Diana Ghazaryan, Saro Baghdasaryan

The 4th Annual Rural Life and Traditions Festival opened today day in Yerevan’s English Park.

Displaying the bounty of Armenia, the festival also seeks to reinvigorate the centuries-old tradition of people gathering at harvest time for camaraderie and fellowship.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, hand sewn items are also on display.

Visitors to the festival can purchase fresh juices, cheese, preserves, pastries and other village delicacies produced by agricultural cooperatives.

Seven families from the Arevhatik Cooperative in the Gegharkounik village of Kartchagbyur are selling homemade sea buckthorn syrup and preserves, a big seller at the festival. This year, for the first time, they’re also selling their rosehip and raspberry syrups and walnut preserves.

The women from the cooperative, founded in 2016, told Hetq that interest in their wares has increased this year.

Mourad Andreasyan, a member of the Mantashi Milena Cooperative, in the Shitak village of Mantash, can be seen selling various types of cheese made from milk produced from the cooperative.

This is the third year the cooperative has participated in the festival. Andreasyan and other cooperative members say that they usually sell all their cheese and hope the festival expands in scope next year.

Another table at the festival is run by nine women from the Tavoush community of Khachardzan, who are selling their vegetables, both canned and fresh.

“We’ve brought our pickles and preserves. It’s our first time at the festival. We’ll bring a wider selection next year,” said Rouzanna Avagyan.

Kevork Agoushyan and his family arrived in Armenia from Syria just ten days ago, but can be found selling various adornments and decorations for weddings, engagements, birthdays, etc. The family business is called Silas.

“What you see here is all handmade,” says Mr. Agoushyan, pointing to the display table.