People flock to herb festival in country's west

IZMIR

The 13th Alaçatı Herb Festival, held in the western province of İzmir’s Çeşme district this year, has witnessed vibrant scenes with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people.

The festival cortege march led by Çeşme Mayor Lâl Denizli, the first female mayor of Çeşme, started from Alaçatı Çamlık road. Various organizations, including the animation teams of touristic hotels and the Çeşme Municipal Band, participated in the procession, with several donning local folk costumes along with the band.

Denizli highlighted the festival's commitment to offering diverse experiences to attendees, emphasizing the inclusion of new activities such as street performances by artists. She expressed the organizers' aim to revitalize the festival's spirit and ensure it remains a platform for promoting regional culture and traditions, with a focus on supporting local artisans and producers.

Stating that the festival should spread to the whole of the Alaçatı neighborhood, Denizli said, "My dream is to use Alaçatı as a whole for this festival, not just to revitalize a street. In the coming years, we care about revitalizing different points of the whole Alaçatı and transforming it into a concept where our tradesmen will also earn money."

Denizli said that the "Return to the Essence" concept was designed based on feedback from previous years to increase the authenticity and attractiveness of the festival. She also expressed her pride in contributing to the success of that festival and showcasing the role of women in event management.

"As the first female mayor of Çeşme, my excitement doubled even while planning this festival during the election process. Because my biggest goal was to show the difference of women in entertainment. I am proud to have achieved this. Our coordination team for the festival is very experienced. I am happy to receive feedback from festivals," Denizli added.

The festival organized with the theme of “blessed thistle,” started with the opening of the stands, which offered delicious herbs of the Aegean and attracted great interest from the first day.

Terebinth plantings were also carried out, accompanied by Agricultural Engineer Ahmet Keçeci. Chefs Ayşenur Mıhçı, Emrah Köksal Sezgin and Hüseyin Pancar held cooking workshops in the Chefs' Square, showcasing the flavors of the blessed thistle theme.

Journalist Özlem Gürses and author Sinan Meydan had a pleasant conversation with readers in Alaçatı within the scope of literature meetings. The festival also featured renowned artist Ayhan Sicimoğlu and his band Latin All-Stars, who took the stage in the concert area of the festival, gave the audience an unforgettable show.