Fistiki Festival 2012

For the fourth consecutive year, the Fistiki Festival of Aegina will again introduce visitors to the traditional product of the island, the pistachio. The heart of the festival is the Pistachio Trade Fair, taking place from September 20th to September 23rd, where over 50 exhibitors will present their pistachio-related products as well as handmade ceramics, jewellery, embroidery, lace and others. However, there will also be many pre-festival events, including workshops, concerts, art exhibitions and sports tournament all around the island.

PRE-FESTIVAL EVENTS

Friday, September 7th
20.00 Hotel Brown: Opening of the Elvira exhibition, dedicated to Barbara Vaessen.

Friday, September 14th
19.00 Eynardeio Building: Lagini Workshops, 5 different workshops on performance, direction, ready-made sculpture, monotype print and video-documentary
20.00 Markellos Tower: Opening of Irene Vourloumi's art exhibition.
21.30 Courtyard of the Folklore Museum: Musical Night with Athina Dimitrakopoulou. On piano, Marios Kazas. Entrance fee.

Saturday, September 15th
19.00 Eynardeio Building: Lagini Workshops, 5 different workshops on performance, direction, ready-made sculpture, monotype print and video-documentary).
20.00 Archeological Museum of Aegina: Opening of Yannis Mamoutzi's ceramics exhibition.
21.30 Courtyard of the Folklore Museum: The actor Kostas Kastanas reads the poem Vardia by Nikos Kavvadias (in Greek). Entrance fee.

Sunday, September 16th
19.00 Eynardeio Building: Lagini Workshops, 5 different workshops on performance, direction, ready-made sculpture, monotype print and video-documentary. The results of the workshops are presented.

Monday, September 17th
18.00 Avra beach: Yoga for children with Fotini Bitrou from the Kouros gym. The children should bring a towel or a mat with them. Tuesday, September 18th
18.00 Avra beach: Lessons for self-defence (exercises for the mind and body) by Pavlos Bitrou from Aegina's Amateur Karate Association

Wednesday, September 19th
18.00 Avra beach: Zumba for children by Evangelia Rekleiti from the NAMA gym MAIN PROGRAMME

Thursday, September 20th (evening)
18.00 Aegina Harbour: Opening of the booths of the Trade Fair
18.00 Markellos Tower: Opening of the Fun Fair in the children's village (it will be open during the entire festival) by Aegina's troupe of the Greek Guiding Association
18.30 Markellos Tower: Opening of the children's art exhibition Our Aegina. All of the local schools painted their own works of art in Aegina. Nineteen paintings are waiting to guide you around the island, through the eyes of children.
19.30 Folklore Museum: Opening of the photography exhibition entitled The Harvest of 12
20.30 Courtyard of the Foklore Museum: Presentation of the educational programme "Click into History" by the High School Students from Mesagros, under the auspices of the Foundation for Hellenic Studies. This will be followed by the showing of the documentary "From Clay" by D. Gouzioti.

Friday, September 21st (morning)
10.00 Aegina Harbour: Opening of the trade fair booths
10.30 Aegina Town: "Students Day". All the school students of Aegina visit the different areas of the festival (trade fair, art exhibitions) and the Markellos Tower, where there will be specially created areas for games, educational programmes and musical instruments.

Friday, September 21st (evening)
18.00 Aegina harbour: Opening of the trade fair booths 18.00 Markellos Tower: Fun Fair
18.00 Markellos Tower: Sweet Games. Little children will make castles with moats out of pistachio cream.
18.00 Cathedral: Guided tour of the Capodistrian buildings by Father Emmanouil Yiannoulis and Alexis Kraus.
19.45 Aegina harbour: The Music Association of Aegina's Philharmonia will play on the main coastal avenue.
20.00 Aegina harbour: Opening ceremony of "The Harvest Festival". An event based on the Word, Music and Movement, enriched by our history and traditions. Directed by Vassilis Vasilakis.
21.15 Aegina harbour: Official speeches
21.30 Aegina harbour: Honorary prize to those involved for getting Aegina written up in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the largest Pasteli in the world!
21.45 Aegina coast road, small quay: Live music programme

Saturday, September 22nd (morning)
10.00 Aegina harbour: Opening of the trade fair booths
10.00 Markello Tower: "Playing games with clay" by the Kottakis Ceramic Arts Workshop
10.30 Markellos Tower: Fun Fair
10.30 Archaeological Museum of Aegina: Guided tour through the archaeological area of Kolona with Eleni Zachariou.
11.00 Commercial centre: Happenings and surprises in the street. Presentation of the art exhibition: "The artists tour" which winds through all the streets of the town.
11.30 Markellos Tower: Chess tournament by the Capodistrias Educational Association of Aegina.

Saturday, September 22nd (evening)
17.00 At the Capodistrias Educational Association of Aegina: Ping-pong tournament
17.00 Aegina harbour: Opening of the trade fair booths
18.00 Markellos Tower: Fun Fair
19.30 Courtyard of the Folklore Museum: Lecture on "The value of terraces in traditional rural infrastructure" and documentary entitled "Dry stone walls – supporting the Aegean". Speakers are professors from the University of the Aegean, Ms Anastasia Dalaka and Ms Dora Petritou. Organized by Syllogos Energon Politon.
19.00 Markellos Tower: "Games with images" Educational programme with a creative workshop on the making of Karagiozi figurines, with Andrea Dermati.
20.00 Markellos Tower: "The Markello Ghost", Karagiozi performance by Andrea Dermati.
20.00 Aegina Coast, small quay: "Pistachio Treats", chefs from Aegina, Dimitris Kappos, Konstantinos Gavrilos and Thomas Nikolaides create dishes based on the Aegina Pistachio.
21.15 Aegina's Municipal Stadium, major music concert on the composer Thanos Mikroutsikos. Singer: Giannis Koutras

Sunday, September 23rd (morning)
10.00 Aegina harbour: Opening of the trade fair booths
10.00 Markellos Tower: Fun Fair
10.30 Markellos Tower: "The Chain of Life", theatrical games with Elena Foundouki
11.00 Folklore Museum: "Harvesting the depths", educational programme about sponge-fishing by Areti Pigaditi, for children between the ages of 7-12.
11.00 Cathedral: Guided tour of the Capodistrian monuments by Father Emmanouil and Alexis Kraus
11:00 Agia Marina Square Start: 4th Aegina Half Marathon George Best Costacos, Finish: Old Harbor at Aegina Town
13.00 Saint Nicholas of the Sea church: "Drowning Aegina's pitchers", pitchers painted by artists from Aegina will be collected and taken to the Spitha lighthouse in order to sink them in the bottom of the sea for a year, with the promise that they will be recovered and displayed at the Pistachio Festival in 2013.

Sunday, September 23rd (evening)
17.00 Aegina harbour: Opening of the trade fair booths
17.00 Markellos Tower: Fun Fair
18.00 Markellos Tower: The story of the dragon and the pistachio tree, creative workshop by Sophia Fraktopoulou
20.00 Aegina Harbour-front: The children bid farewell to the Festival, Closing Ceremony, parade. Children dressed as insects, birds, animals and flowers parade through the town's streets, ending up at the place where the dragon is to be burned as a symbol of evil and everything that threatens the development of the pistachio tree and life itself. Finally, after having rid ourselves of all evil and sadness, we will arrange to meet again for the next Aegina Fistiki Fest in 2013.
22.00 All day bar Remvi: Final party with music from the 70s and 80s with DJ Nicola Lavaca.

POST-FESTIVAL EVENTS

Monday, September 24th
17.30 Danae Hotel: Meeting on the entrepreneurship of the Tourism Sector and associated branches as tools for Sustainable Development. After the presentation of case-studies from Greece and worldwide, the meeting will highlight the relationship between entrepreneurship in the sector of tourism and associated branches (culture, crafts and farming), with the aim of permanent development.

Friday, September 28th
20.00 Courtyard of the Folklore Museum: Musical Journey by the Choir, conducted by Yannis Vrizakis.
21.00 Courtyard of the Folklore Museum: 50 Years of Searching and Painting, Yannis Santantonio.

Saturday, September 29th
20.00 Courtyard of the Folklore Museum: M.O.T.He (Jazz trio)

More info at: Aegina Fistiki Festival