Tbilisoba 2022: The Harvest Festival

Every year, on the first weekend of October, the Georgian capital celebrates a special holiday: Tbilisoba, the harvest festival. In 2022, it fell on October 1 and 2, and fairs, stages, and costumed performances sprang up all over the city, where Tbilisi residents and visitors could spend these two days.

Orbeliani Square and the streets around it were probably the biggest festival location.

The many market stalls sold all kinds of goods and treats, both Georgian and not so Georgian.

At the center of the location there was an interactive installation showing traditional Georgian daily life. The interactive part was that on the right side there was an entrance where you could go “inside,” and dedicated photographers would take souvenir pictures of you.

The second major Tbilisoba location was Rike Park.

I probably got to Europe Square too early. Nothing had started there yet, they were only just setting up the stage, and a gorgeous video with carpets was playing on the big screen.

As it happened, they were celebrating Tbilisoba near where I live too. There was more barbecue here than anywhere else, and there was so much smoke from the grills that you could even smell it in the nearby metro.

Naturally, there was no getting anywhere without homemade wine. It was being sold here in special economy-size packs.

The end.

P.S. Tbilisoba lasts for two days, so if you wanted to go, you still had a chance to make it on Sunday.