Karpathos Festivals & Cultural Events

The customs of Karpathos revive in the fairs and festivities that the locals organize throughout the year. The unique characteristic of these celebrations is that the food and wine served to pilgrims and visitors is made by the church. The feasts include traditional music and dances.

Religious feasts & festivals

• August 15th
On the 15th of August, the locals celebrate the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, one of the greatest religious celebrations in Greece. Many villages around the island organize panigyria, but the most notable ones are those of Menetes, Aperi, Piles and Olympos.

• August 29th
On the 29th of August, a spectacular celebration in honor of Agios Ioannis takes place in Olympos, on the ancient site of Vroukounta, where there is a cave chapel dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner. The locals get there on the previous day and feast till the early hours of the morning. Then, they sleep out in the open, attend mass and keep on feasting till late at night.

• September 17th
On the 17th of September, people organize a festival in honor of Agia Sofia. It is an important day in Karpathos as many women are baptized by that name. Church bells start ringing in the early morning hours summoning the faithful to the church service, while the feast begins in the late evening.

Cultural events

Karpathos also hosts some cultural events with lots of music, wine, and dancing that goes on till the early morning hours. Through these small festivals, traditional customs are passed on from generation to generation.

• Wine Festival
Every year, a wine festival is held in the villages of Volada and Othos during August. Visitors can sample the wines of the local producers for free, to the accompaniment of lyre music.

• Karpathos Gastronomy Festival
Established in 2023, the Karpathos Gastronomy Festival aims to showcase the island’s rich culinary tradition, promoting its age-old recipes and top-quality products. The event dates may vary from year to year.

• Karpathos Wedding
If you find yourself in Karpathos during the summer months, you may be lucky enough to chance upon a traditional wedding. On such an occasion, the bride’s friends and relatives accompany her from her parents’ house, reciting improvised poems and playing traditional instruments. After the wedding ceremony is over, there is a magnificent feast that lasts for two whole days.