The Machtesh (Crater) Festival is a Mitzpe Ramon tradition, annually celebrating the unique attachment of the town’s residents to the crater and its surroundings.
The festival was organized by Ms. Efrat Kedem-Silbert, member of Keshet’s board, from 2013 to 2017. Keshet hopes to renew this heartening tradition.
In 2005, Keshet initiated an event called “the Land of the Craters Festival.” The festival aimed to enhance and strengthen the connection between the inhabitants of Mitzpe Ramon and the unique and the exceptional environment we all live in: the land of the craters.
The festival was held in cooperation with various other educational, environmental and civic organizations. It also attracted a large number of tourists.
The Machtesh Festival quickly evolved into an annual tradition. During these events, there was a profusion of activities, spread over two days. Among others, lectures were held about the community and the environment, free tours of the Crater were offered, and an exhibition of nature photographs was held.
The Cultural Center and the Spice Route Quarter featured free performances by local artists, held a street fair, and offered many classes of artistic activities for children.
Leading up to the festival, school and kindergarten children, guided by educators from the participating environmental organizations, took on an environmental project. This project was consequently presented at the Cultural Center.
The events were organized with the sponsorship and support of the Mitzpe Ramon Local Council, the Dead Sea Drainage Authority, the Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, McCann Valley Inc., and local educational institutions.
