Rural Tourism Festival Gandagana Underway in Batumi

The rural tourism festival Gandagana is underway in Georgia’s coastal city of Batumi, the capital of the Ajara region. The traditional festival, held in Batumi's Europe Square, is attended by many locals and tourists.  

All five municipalities of the Ajara region present their unique products, fruits, sweets, handmade items and traditions on the square, allowing visitors to learn more about the villages without having to travel there. 

Compared to the previous year, the number of festival participants has increased, seeing representatives from other regions of Georgia besides Ajara.

Within the framework of the Festival, guests are able to get involved in competitions, dancing and culinary masterclasses, making of churchkhela and chacha, the process of cutting tobacco, pressing grapes in a winepress (Satsnakheli in Georgian), and more.

Various fun activities for kids are also being arranged within the festival.

Today, choreographic ensembles "Bermukha" "Kolkha" and "Arsiani" as well as vocal ensembles "Chvana" and "Atdzali" will rock the audience.

In the evening, the Seaside Band will complete the musical program of the Festival.  

Today’s Festival program includes:

October 14

14:00 - 14:30 - Choreographic ensemble "Bermukha"

14:30 - 15:30 - Vocal Ensemble "Chvana"

15:30 - 16:30 - Vocal ensemble "Atzali" and choreographic ensemble "Kolkha"

16:30 - 17:00 - Grape press in the winepress

17:00 - 18:00 - State Academic Ensemble "Arsiani"

18:00 - 19:30 - Band “Seaside”

"Gandagana" Festival has been organized by the Tourism Products Development Agency of the Adjara Tourism Department since 2015. Its aim is to popularize and present villages of Ajara and encourage tourists to travel in rural areas.  

The festival opened on October 13 and will end today.

By Ana Dumbadze