Chestnuts Roasting… at Kastanitsa Festival on Saturday

Chestnuts in all shapes and sizes, as delicious foods or delectable sweets, take center stage at the annual Chestnut Festival in the remote village of Kastanitsa on Mt Parnonas, Peloponnese, on Saturday, October 31.

Photo: Maria Paravantes

For 32 years, locals in the hamlet of Kastanitsa (which means “chestnut”) , nestled in a forest of chestnut trees and evergreens, celebrate their most ubiquitous fruit: the chestnut.

Volunteers from the Kastanitsa Cultural & Naturalist Society with the support of the Peloponnese Region join forces to organize one of the area’s most important agro-events.

Traditional dishes including everything from pies, pork and bean soups with chestnuts to spoon sweets, jams and brioche-styled breads and cakes promise to keep visitors coming as traditional song, dance and drinks keep everyone on their toes.

In the meantime, guests can also visit the newly opened “Traditional Trades” exhibition featuring professions of yesteryear at the Kastanitsa Environmental Information Center under the Management Body of Mount Parnon & Moustos Wetland.