City Notes: Chocolate lovers in for fantasy festival

From chocolate to "ancient" markets, Israel has much to offer in the week to come.

By YOCHEVED LAUREN LAUFER
Updated: SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 15:02
Nabatean market at the Mamshit National Park. (photo credit: MENO GRINSHPAN)
Nabatean market at the Mamshit National Park.
(photo credit: MENO GRINSHPAN)
NORTH
For an extremely sweet time on Sukkot for the whole family, Nazareth Illit will be hosting its second chocolate festival. Opening with a performance by singer-songwriter Idan Amedi and followed by a video exhibit on the walls of the Nazareth Illit’s City Hall, the event has much more to offer than just chocolate.
The festival will showcase a variety of shows, chocolate exhibits and displays by professional chocolatiers from around the country that will be available for purchase. The event will also include chocolate workshops and plays for children, creative candy activities and storytellers and street theater performers from Israel and abroad whose arts are inspired by the world of chocolate.
The chocolate festival will take place at Nazareth Illit City Hall, 16 Gilboa Street, on Sunday, October 8 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., and on Monday, October 9 and Tuesday, October 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. For more information contact City Hall at ironalit@nallit.org.il or (04) 647-8888.
CENTER
Transport back in time
The Egged History Center in Holon offers an exciting and nostalgic experience for the Sukkot holiday with a display of over 80 antique public transportation buses and a variety of exhibits. These buses, some of them 84 years old, trace the history of public transportation in Israel and moreover, the Israeli story in general. Buses from all points in Israeli history will be on display – from British Army surplus trucks that were converted into passenger vehicles after the First World War to the modern and air-conditioned buses we ride today.
The buses have been renewed and renovated to match the original Egged colors and authentic accessories, with most of them in driving condition. The Egged History Center invites guests to board some of the old buses and recall the early days of the state, or discover them for the first time; for children it’s an experience, for adults it’s nostalgia.
The event will take place on Sunday, October 8 through Tuesday, October 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and on Fridays, October 6 and 13, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Entrance and parking are free. The Egged History Center, Moshe Dayan Street, Holon. For more information: Museum_Egged@Egged.co.il or (03) 914-2361.
SOUTH
Handmade history at the market in Mamshit
The Mamshit National Park is hosting its 37th Nabatean market that will take you back to Roman and Byzantine eras with its array of antiques and handmade goods. Connect to the fragrances of the past and be moved by a colorful and magical historical experience of sights, smells and flavors, as the ancient world of 2,000 years ago comes to life at the beautifully restored Nabatean city.
This magnificent bazaar will be selling carpets, antiques, tools, copper and spices, and will also feature artisans and traditional craftsmen such as a carpet weaver, a glass blower, a potter and a carpenter.
The market also offers a variety of unique workshops for children and adults. Free events for children include ancient puzzle games, mud brick building and a storytelling tent, while the pottery wheel is a paid activity. Adults are offered free tours of the city’s alleyways hourly starting at 10 a.m., and can purchase a holistic treatment full of pampering.
The Nabatean market will take place at Mamshit National Park on Thursday October 5 to Tuesday, October 10 at 10 a.m. Entrance to the park costs NIS 22 for adults and NIS 9 for children. For more information: mamshit@npa.org.il or (08) 655-6478.
COUNTRYWIDE
Stop right there
Saturday, September 30 is Yom Kippur, one big day of rest – and fasting – for the whole country. While not everyone around the country is fasting on the Day of Atonement, it is customary that people do not drive in the streets during the holiday, with the exception of police and emergency vehicles. Taking advantage of the car-less roads, families and friends fill the streets with their bikes, and you can even find many people walking on major highways. Of course, the synagogues are also filled with Israelis attending holiday services throughout the day, until they conclude with a final shofar blow. Though Israelis celebrate Yom Kippur with many different practices, the holiday is definitely unique to Israel.
The Yom Kippur fast starts at sundown on Friday, September 29 at 6:08 p.m. and ends on Saturday, September 30 at 7:05 p.m.