Sefrou Cherry Festival: Dates, What to Expect and How to Go from Fez

About the festival

UNESCO lists the festival, which celebrates the cherry harvest. Women who make Sefrou’s silk buttons are named in the inscription.

A festival with a long history

The Sefrou Cherry Festival goes back to 1920, which makes it one of the oldest festivals in Morocco. It began as a celebration of the harvest in the orchards around the town and grew into three days of music, dance, parades and sport. Its high point is the election of the Cherry Queen, chosen from young women of the region, who then leads the closing parade through the town.

In 2012 UNESCO added the festival to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognising how the whole community, from farmers to artisans and musicians, keeps it alive.

What you see on festival days

• A grand parade of floats, horsemen and folk groups from across the Middle Atlas.
• Ahidous dancers and Amazigh music, with lines of men and women singing in call and response.
• Fantasia, the charge of horsemen firing their rifles together.
• Stalls selling cherries, crafts and the silk buttons of Sefrou and Bhalil.
• Concerts in the evening on the main square.

Cherries of the Middle Atlas

The cherry season around Sefrou is short, from late May to late June. The orchards climb the hills towards Bhalil and Imouzzer, and families sell their fruit by the roadside. If you come in season, we can stop at an orchard and taste them straight from the tree.

Dates

The festival is held in June, sometimes starting at the very end of May. Dates are announced each year, and I update this page as soon as they are known.

Going from Fez

Sefrou is about 35 minutes from Fez. Read Sefrou and Bhalil from Fez and plan your Unique Experiences. Festival days are busy, so arrange transport in advance through our contact page.

More to see in Sefrou

• The gates of the old medina and the mellah, the former Jewish quarter.
• The restored Funduq Ghazl.
• The waterfalls, reached by a trail of about 1.5 km.
• The village of Bhalil nearby, with its cave houses, which pairs well with a festival visit.

Tips for festival days

• Arrive early, because the town is busiest in the afternoon and evening.
• Arrange your transport in advance, as parking and taxis are scarce.
• June days can be hot, so bring water, a hat and sunscreen.
• Ask before photographing people, especially during processions.

Silk buttons

Sefrou and Bhalil are known for the silk buttons that decorate traditional djellabas. Women make them by hand, and the UNESCO inscription of the festival names this craft. If you visit Bhalil, you may see women working on them at their doorsteps.