Thousands embark on journey to 90s in İzmir’s Çeşme Fest

İZMİR

The western province of İzmir's tourist-friendly Çeşme district has hosted this year’s Çeşme Festival with a 90s theme, inviting participants to embark on a nostalgic journey through the 1990s.

Coinciding with the liberation of the district, the Çeşme Festival was welcomed with great enthusiasm around the province on Sept. 13.

Following a cortege march, which began at the marina entrance and ended in Cumhuriyet Square, on the inauguration day, the celebration proceeded with the local folk dance group’s performance.

Ayios Haralambos Cultural Center also hosted a talk titled "Çeşme in the 90s" on the opening day of the festival, which was attended by a number of local authorities, including the Çeşme mayor.

“The advancement of Çeşme is extremely significant, but we must accomplish this without breaking away from the values that define who we are. I believe preserving the remnants of our early years is highly crucial,” Mayor Lâl Denizli said, labeling the festival as a “sweet journey to the past.”

Noting that she herself is a 90s child, Denizli said, “I spent my whole early childhood and youth in Çeşme, where we played street games, went to outdoor movies with our friends and rode bicycles everywhere.”

Denizli noted that they would retrace the history of the district's gastronomy, tourism and health care practices to catch sight of what changes have occurred over time through the medium of the four-day festival.

At the end of the talk, the mayor awarded certificates of participation to speakers, and the day wrapped up with a concert held in the town square.

Concluding on Sept. 16, the festival featured a wide range of activities, including talks, concerts, exhibitions, workshops for kids and folk dance performances that evoked the atmosphere of the 1990s.