TEHRAN—Gorgan will hold the 17th Iranian ethnic culture festival during November 16-18. The three-day event will host cultural, artistic and handicraft groups from all over the country and nine foreign countries.

According to Mehr news agency, Reza Ghiasizadeh, the executive director of the festival,  stated on Wednesday afternoon that this edition of the festival will be held at the Gorgan International Exhibition Center, adding that 80 handicraft pavilions from different provinces, 50 pavilions from Golestan artisans and 10 international pavilions from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and India will be present. 

He added that in the section of institutions related to the field of cultural heritage, about 40 booths have been planned for institutions such as the Technical-Vocational Organization, Imam Khomeini Relief Committee (IKRC), the Welfare Organization, Prisons Administration and the universities.

The festival's executive director stated that the cultural section of this event includes cultural nights from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, which will be held in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and more than 100 foreign guests will be present in this section.

Ghiasizadeh continued that in the field of music, 18 ritual groups will perform in the main hall and 25 local groups in the open-air area. 

A ‘nomadic tent’ will also be set up to showcase the lifestyle of nomads across the country, he added.

He said that an ‘Iranian Food Alley’ and a special ‘Iranian Souvenirs’ section have been launched for the first time this year at the entrance to the exhibition so that visitors can get acquainted with the variety of food and local products from different regions of the country.

KD