Usually early October for 3 days (dependant on the harvest – 2010 it took place from 30 September to 3 October)
Erfoud is a sleepy little town in the Moroccan Sahara desert, about 6 hours to the east of Ouarzazate. It has dusty red buildings and a ghost town atmosphere (except during the date festival!) and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in Morocco; its oases of date palms stretch from Er Rachidia to the North, and Rissani to the south – the largest expanse of palm groves in Morocco.
Each October, after the dates are harvested, the town truly comes alive with the celebrations of the annual Date Festival. The sugary date plays an important role in Moroccan culture as well as their economy – some 90,000 tons of dates are exported from Morocco annually, so the festival gives the locals a chance to give thanks for a bountiful harvest, and pray for a good crop the following year.
Erfoud is at the centre of the date producing area with almost a million date palms, and is therefore also at the centre of the harvest festivities. Traditional music, dance and processions are the main events, and the chance for tourists to sample the traditional local Moroccan salads and Tagines with ample scatterings of fresh dates.
There is also a large exposition tent for companies and organisations who wish to promote their dates or date related products, with an official Governmental opening held on the first day. A fashion parade through the streets sees the winner honoured with the title of ‘Miss Date’, and the dromedary race is absolutely not to be missed!
Palm trees are important for many other things too; the trunks are used for rope-making and as supporting beams in local homes, the fronds in the wattle for the floors and walls. The trunks can also be hollowed out to make buckets, and the sap can be distilled for an illicit and potent spirit. The fronds are also used for baskets and mats, and the flowers are said to be an aphrodisiac.
If you are staying in the South during late September / early October, check with your hotel for the dates of the Festival. Merzouga is our closest destination to Erfoud (about 20 mins by car), Tineghir is about 2.5 hours, and Skoura 5 hours.
