School of Kounavi at 10:00 p.m. The next evening, Sunday, August 31, the spotlight shifts to theatre with the comic play “Τα Ξετελέματα του Καραγκιόζη” (“Karagiozis’ Troubles”) performed by the Svoura troupe at 9:30 p.m.
Art, Memory, and Creativity
Beyond the stage, the festival spreads across the village with:
- Visual arts exhibitions: painting, sculpture, ceramics, and handmade crafts
- Live creations by artists Niki Goranova, Kostas Grivakis, and Josef (woodcarving)
- Asia Minor reenactment: on Mikrasiaton Street, visitors will step back in time to see scenes from the daily life of the first Asia Minor refugees who settled in Kounavi
The festival highlights the three pillars of Art, Culture, and Volunteering, blending live performance with exhibitions and community spirit.
For a weekend, Kounavi is not just a quiet Cretan village but a crossroads of song, shadow theatre, sculpture, and memory. Where Karagiozis shares the stage with Asia Minor grandmothers and contemporary artists carve their stories into wood.
Διήμερο Φεστιβάλ Πολιτιστικού Συλλόγου Κουνάβων με την υποστήριξη της Περιφέρειας Κρήτης