Golden moments from the 11th Olive Oil & Olive Festival in Gournes

Golden moments from the 11th Olive Oil & Olive Festival in Gournes

I visited a nice place on Sunday, it was a sunny day after a few days of constant rain (you remember my drop-shooting, right?)

The Olive Oil & Olive Festival was held between April 24–26 at the International Exhibition Center of Crete. This event brought together producers, professionals, and olive lovers from across Greece and beyond. The reason? To celebrate one of the country’s most valuable treasures: olive oil.

For thousands of years, olive trees have been at the heart of life in Crete. From the time of the Minoan Civilization, olive oil was more than just food, it was wealth, medicine, light, and a symbol of prosperity. Even today, some olive trees in Crete are centuries old, I also have some very old trees that my parents left me, who had them from their own parents and so on...

From innovation and technology to tradition, gastronomy, and knowledge, the festival proved once again why it’s one of the most important meeting points for the world of olives.

Olive oil has shaped not only the economy but also the culture and daily life of our island. Considered as the most important ingredient of the famous Mediterranean diet, it is known worldwide for its health benefits, and it plays a central role in Cretan hospitality, cuisine, and local customs. Of course Crete - Greece are not the only ones producing olive oil, but its quality can be different depending on the climate, the soil, the way it is being created and it has many different categories, based in qualities such as its acidity.

Harvest season in the past was a time of community gathering, where families and neighbors come together, passing down knowledge and practices from one generation to the next. I remember when I was a little one (when there were no baby sitters or mobile phones to watch) that we were with my parents at the field harvesting olives during the winter time..

In this event, many people and professionals gathered and it was a very important happening for the island.

It had indoor & outdoor exhibitors

The most impressive machinery was outside, and having sunny weather allowed me to have some fun and nice shots

Inside, there was also some competition, where people would taste olive oil, but since I went only at the last day, I do not have more info about this

A beautiful reminder that olive oil isn’t just a product… it’s culture, history, and connection. 💛

At the last point, were some really interesting products, local and not only - you could find different olive oils, olives, cheeses, even dried fruit and nuts

Next time I will go from the first day, and make a much more thorough reportage
In this conference center, there are many exhibitions and events taking place, so stay tuned as there will be more from me!

Have you ever harvested olive oil? Would you like to experience that?

Unfortunately, in recent years, farmers across Crete & Greece are facing increasing challenges. From unpredictable weather and prolonged droughts to rising production costs and labor shortages. Harvests are nowadays less stable, and many farmers have stopped working with olive oils as it does not produce enough to live their families.

The problems are many, but I hope that technology will create more sustainable practices and a better for everyone.