World Rakı Festival facts for kids

The World Rakı Festival (in Turkish: Dünya Rakı Festivali) is a lively street festival held in the city of Adana, Turkey. It grew out of a century-old tradition of fun and food in the city's Kazancılar Bazaar. The festival celebrates local culture with delicious kebab, liver, and a traditional Turkish drink for adults called rakı, all enjoyed with street music and dancing.

What Happens at the Festival?

Every year, on the second Saturday night of December, the streets around the Büyüksaat clock tower fill with people and dinner tables. Local restaurants and food sellers set up on the streets to serve tasty kebab and liver dishes.

Street musicians wander between the tables, playing drums and a traditional woodwind instrument called a zurna. Visitors enjoy a night full of music, dancing, and eating that lasts all the way until the sun rises on Sunday morning.

People enjoying the festival in 2015

In 2015, some groups disagreed with the festival being held in public. The governor of Adana said he would not allow a festival where the traditional drink was served on the streets. To make sure the event could still happen, the organizers changed the name to the Adana Kebap and Şalgam Festival. Şalgam is a popular local turnip juice. Even with the new name, people still called it the Rakı Festival, and it was celebrated just like in other years.

Dining on the street is a key part of the festival.

The History of the Festival

For over 100 years, the Kazancılar Bazaar has been the heart of Adana's kebab and liver dining culture. In the past, people visiting the early morning bird market on Sundays would have a liver kebab breakfast in the area. The kebab restaurants in Kazancılar stayed open late every night, becoming a popular spot for food and entertainment.

This tradition of Saturday night fun followed by an early Sunday morning meal inspired a group of regulars. In 2010, they decided to create a special day to celebrate their local food culture. They called it World Rakı Day and held the first event on December 10, 2011.

The celebration quickly became very popular. It attracted not just people from Adana, but also food lovers from the whole Çukurova region and across Turkey. By 2014, the festival had over 20,000 visitors and was featured in national news.

A Challenging Year

The 2015 festival drew a record number of people, even though some groups had asked for it to be banned. During the evening, while people were eating, a small group tried to disrupt the event because they disagreed with it.

The group shouted and tried to cause a disturbance. Police quickly arrived and stopped the group. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the celebration continued peacefully until the morning.