The most distinct date in Giresun's yearly calendar is the third week of May. The Aksu Festival is both the city's busiest period and its most culturally distinctive event.
Its origins
The festival is associated with old spring celebrations on the Black Sea coast. According to the living folk tradition, the practices carried out where the Aksu Stream meets the sea and around the island are linked to fertility and wishes.
By common accounts, crossing the water a certain number of times, throwing a stone, or circling the island is associated with wishes coming true. Spring rituals of this kind appear in similar forms in different parts of Anatolia.
This aspect of the festival also draws academic interest: it is thought to carry traces of pre-Christian spring celebrations that continued in altered form in later periods.
What happens?
- Traditional practices around the island and at the stream mouth
- Concerts and folk-dance performances
- Local-produce stalls
- Heavy demand for boat trips to the island
The programme changes from year to year; for the exact date and event list, follow the municipality's announcements.
Is it worth going?
Yes if: you want to see the local culture alive, you are not bothered by crowds, or you want a guaranteed boat trip to the island (the trips run intensively this week).
No if: you are planning a quiet trip, you are looking for an empty frame for photography, or you will leave your accommodation to the last minute.
Accommodation warning: During festival week it becomes seriously hard to find a place in the city and prices rise. If you are thinking of going, arrange it weeks in advance.
Practical notes for festival week
- There are traffic and parking problems in the city centre; walk rather than drive around.
- The boat trips are busy but the queue is long too; go early.
- If you want to escape the crowds, the Dereli valley or the coastal districts stay quiet the same day.
- May is still early for the highland roads; do not try to combine the festival with a highland plan.
An alternative period
If you want the same greenery and good weather without the crowds, June is ideal: nature is still vivid, the highland roads are starting to open, and the festival crowds have gone.
On the map
On the map the island and the stream mouth sit together; the festival centres on this stretch of coast.
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