EVENTS Archives - following the funks

EVENTS: 2017 Izmir Coffee Festival

November 1, 20172017, EVENTS, IZMIR, TURKEY Catie

On October 13-15, 2017, the 2nd annual Izmir Coffee Festival was held at the Izmir Arena. I recently recap our experience from the first ever Izmir Coffee Festival. The same organizers, Next Organization and Ateş Prodüksiyon, of private festivals (also planned the Izmir Chocolate Festival), have continued to produce an even better festival this year. Tickets were 38 TL each for a 1-day pass or 76 TL for a 3-day entry.

Like I mentioned, coffee is no stranger to Turkish culture. Turkish coffee is long steeped in Turkish tradition. Specialty coffee, however, is on the rise! Almost 10 years later, Turkey is home to lots of little startups for coffee roasting and small coffee shops serving not only filtered coffee but also options for pour-overs, Chemex, and AeroPress. In our neighborhood alone I can find 5-6 different coffee shops to enjoy my favorite way to drink coffee! Many of them do their own roasting too.

The first day of the coffee festival was PERFECT. The weather was a breezy, sunny 73 degrees. While last year was crowded and the layout of venues was too close together, this year the layout of shops were much improved giving the guests room to move with ease and vendors more room to work.More vendors were placed outdoors and the whole of the outdoor space better utilized.

Like last year, I anticipated most booths to represent coffee companies, and it proved to be true this year as well. Of course, we made sure to stop by Jason’s favorite afternoon workplace, RAF – Roast and Found, and enjoy our first latte from them. The soon to open LessOrdinary Coffee sold one of my favorites of the festival, a Coffee Sangria for 25 TL. I was surprised at the number of Istanbul representatives such as Arabica Trading House Roasters that service to coffee shops like the new Story Coffee in Istanbul. By far, the most intrigue coffee item at the coffee festival was the Nitro Brew coffee. This carbonated cold brew looks similar to beer in color, but definitely, keeps its taste!

Several small businesses sold miscellaneous items to give the guests some diversity. I met the owner of Basic Jewel again from last years festival. I love her simple yet unique design for pendants and earrings. A couple of new favorites were pastries from Leone Patisserie and Boulangerie and sweet delicious spread from Dulce La Leche in Assos, Turkey. Towards the back of the area, the festival provided an amazing play area for kids! Lounge chairs lined the coast so guest could relax with a gorgeous view of the Izmir’s bay. If you fancy learning more about coffee, the festival offered workshops and held seminars on different topics related to coffee.

When to go

For those who want to visit for the whole day, Saturday and Sunday would give you a full day of wandering the area and watching performers such as DJs, dance instructors, and sports instructors. The program rotates performers on a central stage with a large area to sit and enjoy your purchases and free coffee samples. But if you enjoy lesser crowds, go early the first day as well as first thing Saturday and Sunday morning!

List of activities and services:

– Catering, tasting, cupping
– concerts and music concerts, interviews (pre-registration for some interviews)
– Workshops (Pre-registration is available for some workshops.)
– Children’s play areas, adult play areas, close up shows
– Sports events, dance shows, latte show shows,
– Street art performances, contests, and surprise gifts
– Recreation areas
– Selfie area

We are excited to head back to the 2018 festival and see what they have in store for guest next year!

For more information:

Website: http://coffeefestivalizmir.com

Address: 1649 Sokak No: 107 Turan – Bayraklı / İZMİR

Telephone: 0 232 382 2 382 & 0 232 382 38 28

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EVENTS: Arkas Sanat Merkezi’s Landscape of Water Exhibition

October 18, 2017October 18, 20172017, EVENTS, IZMIR, REVIEWS, TURKEY Catie

From September 20 to December 29, 2017, Arkas Art Center (Arkas Sanat Merkezi) is hosting Landscapes of Water (Su Manzaraları) collection. As a member of the IWAI, I attended with a group of ladies on a special guided tour to hear about the collection. You may remember this groups from last year’s Christmas Bazaar or our outing to the Costumn Museum in Doğanbey and Priene.

Located in a beautiful sea view side the French Honorary Consulate Building, the Arkas Art Center was created with the art-lovers in mind sharing collections and art interest with others as the wish of Mr. Lucien Arkas, the President of the Board of Directors of Arkas Holding. The building itself has a long history. Construction of the building started in 1825 and took about 10 years to complete. Throughout the next 100 years, the structure has survived several earthquakes and an even a couple of fires.

The French Government assigned the building to be used for a 20 year period for cultural and artistic purposes, and after renovations, opened in 2011. Now it is one of the first centers in Izmir that has hosted international painters.

Spanning throughout the 10 exhibition rooms over 2 floors, Landscapes of Water contain landscape paintings dating from the first half of the 19th century to the second half of the 20th century. The paintings represented several artistic movements such as such as the Barbizon School, Impressionism, Symbolism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Expressionism. Artist represented include works of Eugéne Boudin, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Maurice de Vlaminck, Francis Picabia, Henry Lebasque, and Hippolyte Camille Delpy, among others.

The Arkas Art Center says:

“Landscapes of Water “reflects” the historical evolution of the pictorial medium over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. Here you will find the remarkable They invite the viewer on a fabulous odyssey through diverse geographic areas, from the banks of the Seine and the Scottish lakes to the summits of the Alps, by way of the warm light of the Mediterranean, the North Sea and the rivers of Europe.”

Being my first art gallery viewing in Izmir, I found the gallery to be well-maintain and beautifully displayed. I found the impressionist pieces to be some of my favorite, similar to a Monet type of painting. Both upstairs and downstairs are projector screen which brings the paintings and movement of the sea to life. I found an area for children to color their own painting to match the ones on display. A favorite of everyone was a luminous sunset painting that looked as if it was glowing, but instead just showed the power of colors and the impressive creations of an artist with oil paints, a canvas, and a brush.

How to get there:

The center does not have any private parking. From the Alsancak Ferry, the center is about a 12-minute walk West along the coast. From the Pasaport Ferry, it is a 7-minute walk East along the coast.

Entrance Information:

Entrance is free. Lockers are available for large bags, belongings, jackets, umbrellas, etc. on the ground floor.

Tours:

Free guided tours are provided in Turkish or English for a minimum of 5 people upon request on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tours for children are also available in similar form. See information below for contact details and operating hours.

For more information:

ARKAS ART CENTER

Monday: Closed

Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00 (Entrance Free)
Thursday: 10:00 – 20:00 (Entrance Free)

Website: http://www.arkassanatmerkezi.com

Address: 1380 Sokak No:1 Alsancak, İzmir

Phone: + 90 (232) 464 66 00, + 90 (232) 464 60 06

For Guided Tour Reservations: 0232 464 66 00

Email: [email protected]

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EVENTS: Ballet at the Ancient Theater of Ephesus

October 15, 2017October 15, 20172017, EVENTS, IZMIR, REVIEWS, TURKEY Catie

In September, we attended 1 of the 3-part annual “İzmir Efes Opera and Ballet Days” (Devlet Opera ve Balesi Genal Müdürlüğü) sponsored by the T.C. Culture and Tourism Ministry (T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı). The festival is part of a country-wide initiative to preserve and promote opera and ballet arts in Turkey. They are not only held in Ephesus but also other major cities throughout the country.

The first of the 3 part series began with the “Gala Concert”, on Saturday, September 16. At the concert, the İzmir State Opera Orchestra performed pieces as well as accompanied an Italian soloist, Soprano Daniela Cappiello, and tenor, Gianluca Terranova. The second part on September 19, the Istanbul State Opera performed compositions from the 18th century, influenced by Ottoman culture and life in Europe. The closing performance, a ballet of “Romeo and Juliet,” was held on September 22 accompanied by a live orchestra.

At 30 Turkish Lira (approximately $8) a ticket, an event in the ancient theater of Ephesus is actually affordable to the general public. We definitely took advantage of attending at least one event! While we purchased our tickets quite easily online, our seats were not specified to any location in the theater. I heard some of our friends purchased their tickets for 15 TL from another source. Even others were about to purchase tickets with reserved seating.

Tips and tricks: The performance is (literally) in a 2,000-year-old theater made of stones and marble, and I suggest for your comfort to bring pillows for your seats! Also, blankets will keep you warm if the evening becomes a little chilly and windy. Since there is only 1 way in and out and limited parking in the lower arena of Ephesus, get there early and be patient when leaving! We had a rental car, but there are plenty of taxies available for transport.

Since the ballet didn’t start until 9 pm, we decided to make a weekend of it and stayed Friday night in the Ayasoluk Hotel and Restaurant in the nearby city of Selçuk. The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, we spent the day exploring the House of the Virgin Mary, the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers, and the Basilica of St. John before heading back to Izmir.

Seeing Ephesus at night was a rare treat I hope everyone can enjoy at least once!

For more information:

İZMİR EFES OPERA AND BALLET DAYS

Website: http://www.dobgm.gov.tr/opera2013/menu.aspx

Address: Ephesus Antique Theater

When: Every September

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EVENTS: 2016 Izmir Coffee Festival

October 13, 2017October 13, 20172017, EVENTS, IZMIR, TURKEY Catie

Last October 2016, Jason and I attended the first ever Izmir Coffee Festival. In honor of the 2nd annual Izmir Coffee Festival which starts today, I am recapping our experience from the last one. The same organizers, Next Organization and Ateş Prodüksiyon, of private festivals, also planned the Izmir Chocolate Festival in March 2017.

Coffee is no stranger to Turkish culture. In fact, Turkish coffee is one of the oldest ways to drink coffee and has long been a tradition in many homes. I cannot justify all the history that comes with Turkish coffee but you can read more about it here. Maybe one day I will feel comfortable covering it!

Turkish coffee made from a coffee powder and water mixture (sugar can be added as well) that is boiled briefly to get a nice foam – double boiled if you want more! The coffee is then poured into a small traditional coffee cups and usually serve with a glass of water and a small piece of candy. Yes, it is like a strong espresso! But be careful not to drink to the bottom of the cup or you will end up with a mouth of coffee bean grit!

Oh, there is so much more. I will have to write another post just about Turkish coffee! Or maybe I’ll get my friend Michael to…

Specialty coffee, on the other hand, is fairly new to Turkey. I can remember 8 years ago when I lived in Istanbul the only filtered coffee you could find was made at home or at Starbucks. To be fair, I didn’t know a lot about filtered coffee itself, but I knew a lot about what fancy creamers I wanted to go in them! My friend Michael was saddened by my lack of knowledge of coffee and all that comes with it! Through his love for coffee, I learned over time to appreciate the taste of coffee and the many ways you can prepare it. I am definitely not a pro, but I can drink espresso and black coffee without sugar and milk like a champ now!

Almost 10 years later, Turkey is home to lots of little startups for coffee roasting and small coffee shops serving not only filtered coffee but also options for pour-overs, Chemex, and AeroPress. In our neighborhood alone I can find 5-6 different coffee shops to enjoy my favorite way to drink coffee! Many of them do their own roasting too.

The 2016 festival was much larger than I anticipated and well planned with many booths representing mostly coffee companies, but there were several other small businesses stands that are selling miscellaneous items to give the guests some diversity. We also found a large area to grab lunch or dinner. Along with purchasing items from the businesses (or free sampling at some of the more generous booths), the festival offered workshops and held seminars on different topics related to coffee like ‘How to make coffee with an Aeropress’.

For those who want to visit for the whole day, the festival has a list of performers such as DJs, dance instructors, and sports instructors. The program rotates performers on a central stage with a large area to sit and enjoy your purchases and free coffee samples.

Here is a great video that walks you through the 2016 Izmir Coffee Festival. Don’t worry there is no Turkish (or even English) to worry about. Enjoy the music and check out the scenes.

This year’s 3-day festival starts Friday, October 13, 2017, and continues through Sunday, October 15, 2017, at the İzmir Arena. Pre-bought tickets are 38 TL each for 1-day or 76 TL for a 3-day entry. We are excited to head back to the 2017 festival and see what they have in store for guest this year!

For more information:

Website: http://coffeefestivalizmir.com

Address: 1649 Sokak No: 107 Turan – Bayraklı / İZMİR

Telephone: 0 232 382 2 382 & 0 232 382 38 28

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EVENTS: First Annual GastronomIzmir Festival at MaviBahçe

June 9, 2017June 3, 20172017, EVENTS, EVERYDAY LIFE, IZMIR, TURKEY, WEEKENDS Catie

If you listened in to our recent podcast episode033 about our top 10 favorite Turkish foods, then you know that food has been and always will be a big deal in Turkey. As new trends are opening up in Turkey, we are seeing more and more festivals dedicated to learning about specialty gourmet foods (example: Izmir Chocolate Festival and Organic Bazaar at MaviBahçe). The recent new GastronomIzmir Festival at MaviBahçe is not going to be left behind!

On May 13-17 Izmir held it’s first ever GastronomIzmir Festival at MaviBahçe Mall. No entrance fee was required to take part. The festival organized tents, stages, tables and chairs in the middle of the open air mall for guests to enjoy. Throughout the 5 day event, free workshops, presentations, awards, and music were scheduled for everyone to enjoy. Every few hours, sponsors passed out yummy mini size food to the attendees. If you wanted to explore further, participating restaurants within the MaviBahçe Mall contributed a special menu item you could enjoy that week.

Since we came to the start of the festival, most stations were still setting up, but we did enjoy a warm sandwich, music, part of the first workshop, and snapped some pictures. Hopefully next year will bring a 2nd annual GastronomIzmir Festival!

Enjoy a short video below!

Questions:

Did you go to this festival?

Would you got to something like this in the future?

What food would you hope to see there?