The Giannitsa Fair is an annual institution that lasts from 6 to 13 September and is organized south of Philippio Hill, in the area of the bazaar. It is the city’s longest-running institution that has its roots in the Ottoman period. The beginning of the fair probably dates back to the 19th century. Initially it was hosted in the market place, which developed on both sides of the Via Egnatia (Sol Kol) and defined the southern end of the Ottoman city. Next to the craftsmen’s premises and the tanneries, the bezestini, the hania and the caravanserai, the trade fair was organized for a month, in October or November.
In the demographic and economic transformation of the interwar period and after a short break in the 1910s, the fair was moved from the Via Egnatia to the northern part of the city. The dates and duration of the institution must have changed then. From the 1920s the commercial character was accompanied by shows and events. In the post-war decades it developed into the favorite institution of Giannitsa, which has imprinted the memories and childhood of every resident.
