From September 28 through 30, the second annual EthnoFest will kick off in Tbilisi. The Ethno Fest (officially known as the International Summit of Crafts and Design), sees craft makers, designers, entrepreneurs, retailers and experts gather in the South Caucasus region.  It will be an event in Tbilisi not to be missed, especially for those who appreciate art, traditional goods, and handmade crafts. 

Since late spring, the Ethno Fest’s Facebook page has been ramping up the anticipated event. Ethno Fest is organized by the Georgian Arts and Culture Center (GACC) with the support of Tbilisi City Assembly, Tbilisi City Hall, the Reserve Fund of the President of Georgia, Ministry of Culture and Sport of Georgia, Georgian National Tourism Administration, Enterprise Georgia, National Agency for preservation of Cultural Heritage of Georgia, Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, the US Embassy in Georgia and other local and international organizations and donors. 

The goals of the festival are to strengthen the business platform for craft and design products in the South Caucasus, draw local and international producers and buyers, strengthen the brand image of crafts locally and internationally, make Tbilisi a sort of Mecca for the international crafts community, promote the position of crafts in the tourist industry, and fabricate a cultural attraction for locals and tourists. Essentially, the crafts festival aims to attract publicity to the realm of handmade goods and traditional art as well as to further place Tbilisi on the map of thriving cities. 

This year’s exposition includes handmade leather bags and wallets, hand-woven carpets, textile printing, silver, gold, and stone jewelry, felt clothing, handmade trinkets, toys and dolls, as well as traditional crafts and art from other countries such as Azerbaijan. The festival will be chock full of tradition and handmade crafts that can’t be found just anywhere.

The Fest will be held at Exhibition Center ExpoGeorgia, 118 Tsereteli Avenue, Tbilisi. It promises to be a festivity that locals and tourists alike won’t want to miss. 

By Shirin Mahdavi