Halabja Pomegranate and Autumn Festival to Begin October 28 with 552 Participants
On Sunday, Sitar Mahmoud, spokesperson for the festival, told Kurdistan24 that preparations were in their final stages, with participants set to display their products at designated booths.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Preparations are nearing completion for the 12th Halabja Pomegranate and Autumn Festival, which is scheduled to begin on October 28 and run for four days, with 552 participants expected to showcase their products.
On Sunday, Sitar Mahmoud, spokesperson for the festival, told Kurdistan24 that preparations were in their final stages, with participants set to display their products at designated booths.
Mahmoud said organizers were closely monitoring weather forecasts in coordination with the meteorological directorate. The schedule would be adjusted if rain were forecast to ensure the safety of visitors and participants, he added.
The Halabja Traffic Directorate is also implementing a comprehensive traffic management plan to prevent congestion and facilitate the movement of visitors throughout the event.
In addition, organizers have coordinated with a transportation company to provide shuttle buses from the city's entrances and designated parking areas to the festival venue. The service is intended to reduce traffic congestion and minimize disruptions in the city center.
Meanwhile, committees affiliated with the Halabja District Administration have announced strict health and hygiene requirements for festival participants, particularly those preparing and selling food.
The requirements include maintaining public hygiene, wearing gloves and hats, using large waste containers to protect the park environment, and obtaining valid health cards.
Food handlers must undergo preliminary medical screening, including tests for GSE, hepatitis B (HBsAg), hepatitis C (anti-HCV), HIV (anti-HIV), and syphilis (VDRL). Participants must also provide official receipts confirming that meat was purchased from a trusted source.
The administration warned that participants who violate the requirements could have their booths confiscated, be disqualified from the festival, and face legal penalties in accordance with decisions by the festival's higher committee.
The Halabja Pomegranate and Autumn Festival is an annual agricultural and cultural event that provides farmers and local producers with an opportunity to market their seasonal products, particularly pomegranates, for which the area is renowned.
Halabja is located approximately 83 kilometers southeast of Sulaimani. The Kurdistan Regional Government declared Halabja the Kurdistan Region's fourth province on March 13, 2014. On April 14, 2025, the Iraqi parliament approved legislation granting Halabja province status, formally recognizing it as Iraq's 19th province.