Our village, Pyrgetos, is located in central Greece near the city of Larissa, region of Thessaly, Tempe Valley. The Cultural Association of Pyrgetos was established in 1979 by a group of people eager to promote the unique cultural heritage of our region having as the main objective to preserve and promote our tradition and local customs. 

The traditional dance group was created in 1985 and in February 1988, it was named after the great clarinist “Vaios Malliaras” who came from our village. The dance group currently consists of dancers of all ages and ever since its foundation, it has successfully participated in traditional dance festivals not only all over Greece but also abroad (Italy, Romania etc) in international festivals receiving excellent reviews for its presentation of our local tradition. Besides the organization and operation of the dance group, our Association organizes other cultural events as well such as the revival of local customs and the “Traditional Pie Festival” every summer. 

The Association also engages in informative and educational activities, for example organizing lectures and running the lending library. In April 2002, a DVD was created based on the life and work of the great composer and clarinist, Vaios Malliaras in collaboration with the Laboratory of Electroacoustics and Television Systems of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The DVD features local customs, traditional dances and songs, highlighting the cultural heritage of the wider region. 

In 2013, the book titled “Pyrgetos Larissa, Reminiscence of the Past” was released. It is a collective effort on the part of the members of the Association and the locals which aims to record a part of the local tradition and history of Pyrgetos. The book is accompanied by a CD with songs recorded in order to present the daily life of the locals.