written by Xanthippi Giotopoulou
Sunday is the Funday of the week, and what a better day than that to visit Thessaloniki’s International Fair!
What is Thessaloniki’s International Fair?
Thessaloniki’s International Fair is an exhibition that first began on October 3, 1926, and since then, it has become a custom for Thessalonians to visit it every autumn. Over the years, the Fair has become a milestone in the city of Thessaloniki, marking a significant event in the region’s trading history. Traders from all over Greece, and later from all over the world, participate in the fair to show their products, their work and services. (The famous Greek coffee named ‘Frappé’ was invented by an employee of the Nestlé company while at the Fair.)
Apart from the local traders and the local community, every year, The Fair is dedicated to a different country of the world, introducing a new culture to the city and bringing people together.
In 2025, however, there was no honorary country, since it marked the 100th year of the Fair opening its gates.
As Balkan Hotspot volunteers, we visited Thessaloniki’s International Fair to explore its grounds. Being in a mood for exploration, we felt that we were in the right place. From the European Commission and the ministries of the Greek government, to shops and small businesses from around the world, Thessaloniki’s International Fair brings together different worlds and people.
We started our tour of the Fair from stall number 10. As our project’s theme was about the environment, it was the right place for us; it was a chance to learn more about green entrepreneurship. One of the most interesting panels was the one of a greek company that recycled waste from constructing or demolishing a building. As a partner, in their panel, they had the recycling museum, which gave us the chance to time travel through cans and bottles of soft drinks and other liquid products from the 1980s and 1990s, which were found at beaches. It was very eye-opening to watch through a microscope how plastic never disintegrates completely. Micro-plastics mend with the sand, the water, even in the air we breathe, making their way to the bloodstream of animals and humans alike, without us noticing.
Next, we visited Hobby Festival, at stall number 2, a place where every hobby had its corner. From pole dancing to improv and miniature painting, every corner of the stall was full of people trying new things. While at stalls 4 & 5 we had an experience full of different tastes and colours. We encountered traders from India, Vietnam, Egypt and other countries, and we had the chance to explore pieces of jewellery and clothing that were new to our eyes. We tasted delicious food from Greece and other places of the world, an explosion of tastes in our mouths, from salty to sweet, from sour to umami.
The final stop for us was in stall 6, where there was an exhibition for Thessaloniki’s International Fair’s history. Old newspapers with emblematic moments captured on photographs, retelling the history of the Fair, along with the posters of every Fair that has happened; a time travel.
The day closed with a concert of a very well-known singer, the crowd singing along with her, all of us having a great time.
