Metamorphoseos Fair
Kalamaria, a district of Thessaloniki, is proud to maintain its own four day fair, in the form – as much as possible- which it had many years ago.
For 20 years now it’s the only fair that is still organized in a local center, every year on the 2,3,4,5 and 6 of August.
It includes traditional dances and song, folk party with the climax being the pontian night with well known Pontian lyre players and singers.
The fair of Kalamaria began almost from its founding. On the eve of the celebration of the church of Kalamaria, the Metamorphosis of Sotiros (then only church – today Mitropolis of Kalamaria) the refugees – inhabitants of the area, set up their own celebration.
Because the Pontian refugees have settled in the center of Kalamaria, it is natural that it has a mainly ‘pontian’ color (music, dance, food). However the rest of the residents don’t feel neglected, the days before the pontian fair (5 August) they present their own traditional dances.
This form is maintained today also by the fair of Kalamaria. The first day (2 August) they have performance of pontian theatre (concert). Following this(3 August) events with songs from Smyrna and rebetika and (4 August) dances and songs from Asia Minor, Constantinople and Eastern Thrace (places on origin of the refugees).
The events close (5 August) with the big pontian fair where all the Pontians of Thessaloniki come together.
Kalamaria Thessaloniki
Lat: 40.613952441166596
Long: 22.928466796875
