Festival Mandarinoba at Castello Mare Hotel

On November 16, Castello Mare Hotel & Wellness Resort, along with the Kobuleti Municipality, will host Mandarinoba (Tangerine Festival). Exclusively for the event, the entire area of the hotel will be adorned with thematic decorations and lights, exhibition stands will feature local products and a special exhibition corner will be devoted to the Kobuleti Museum.

A myriad of activities is planned throughout the day, including tangerine-picking in the hotel’s citrus gardens, master-class and tasting of Georgian dishes, master-class of Georgian dances, performances of local folk ensembles and a barman show. Musical entertainment at the event will be furnished by the band ‘Blue Sail.’

As reported by Mano Kuchukhidze, Sales and Marketing Manager at Hotel Castello Mare, “The area of the hotel is overflowing with tangerine gardens which we harvest annually. This year, we came up with the idea to organize a festival that will integrate the Georgian tradition of hospitality with the Ajaran tradition of citrus harvesting. With proper packaging, Mandarinoba can be as alluring for tourists as the Georgian custom of vintaging.

“We have recently launched Citrus Health and Detox programs on an international scale for the period from November to December and we have already received the first group from Slovenia. The Mandarinoba festival is among the activities designed to promote the local subtropical culture and to make the hotel seasonable for the autumn and we hope to hold it annually.”

Mandarinoba is open to all. Welcome to attend are hotel guests as well as outside visitors. Attendance is free of charge.

Kobuleti Municipality has been very supportive in organizing the first festival. The township fully coordinated the formation of the exhibition space and the participation of local entrepreneurs.

Festival program:

12:00 - 14:00 - Tangerine picking. Participants met at the hotel. They will be provided with the necessary equipment and gloves and will be taken by minibus from the hotel to the citrus gardens (1 km). There, they will be divided into teams to compete in harvesting. The event will be anchored by a host and animator.

14:00 - Exhibition-Sale and Entertainment Program

Hotel Castello Mare will be adorned with special decorations: citrus, sunflower and floral compositions. Visitors to the site will be greeted by a fruit board, a buffet of Greenwich and local fruit compote and accompanied by a concert of Georgian folklore. Trees in the garden area will be lit with ornamental lights and seating areas will be arranged. Special stands for exhibiting and sale will be placed in the area. Corners of the museum, community college and entrepreneurs will be displayed, featuring local produce.

Guests will be able to participate in culinary master-classes (Tatar, Muraba, Khinkali) and taste the dishes.

The event will also host LEPL College New Wave with a show of bartenders making citrus cocktails, and will be closed by the musical band ‘Blue Sale.’

Note: Parking will be available in three zones up to a maximum of 1km distance from the hotel.