The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Fair returns to Spata over the weekend of Sunday 13 and Monday 14 September 2026, with the stalls being set up this year exclusively on Georgiou Katsouli Street, next to the Spata Municipal Stadium ‘Dimitris Dimitriou’.
The market stretches along the street from its junction with Diadochos Konstantinou Street to the end of the street. Opening hours are from 8 am until midnight on both days.
The setting up of the stalls begins on Saturday 12 September at 6 pm, whilst the dismantling of the stalls and the removal of goods must be completed by midday on Tuesday 15 September.
Notice to local residents: Throughout the set-up, operation and dismantling phases, parking on the street is prohibited, as is access to private parking spaces on the street. In practice, anyone who parks on their own property on G. Katsouli Street will not be able to move their car from Saturday afternoon until Tuesday.
The stalls for street vendors were allocated by lottery, in accordance with the fair’s operating regulations: 75 per cent to annual vendors at short-term markets, 10 per cent to licensed producers, 10 per cent to itinerant traders and 5 per cent to licensed craftspeople. Applications were submitted online via the Open Market platform.
Alongside the commercial events, the Church of Agia Kyriaki in Spata is holding a two-day celebration. On Sunday 13 September at 6 pm, Great Vespers will be chanted, whilst on Monday 14 September from 7 am, Matins, Divine Liturgy and the ceremony of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross will take place.
14 September is a day of strict fasting for the Orthodox Church, and during the service basil is distributed to the faithful, in accordance with the custom associated with the discovery of the Holy Cross.
The festival continues to attract visitors from outside Mesogeia as well. Organised coach trips from other areas, costing around 15 euros per person, arrive in Spata on Sunday afternoon, and many of them continue on to Artemida, for a stroll along the beach, a coffee or a meal before heading back.
It should be noted that responsibility for the running of municipal and open-air markets and trade fairs lay with Deputy Mayor Filippos Argyros, who resigned on 9 September. By Decision No. 669, the mayor, Dimitrios Markou, temporarily assumed these responsibilities, three days before the start of the trade fair.
Source: Municipality of Spata-Artemida, Church of Agia Kyriaki in Spata, Diafania (ADA: ΨΗ84Ω1Χ-ΚΝ1)
