YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. "Winter Festival. Armenia 2009" will be held in Yerevan from December 17 to January 5 on the initiative of Kanachastan NGO and with the assistance of the RA Ministry of Economy. Director of Deem Communications company Raffi Niziblian said at the December 9 press conference that the purpose of the festival is to have a good time during the winter, especially on pre-holiday and holiday days, and to make Yerevan more colorful. "We are organizing this festival for a second time, and this time the program will include more events and participants. 2 thousand people participated in the parade last year, and this time we expect over 3 thousand participants," R. Niziblian said. According to Head of the Tourism and Territorial Economic Development Department of the RA Ministry of Economy Mekhak Apresian, the festival is expanding year by year and has a chance to become a festival of international importance as it will attract tourists from other countries. The opening ceremony of "Winter Festival. Armenia 2009" will take place at Arno Babajanian Concert Hall. An exhibition of Christmas trees will be held in Lovers' Park on December 18, and a winter parade with the participation of numerous dance and theatrical groups from Yerevan and regions is scheduled for December 19. The festival program also envisages a display and tasting of holiday dishes, as well as winter games and an open-air concert. The festival will finish on January 5 in the yard of Surb Katoghike Church with a performance symbolizing Christ's birth.

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