Summertime in Turkey means festival time. From the İstanbul Shopping Fest to the Kuzugöbeği (meadow mushroom) Festival, days full of excitement await us. In some regions there are peach festivals, while others celebrate the plum, and so on. Sometimes it seems there isn’t a single fruit or vegetable around which a festival hasn’t been planned. In addition to these though, we hear of festivals for things which would have never occurred to us either. Some of these are festivals such as the Cow, the Sheep Shearing and the Seedless Pomegranate Festivals.

Many regional festivals are centered for the most part around the sale of locally grown or made items, as well as visits by famous artists, or a series of speeches from local and governmental officials. And municipalities are known for spending generous amounts on these festivals. In fact, sometimes money which might have otherwise been spent on roads, water, or electric services for those regions are spent on paying guest stars to the festivals. In fact, many regional festivals offer the same things, no matter where you go: Local leaders make their speeches, locally grown items are sold. But where are those activities which are actually linked to the name of the festival itself?

Festivals are not serving their purposes

There are some people who see festivals as real opportunities. Some make political speeches, others create conflicts, some speak out against statements made against their parties, etc. The Sheep Shearing Festival held a year and a half ago in Şırnak led to some interesting scenes. There was a parade during which posters and flags were unfurled and speeches were given that were reminiscent of election campaigning. In fact, one Turkish deputy attending the festival even responded publicly to something said at an earlier date by Prime Minister Erdoğan, noting “If you don’t keep the promises you have made to these people, the people will cut off your head.”

At last year’s Çıldır Lake Festival in the city of Ardahan, which was attended by thousands of people, 16-year-old Emre Yılmaz drowned in the waters of the same lake after which the festival was named. In fact, a young man had also lost his life in the same lake at the same festival the year before.

Some festivals are true to their names though

One of the few festivals that actually seems to hold true to what its name promises is the Kuzugöbeği (meadow mushroom) Festival. At this festival, which takes place annually in Fethiye, visitors are informed on and get to taste the famous meadow mushroom, but also other mushroom types. This particular festival is attended by many from Turkey as well as from abroad, and there are even seminars offered on how to gather and use mushrooms, as well as their medical benefits.