Top Festivals to Experience in Pogradec City Throughout the Year
- Mariglen Kadiasi
- Jun 25
- 2 min read
🎉 Major Festivals in Pogradec (By Season)
1. Lake Festival (Festa e Liqenit)
📅 Around June 21st
Celebrates Lake Ohrid with local food fairs, crafts, and traditional music. Nearby towns often participate too.
2. Puppet Theater Festival
📅 June
A fun and colorful event featuring puppet shows by local and international artists, aimed mainly at children.
3. Varg Fest (Youth Poetry Festival)
📅 July
A two-day poetry festival that promotes emerging young poets and pays tribute to Pogradec-born literary figure Lasgush Poradeci.
4. Dance of the Stars (Vallja e Yjeve)
📅 July (usually spans 4 nights)
A cultural event with classical music, poetry readings, and traditional polyphonic performances, held in honor of Lasgush Poradeci.
5. Koran Fish Festival
📅 Around August 20
Celebrates the Koran trout, an endemic species of Lake Ohrid. Includes activities about nature conservation, food fairs, and local music.
6. Balkan Film & Food Festival
📅 Late June (typically June 25–29)
Screens Balkan films (often subtitled in English), showcases regional cuisines, and promotes cross-cultural dialogue in a relaxed lakeside setting.
7. Wine & Chestnut Festival
📅 December (around Dec 6–7)
A cozy winter festival with competitions for homemade wine, chestnut-based dishes, and live traditional music.
8. International Visual Art Colony
📅 September
An art gathering of international and Albanian painters creating works inspired by Pogradec’s landscapes and cultural heritage.
📅 Summary Table
Month Festival(s)
June Puppet Theater, Lake Festival, Balkan Film & Food
July Varg Fest, Dance of the Stars
August Koran Fish Festival
September Visual Art Colony
December Wine & Chestnut Festival
Why Visit?
🎨 Culture & Art: Experience theater, poetry, music, and visual arts in an authentic Albanian lakeside town.
🐟 Nature & Conservation: Unique focus on the Lake Ohrid ecosystem and the endangered Koran trout.
🍷 Local Flavors: Taste traditional foods, homemade wines, and enjoy folk festivities in all seasons.
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