The desert shows off its charms during August’s Negev festival
A month-long celebration features starry nights and activity-packed days in Israel’s quiet, arid south
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
The doldrums of August are livened up by the annual Desert Nights Festival in the Negev, where the heat is dry and the breezes are steady.
One of the main attractions here is stargazing in the wide open skies of the desert, but there are some 300 other activities and attractions as well, each costing NIS 20 or less.
The festival is spread over a range of locations, from Beersheba and its surrounding villages in the north to the mountain region, along Route 90 from the Dead Sea down to the Arava, and in the Bedouin communities.
Most of the outdoor activities take place in the early morning or late afternoon and evening, when it’s not as hot. Indoor, air-conditioned events are scheduled during the middle of the day.
Activities include art workshops, nature hikes and urban walks, cheese and wine tastings at vineyards and farms, storytelling and building a musical instrument, eco-yoga, photography, sand sliding and fruit picking, and stargazing in different locations.
A full listing of activities is available on the Desert Nights website (Hebrew).
