RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL.  

Since the summertime 1987 and each summertime until today it is organised in the Rethymno the Renaissance festival. In all the years of its existence, there have been played all the plays of the Cretan theatre and also of the European Renaissance. The reason of having cultural events in Rethimno on the subject  Renaissance was  the city blossoming in arts and letters in the years of the Venetian domination. The maintenance and restoration of the old town and naturally the Fortezza fortress, which constitute venetian monuments, contributed to the making of Renaissance festival. Almost all the events are presented in the theatre "Erofili" above in the fortress while some of them are also presented in the dome (in the pane that was built inside the fortress).
From 1987 until 1990 the festival was organised by the Prefecture of Rethimno. 1991 up to today institution is the Municipality of Rethymno. The Greek opening nights in Rethimno by theatrical forms with renaissance repertory is increased and begun the manufacture of a theatre of 700 places that is inaugurated in 1993 and baptized with the name of masterpiece of poet G. Hortatsis: "Erofili".
In 1994  the circle of work of Cretan Renaissance is completed, an effort of co-productions begins and time after time the festival becomes more acquaintance not only in Greece but also Abroad thanks to the engagements of musics of main forms from Europe.
The exhibitions with suits and posters from theatrical representations of renaissance with the attendance of theatres from all Greece are unique, as also the special publications that are made with maps and graviour of the time.

CARNIVAL   

The first elements of humorous performances in Rethymno during the period of Carnival date back to the beginning of the last century, to the year 1915. Although the social and economic problems of that period did not allow for an established festival as yet, in 1926 and 1933 the first Carnival parades with impressive carriages were organised and incited the inhabitants of Rethymno to rejoice.1959. The "Travelling Club" of Rethymno reorganised this magnificent tradition, with the result that the Carnival of Rethymno became an established event and is well received on the entire island. People dressed up, playing the guitar and the mandolin arouse an atmosphere of joy and happiness while clouds of confetti are thrown down onto them from the balconies. The people of Rethymno duly pay their respects to "His Majesty the King of Carnival presented in an escapade of unrestrained laughter..."

The rethymnian carnival in our days is the biggest in Crete and one of the biggest in Greece. The top of events comes with the big parade of chariots last Sunday of Carnival  Beside that there are a lot of events in the city going on during the days of the Carnival which arepart of the feast of Carnival making it one of the greatest in Greece.

First Sunday of Carnival seranades are preformed in the old town and make everyone travel  in the sounds of a different time This is also the beginning of events for the feast of Carnival in the Rethimno Next is a unique game for the Greek data, the Treasure Hunt. It is the beloved game of rethymnians of any age it is carried out two weeks before the carnival. The management of game is done by the players themselves, while the game's difficulty increases each year and has forced them to learn in-depth the history and the monuments of city. The next event that becomes is the party of shrove Thursday that takes place in Platanos ( Rimondi fountain) and the small Virgin Mary church. The program includes live music for all taste, titbits and wine and it is something that everyone waits for after all it is interwoven the latest years with the bigger open air party that takes place in the city. Coming up next is the dance of teams, Sunday before the big parade and that is not simply a event disguised but one entire ritual where the teams present theatrically skeches, that  their members direct and are related with the subject that they will present in the parade. Because however a parade is not enough in order to party the thousands maskers, the last years in the alleys of the city it is organised the maddest nightly parade Friday two days before last Sunday of Carnival Then climaxes the events of Carnival with the big parade of chariots in the central avenue of city, where above 4000 maskers they present the uniforms and the chariots that have made with a lot of work, taste and imagination, in the locals and the visitors from Crete and remainder Greece. After the parade comes a program with live music in the 4th Witnesses squere. Then the teams go to the beach that the burn of King Carnival takes place and everyone renews their appointment for the next year.

Each summertime from 1959 takes place in the Rethymno the feast of Cretan wine, the Wine Festival of Rethymno, in the municipal park of the city which lasts for two weeks. The organisation was undertaken by the Travell Club of Rethymno. The program included Cretan music and dance, from known Cretan dancing groups Then follows musical program from known Greek artists In all the duration of feast the consumption of wine reaches in high levels something absolutely natural after the wine is offered free of charge. The visitor will find wines of all big producers of Crete and it is a occasion for anyone to taste and see the nuances of the famous Cretan wines.