Cherry Festival in Sefrou, Morocco

The Cherry Festival takes place from 17-20 June in Sefrou. 2010 marks the 90th anniversary of the festival, making it one of the oldest in Morocco.

This year the festival, which celebrates the rich cherry harvest, has been timed so that it doesn't clash with the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. The four-day gala of a festivities include a procession led by this year's Cherry Queen, (17h00 on Saturday), live music in the town's main square (22h00 Thursday, Friday and Saturday), a fantasia every morning, poetry, theatre, clowns for children and an exhibition of local associations' and craftpeople’s creations and activities.

seFest, Sefrou’s Association for Contemporary Arts, has gathered close to 40 images of visual artists' works from Sefrou or those who have been inspired by the ancient Berber/Jewish town. These representations have been printed on large-scale supports and placed on the buildings around the medina and new town in a tribute to the visual art that has derived from Sefrou.

Only 35km southeast of Fez, Sefrou is well worth a visit. Share a grand taxi from the stand just down the hill from McDonald's in the new city of Fez. Sefrou is a small town which stands at an altitude of nearly 1000m, has tree-lined streets and a cool breeze that tends to blow even in the summer. The town has a fascinating history as it was a major stopping point for traders making their way from the Mediterranean to the Sahara Desert. And the town was a melting pot of culture as Jewish Berber Moroccans and Algerians settled there from the 13th century.

The streets have been painted, gardens put into place, tents erected and the banners are flying high. And those cherries are certainly worth tasting!