“An Evening Under the Olive Tree”: The Naxos Autumn Festival Returns

• By Chrysa Kakiori

Early October in Naxos and you realize that the season does not end with the first bell. The alleys keep pace, the beaches empty, the paths are filled with travelers who enjoy the island’s charms more quietly, more authentically, without the crowds of August. It is the period when slow travel finds meaning: time stretches out, experiences gain depth and Naxos, as an island that does not live only for the summer, shows its most authentic character.

In this autumn setting, the cultural festival “A Night Under the Olive Tree” returns for the fourth year, an institution that grows stronger every year. Music, gastronomy, stories and people come together to tell the identity of the island with a contemporary perspective.

Since November 2024, the gastronomic ambassador of the festival is the Michelin-starred Luca Piscati, who this year invites Giacomo Tranquilli (Executive Head Chef Four Seasons London Bridge & Private Club Latour London) and Andrea Mura (Executive Pastry Chef, Four Seasons London Bridge) to Naxos. Together with local chefs and producers, they set up a creative Naxos-Italy dialogue: the island’s products are reinterpreted through Italian techniques and ideas, and return to the table as new, familiar, and at the same time, unexpected flavors.

The curtain opens on Wednesday, October 1st with a morning cooking masterclass for the students of the 2nd High School of Naxos. In the afternoon, the beach becomes the stage for a relaxed gastronomic event with an Italian character: cocktails, finger food with local ingredients and the traditional Roman fish soup Cacciuoco, a tasty bridge that connects the Aegean and the Tiber.

On Thursday, October 2nd, the Italian chefs meet the students of the 1st High School and together they will make cannoli “a la Naxos”. And when the sun goes down, at the idyllic Kampones estate, under the olive trees, Manolis Mitsias with Achilleas Wastor (piano) and Iraklis Zakas (bouzouki) will give a unique concert.

The celebration culminates on Friday, October 3 at the historic Dryllis watermill (built in 1850) in Potamia. A part of the island that resembles a living museum, surrounded by orchards and streams. There, at a round table, the guest chefs will chat with local cooks and producers and exchange ideas, techniques, recipes, and most importantly, perspectives on how an island can evolve its cuisine without losing its soul. The events are presented by journalist Nikos Thrasyvoulou.

Behind the institution is the inspiring Maria Polykreti and the cultural organization "Polykriti", which in 2022 started with a musical evening under the olive trees and today they are signing a four-day event that extends the season, supports local production and invites the visitor to experience Naxos at its natural rhythm.