Four Annual Sukkot Cultural Events in Tel Aviv

August 19th 2013

Sukkot is peak season for cultural activities across Israel, and the buzzing White City is known for rolling out the best during the week of Chol Hamoed (the Intermediate Days). If your trip to Israel brings you to the Tel Aviv area during the Intermediate Days of Sukkot, there’s plenty for you to do around town. Read on for our picks of the best annual Sukkot events for visitors to enjoy in Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv Crosstown Bike Ride – For one day during Sukkot, the Municipality of Tel Aviv closes off many of the city’s main streets to car traffic, and bicycles take over the roads. The route begins in Hayakon Park and ends in Rabin Square, taking riders through the riverside nature reserve and to the landmark plaza. Where the route ends, there’s a biking expo. The Tel Aviv Crosstown Bike Ride is family-friendly and includes live performances, booths, DJs and a spinning marathon so even stationary riders can have fun.

Boydem Art Festival – Boydem (the Yiddish word for attic, used in Israeli slang to refer to storage crawl spaces), is an artistic project intended to give creatives in dance, film, photography and the visual arts a chance to display their works in their earliest stages. An intriguing manifestation of works-in-progress, it’s meant to be a dialogue on the artistic process itself. The Boydem Arts Festival takes place over several consecutive evenings during the Sukkot holiday. Entrance is free and open to the public.

ICON Festival – If you are a fan of science fiction and fantasy, you’ll want to geek out at the ICON Festival. With 200 events, including lectures, panel discussions, contests, professional workshops, comedy and musical performances, the ICON Festival is a giant celebration of science fiction and fantasy. Don’t miss the enormous array of collectable merchandise, including books, props, action figures and DVDs, that are on sale at the expo.

The International Photography Festival – At the picturesque port of Jaffa, one of the globe’s oldest seaports, 200 photojournalists, documentary photographers and professional artists from Israel and around the world showcase their photographs. The works are divided into categories such as News, Community, Religion and Faith, Daily Life, Portraits, Art and Culture, Urbanism, Sports and Nature & Environment. Video and multimedia art is also on display. Parts of the Festival are free, but tickets are required to see everything.