ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Thousands of people flocked to the 12th annual Halabja Pomegranate Festival on Friday, enjoying commercial, cultural and artistic activities on the third day of the four-day event, which concludes on Saturday.
“These three days, thank God, were good, especially today, as it was a weekend and a lot of people attended the pomegranate festival. We had a lot of customers,” Varsin Izzat, a vendor at the festival, told Rudaw, adding that most customers purchased pomegranate juice.
Halabja province produces approximately 40,000 tons of pomegranates annually. The festival, which kicked off on Wednesday, provides a boost to the local economy and creates job opportunities for thousands of people.
Organizers said this year's expanded festival features 512 stalls, including 159 dedicated to Salakhani and other locally grown pomegranate varieties. The event also showcases traditional Kurdish cuisine, women's handicrafts and locally produced goods, attracting growing crowds.
“Every year we visit the Halabja pomegranate festival. Truly, it is very special, and I’m very happy when I see our people are engaged” in such activities, festival visitor Honas Jamal said.
Photos by Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw