Information for the 2009 Rose Moussem: in this blog post
The date of the roses moussem is official: the first weekend in May, from Friday 4 May to Sunday 6 May. At least, that’s what the Ouarzazate Tourist Office has told us. Let’s hope this is more accurate than the information given last summer by their colleague in Errachidia about Erfoud!
In practical terms, this means that it is yet another “institutionalised” moussem. Originally, it was a moussem linked to the harvest, which took place when the last roses were cut. People relaxed, celebrated and traded. Fixing this date so far in advance means that the moussem will take place regardless of the state of the harvest (do you know any farmers who can tell three months in advance exactly what day they will have finished bringing in the crop).
In a way, it makes sense: for such a tourist event, which attracts so many people, it’s difficult to leave agencies and customers in a state of uncertainty: “you want to come for a week, book your plane, but we can’t tell you if you’ll see what you want to see”.
The moussem has already become much more institutionalized in recent years, with the participation of sponsors such as Maroc Télécom, who cover the stage where the folk groups perform with advertising placards, and the presence of decorated officials in a row in the grandstand. A prefect’s calendar is like a tourist’s: it can’t be managed according to the whims of roses…
But, after Erfoud, after Imilchil, it’s yet another piece of true tradition that is gradually giving way to the demands of tourism development…
Be that as it may, it’s a wonderful experience. The highlight is undoubtedly Saturday, with the parades, Gnaouas, ahaouach, and the performances in a large arena covered with people, music, sabre dancing…
The streets of Kelaat are packed with people, children climb the lampposts, and the locals all come to take part and sell something. This is because the moussem is also a huge souk, where everyone goes to display a few trinkets on a scarf in the street, and I’ve often found beautiful berber jewellery… and plenty of fakes too.
I advise you to plan ahead. The rose gardens are best visited during the week, before everyone is preoccupied with the moussem. You need to get lost in the mazes, push open the doors of the gardens a little, take your time to chat with the people, and enjoy the hospitality that is always redoubled at festival time.
We suggest two tours to make the most of the moussem:
- a long 11-day tour, departing from Marrakesh, to enable you to discover all the facets of the Berber culture of southern Morocco, including the more remote, more secret places.
- a 4-day tour for the moussem weekend, which you can easily integrate into the rest of your stay in Morocco (departing from Ouarzazate).
In both cases, to preserve the quality of the trip and the discovery of our secret corners, the size of the groups is deliberately limited to a dozen people.
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