The Olive Branch Days festival (Yemei Anaf HaZayit) opens on Thursday, October 29, and runs until November 21 across the Galilee, the Golan Heights and the northern valleys. This is the festival's 31st year. The Galilee Development Authority builds it around the olive harvest: olive presses, farms, restaurants and wineries open their doors for tours, tastings and workshops. The opening night, the Harvest Party, takes place at the Jezreel Valley Railway site in Kfar Yehoshua, and entry costs 20 shekels.

The Harvest Party in Kfar Yehoshua

The October 29 opening is an autumn party from 6 pm to 11 pm, with local bands, an open stage and DJ Rani Shemesh. The bar serves cocktails made for the event with this season's olive oil, along with tapas and an olive oil tasting bar. Local producers show and sell the new oil at stalls, and there is beer, wine and food.

What to do during the festival

Most activities are spread across farms and villages, and many need advance booking. At Sindyanna of Galilee in Kafr Kanna, a fair-trade nonprofit, you can taste olive oil and join workshops on making za'atar, baking and basket weaving. The visitor center is open Sunday to Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm, and workshop prices are listed in the organization's brochure.

At Caramel Chocolate in the Misgav industrial park, a workshop pairs chocolate with olive oil. It starts with tastings along the production stages, from roasted cocoa beans to chocolate, and then each participant drizzles olive oil over the chocolate they make. It costs 100 shekels per person and runs on every festival day by appointment.

In the Golan in the evening, the Black Hole pub at Kibbutz Kfar Haruv serves a festival cocktail menu with olives and olive oil, plus picnic boxes with cheeses, marinated olives and oil. It opens on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 pm and on Fridays from 10 pm, until the small hours.

The I'billin olive festival, November 8 to 14

I'billin holds a local olive festival for a week, with the main event on Saturday, November 14, at the council's culture hall from 10 am to 10 pm. The program includes a guided tour of the village's ancient olive presses with oil tastings, stalls of local produce and folklore activities. Entry is 20 shekels, and it suits families with children.

All events by date are listed on the official Olive Branch Days website.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Olive Branch Days festival in 2026?
From October 29 to November 21, 2026, in communities across the Galilee, the Golan and the northern valleys.

How much is entry to the opening party in Kfar Yehoshua?
20 shekels. The party is on Thursday, October 29, from 6 pm to 11 pm at the Jezreel Valley Railway site.

Do I need to book festival workshops in advance?
For most workshops and tours, yes. Contact details are on each event's page on the festival website.