The Kyrgyz enjoy many a celebration and plenty of festivals and other events can even be arranged at short notice. The Chabana, for example, (which is featured in the Lonely Planet Guide as an event well worth visiting) is a harvest festival which can be organized locally quite spontaneously. In this part of the world, it is sometimes difficult to know what is going on and where much in advance.

Here, however, is some information of festivals proposed for 2006:
Horse games - Horses along with hunting dogs have always played a huge role in the daily life of the Kyrgyz. Traditional horse games, which will be featured include:
Ulak Tartysh - which involves two teams of riders “battling” over a goat's carcass;
Kyz Kuumai - where a horseman should catch a horsewoman so that he can receive a kiss as his prize; and Kurosh - wrestling on horseback. In addition there are such games as Tyiyn Enmei - where the rider tries to pick up a coin from the ground at full gallop;
At Chabysh - straight forward races and many others. All of these games have arisen as a result of centuries-old traditions and they reflect the vital importance to the Kyrgyz of riding in past times.
Shepherds' Festival; Cuisine and Folklore; Kyrgyz Kochi Festival - including activities such as preparation and tasting of traditional dishes of different nationalities, accompanied by other activities - a competition between local folk groups; erecting a yurt in and exhibitions of national crafts.
Traditional Crafts - Ancient traditions and customs; the variety of flora and fauna; scenes taken from everyday life and historical events are all reflected in traditional national crafts. Kyrgyzstan is renowned for high-quality products made from felt. The peak of this art form is generally considered to be the bozoi (or yurt, the round felt dwellings used by nomads since millennia).
Saimaluu Tash Festival - Saimaluu Tash is the largest gallery of stone carvings (petroglyphs) which is found in Southern Kyrgyzstan on a plateau of the Fergana Mountain Range. The site comprises thousands of rocks with a dazzling array of drawings dating from the Iron and Early Bronze Ages depicting hunting scenes, images of animals and human signs and symbols.
Birds of Prey Festival - Devoted to golden eagles and falcons which are revered by the Kyrgyz.
Since Ancient times hunters have caught young chicks and taken them home to raise them and train them to hunt animals. In past times one bird of prey could support a small settlement. Hence a Golden Eagle or a falcon were highly esteemed and were frequently treated as members of the family.
Annual “Clean up at Son Kul” - In addition to playing a role in helping to preserve one of Kyrgyzstan's beauty spots ... you can watch or join in the many cultural activities and traditional games (Arkan, Tartmai, Joluk, Tastamai ), enjoy a folklore show and song contest, see a variety of national crafts and even go horse riding.
Mountain Festival - Organized in the Achik-Tash gorge (in the Chon-Alajsky rayon of the Osh oblast) by the Kyrgyz Republican Climbing Club and others. The program for Festival includes: Ascents of Peak Lenin; Individual races to and around Peak Lenin; Descents of the mountain on skis and snowboards; Descents by paragliding; Trekking and Horse trekking on the slopes of the Trans Alai range.
More details can be found on the Kyrgyz Alpine Club website at: www.kac.centralasia.kg including details of how to apply to participate - sorry but the Celestial Mountains Tour Company does not undertake mountaineering expeditions.

by Ian Claytor