The scent of fresh Druze pastries drifted through the village of Moreshet as visitors gathered around long wooden tables, watching bakers knead dough by hand. In nearby Fassuta, sparks flew from a blacksmith’s workshop while, just a few kilometers away, jazz music drifted between vineyard rows overlooking the green hills of the Western Galilee.
For one long-awaited spring weekend, the Western Galilee felt alive again.
Thousands of Israelis traveled north for the 13th annual Western Galilee Spring Festival, held May 14-16, in what organizers described as one of its most meaningful editions to date. After months of war, evacuations, economic paralysis and ongoing uncertainty in northern Israel, the event became more than a celebration of food, art and tourism.
It was also a reminder that, with support and perseverance, communities can remain resilient and begin to recover.
Much-needed support for northern businesses
Organized by the Western Galilee Now (WGN) Small Business Consortium in partnership with Jewish National Fund-USA, the festival featured dozens of events across the region, from wineries and dairies to artisan studios, nature tours and cultural performances.
For many small-business owners, the return of visitors meant more than a revival of tourism.
“This wasn’t just another festival,” one participating vendor said. “People came because they wanted to support the Galilee.”
Among them was Dor Pinto, owner of Laga’at Basade, an organic farm in the Nahal Kziv Reserve, where seasonal produce is grown and sold. The festival encouraged collaboration among local businesses, allowing visitors to experience a broader cross-section of the region. This year, Pinto partnered with local tour guide Karmit Arbel Rumbak, also a member of the consortium.
Visitors spent the day in the Galilee community of Abirim, beginning at Hefer Farm Café, where they sampled locally produced coffee and cheeses before setting out on a guided walk through oak forests, hidden trails and fields of medicinal plants.
The experience continued at Pinto’s farm, where guests picked fresh vegetables directly from the fields, learned to prepare traditional fatayer pastries and heard his story of building a community-centered agricultural venture in the Western Galilee.
The experience, he said, embodied what the festival was designed to restore: a direct connection between the land, its people and their stories.
Not without challenges
The region’s pastoral beauty made it easy to forget, if only briefly, the challenges the area has faced in recent years and the security threats that remain unresolved.
“But WGN has always helped, even when times are hard,” Pinto said. “Up until the last minute, I wasn’t sure if the festival would take place or if people would come, but they did. WGN made sure it happened. They handled the advertising, the marketing and the collaborations. They encouraged us to keep going.”
Several months ago, a Hezbollah missile struck near the entrance to Pinto’s farm, narrowly missing a worker standing about 20 meters away.
“He managed to reach the bomb shelter—incidentally donated by Jewish National Fund-USA—and his life was saved,” Pinto said.
A strategy for recovery
At the center of the festival’s revival, WGN coordinated marketing, partnerships and logistics across dozens of sites throughout the region.
“The festival is just one example of a broader strategy we have been leading for the past 15 years to promote and sustain small businesses and tourism in the Galilee,” said Michal Shiloah Galnoor, CEO of WGN. “Even during normal times, we work constantly to brand this unique region—a breathtaking area stretching between mountain and sea, rich in multiculturalism, history, farm-to-table culinary experiences and authentic local encounters.”
Galnoor described the Western Galilee as a mosaic of wineries, dairies, cafés, markets, ancient olive groves, winding alleyways and diverse communities, anchored by the historic coastal city of Acre.
“Throughout the year, we initiate festivals and unique events designed to expose new audiences to the Galilee, encouraging people to come, taste, experience and discover the region up close,” she said.
“Especially now, when reality remains fragile and the Galilee has not yet fully returned to routine, we—Jewish National Fund-USA and Western Galilee Now—are doing everything we can to keep the wheels of the regional economy moving, support local businesses and strengthen communities through tourism, culture and regional cooperation.”
The partnership with Jewish National Fund-USA has become increasingly important since the outbreak of war, supporting initiatives aimed at economic recovery, tourism revitalization and community resilience throughout northern Israel.
A region looking ahead
Elsewhere across the festival, similar stories of renewal unfolded. For tour guide Karmit Arbel Rumbak, the response exceeded expectations.
“I was so touched that so many people came,” she said. “Not only did they sign up, but we had waiting lists. Even when the situation is uncertain, thanks to the marketing done by WGN, we were able to have full groups.”
Rumbak described a weekend blessed with ideal spring weather: fields in full bloom, hillsides covered in wildflowers and clouds of butterflies moving through the air.
“It was just perfect,” she said. “People were on a high.”
At Kibbutz Ga’aton, the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company opened its doors to festival audiences, while in the Bedouin village of Kamanneh, visitors were welcomed into traditional hospitality experiences overlooking the hills.
Nature remained central to the festival experience, with guided hikes through blossom-covered trails and sightings of the rare Madonna Lily drawing visitors deeper into the landscape.
For many Galilee business owners, who rely heavily on domestic tourism, events such as the spring festival can mean the difference between survival and closure.
While security concerns continue to shape life in northern Israel, organizers said attendance exceeded expectations, with numerous events selling out.
As visitors headed home carrying bottles of wine, handmade ceramics, cheeses and pastries, a sense of optimism lingered.
This was not simply a return to tourism. It was a statement that despite everything, the Galilee remains vibrant—still creating, still welcoming and still moving forward.
