Noted! Three Of The Best Greek Festivals in Thessaloniki This Fall

Built by the Aegean Sea, the multicultural city of Thessaloniki hosts some of the best and biggest events in Greece and Europe every fall.

The co-capital of Greece, founded in the 4th century BC., and ruled by major empires such as Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman, is a melting pot of many ethnicities and religions.

This important commercial and transportation hub, known as the entertainment capital of northern Greece, hosts many world-known cultural and entertainment events.

Anytime you visit the city there is a good chance you can attend one of these festivals. Yet, fall could be your best shot as some significant events, such as Thessaloniki International Film Festival or Dimitria, are held this season.

These three festivals are the best reasons to visit Thessaloniki this fall to have a uniquely Greek experience!

Thessaloniki’s Olympion historic theater will host the 62nd Thessaloniki International Film Festival from November 4th to November 14th. This event is Greece’s most important film festival and one of Southeast Europe’s oldest and leading ones. Initially, it started as the Greek Film week in 1960 and became an international festival during its 33rd year of appearance. This annual event focuses on independent cinema, presenting and supporting innovative independent films from around the world. The TIFF jury consists of seven outstanding international cinema figures, and will judge the submitted movies in 3 sections: International competition, Meet the neighbors (films from southeast Europe to the near east), and Virtual reality.

For further information, check TIFF’s official website.

This October, Thessaloniki’s Dimitria Festival will come for the 56th time since 1966, from Oct 1 to Oct 20.

Dimitria is one of the most significant cultural festivals in Greece and is named after St. Demetrius (the patron saint of Thessaloniki in the early 4th century AD). The purpose of this festival is for the audience to experience Thessaloniki’s cultural heritage and its connection to the contemporary era. In this 20-day festival, more than 150 artists from around the world will bring their creativity and art to Dimitria’s stage. There will be many events, including art galleries, theatre plays, music, dance performances, and even workshops during the festival, which you can check their schedule on Dimitria’s website. 

Thessaloniki cuisine manifests the city’s history through its variety of techniques and flavors and is very well known across the country.

The street food festival will come back to the city for the fourth time since 2017 to bring you a taste of Thessaloniki. During the 4-day event at TIF Helexpo (Oct 7- Oct10), you can enjoy Thessaloniki’s favorite street foods along with many international and rare recipes. The event will start at 6pm on Thursday and Friday, or 12pm on Sunday and Saturday, and will continue with workshops and musical performances up to 12 am. Although you can find many international foods in this festival, make sure to try some Thessaloniki’s traditional and delicious street foods!

For more information and purchasing tickets, check out the SoulFood Facebook page.

Thessaloniki has many interesting attractions and events, but you cannot find much information about the less touristy ones. Lokafyers are passionate locals who can guide you through the city while telling you less-known stories of the second largest city in Greece and introduce you to the best shops, cafes, restaurants, and events that you probably can’t find online.

Nothing makes a trip as memorable as exploring a city like you live in it.

Have a great trip!