Walnut Festival in Kalur: A Symbol of Ethnic Solidarity and a Boost to Tourism

Ardabil - The 4th National Walnut Festival was held in the city of Kalur in Ardabil province, welcoming thousands of citizens and tourists from across the country.

Ambassador of Arjan Group of Provinces - Islam Azarmi Giglo: The 4th National Walnut Festival was held in Kalor city, the center of Shahrood district of Khalkhal county in Ardabil province, with a magnificent and passionate welcome from thousands of citizens, local and provincial officials and tourists from all over the country and turned this mountainous and green area into a center of enthusiasm, vitality, empathy and solidarity of Iranian peoples. A festival that acted not only as a cultural and tourism event, but also as a full-view mirror of the unique natural, agricultural and human capacities of the Shahrood region and once again made the name of Kalor popular in the media and public opinion of the country.

national registration of the event; Proof of the irreplaceable capacities of chlorine

This cultural and tourism event, which was registered as a "national tourism event" by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts in 1403, was designed and implemented with the aim of creating social excitement and introducing the unique tourism, cultural and agricultural capacities of Shahrood region. Its successful and commendable event was the result of the cooperation and synergy of the municipality and Islamic Council of Kalor city, Shahrood district and the general departments of "Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts", "Sports and Youth" and "Agricultural Jihad" of Ardabil province. The extensive cooperation that showed the development of tourism and the holding of national events is possible only with the collective participation and synergy of various institutions.

Hassan Shahsawari, the secretary of the 4th National Walnut Festival and a member of the Islamic Council of Kalor city, pointed out the special place of this event in the country's tourism calendar and stated: "It is a matter of pride that this festival has been registered as a national tourism event by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts with continuous follow-up. This is a clear proof of the importance, position and high potential of Kalor region. He also emphasized the necessity of continuing this path and using the created capacities for the sustainable development of the region.

the presence of tourists from all over the country; Chlorine connecting Iranian peoples

Referring to the national scope of this event, Morteza Motahari, the mayor of Kalor, said: "In this period of the festival, we witnessed the warm and enthusiastic presence of guests and tourists from the provinces of Gilan, Zanjan, Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, Tehran and Alborz, and Kalor once again proved that it is a link between the various ethnic groups and cultures of the region." This wide presence from different provinces of the country shows the extra-regional appeal of the festival and its ability to become a national tourist destination.

He added: "Creating social enthusiasm and introducing local capacities is one of the main priorities of the municipality and the Kalor Islamic Council in the way of holding festivals and cultural programs." Mayor Kalor also emphasized the role of these events in strengthening the local identity and creating a sense of belonging among the residents of the region, and considered it an important factor in the longevity of the population and the reduction of youth migration.

25 direct supply booths; Prosperity of local livelihood and economic empowerment

Morteza Motahari also called the establishment of 25 booths for the direct supply of products as one of the central and effective parts of this festival and noted: "In these booths, the best varieties of walnuts from the old gardens of the region, garden products, organic rural products and all kinds of traditional breads and sweets prepared by hand-baked women artists of Shahrood district, were directly available to the visitors to play an effective and pioneering role in the development of local livelihoods and empowerment. the economy of the host society.

These booths were not only a place to offer products, but also provided an opportunity for producers to interact directly with consumers and introduce the culture and traditions of the region. The direct supply of products without intermediaries helped to increase the income of gardeners and local producers and provided a practical model for a resilient economy and sustainable rural development.

Officials' emphasis on the continuity and development of the event in the coming years

Kanani, the representative of the people of Kausar and Khalkhal in the Islamic Council, called these festivals important and effective in order to create social excitement and introduce the capacities of the region and emphasized the support of the parliament for the development of tourism infrastructure in the region.

Hossein Watandoost, the governor of Khalkhal, also mentioned holding cultural events and programs as one of the important priorities in Khalkhal city and added: "The good reception of the people and tourists from the Kalor walnut festival showed that these events should be given a special look." He emphasized the need for coherent planning and allocation of necessary funds for the development of accommodation infrastructure, access roads and tourism services in the region.

Jalil Jabari, Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Ardabil province, also pointed to the good reception and high capacities of Kalor in the field of tourism and culture, and emphasized on holding this event for three days in the coming years. He expressed hope that with proper planning, the National Walnut Festival will become an international event and attract foreign tourists to this region.

Various cultural, sports and social programs; An atmosphere full of vitality and empathy

Holding attractive native and local games competitions with the participation of 16 teams, various sports competitions, live music performances with the presence of prominent artists of the region, rituals honoring exemplary gardeners and veterans of the walnut field, book unveiling and a lottery ceremony were other popular and colorful parts of the 4th National Clover Walnut Festival, which created an atmosphere full of vitality, joy and empathy and left a lasting memory in the minds of the participants.

Native and local games were widely welcomed by young people and provided an opportunity to revive the ancient traditions of the region. The live music performance was also warmly welcomed by the attendees and created happy and memorable moments for them. Honoring exemplary gardeners also created a double incentive for local producers to improve the quality and quantity of their products by using modern agricultural methods.

conclusion; A bright horizon for the development of the region

The 4th National Clover Walnut Festival ended its work with the national registration as a "national tourism event", the presence of tourists from different provinces of the country, the establishment of 25 stalls for the direct sale of products and the implementation of various cultural, sports and social programs, once again displayed the unique capacities of Shahrood district.

The widespread acceptance of this event by the people and the authorities and the emphasis on its continuation and development in the coming years promises a clear horizon for tourism development, strengthening ethnic solidarity and improving the livelihood of local communities in this region of Ardabil province. Undoubtedly, the continuation of this route with careful planning, public participation and the support of the authorities, can turn Kalor and the Shahrood section into one of the important poles of cultural and natural tourism in the northwest of the country and provide a successful model for other regions with similar capacities.