The wine festival has been one of the featured events in Limassol, Cyprus’s wine capital, since 1961. It takes place at the Municipal Gardens, just across the Olympion promenade, in the beginning of September and lasts for 12 days. The Limassol Wine Festival was inspired by the ancient festivals dedicated to the God of wine Dionysus and honours the long island’s tradition of winemaking. The giant statue of a Cypriot wine-maker welcomes visitors at the entrance. At the festival, guests get the chance to try different local wines and traditional Cypriot food. Another popular feature of the Wine Festival is a traditional wine press. Folkloric dances, songs, theatrical performances from local and international artistic groups are also included in the program of the festival.