ABOUT EVENT
The Great Day "Midsummer's Eve. Blossoming"
On 21 June, on Summer Solstice, the Culture and Folk Art Centre "Mazā ģilde" and the folk dance ensemble "Līgo" in collaboration with the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the TDA "Līgo" and the 50th anniversary of the VPDK "Līgo" with cheese-tying, folklore group performances and concerts throughout the day. At the end of the Great Day, the world premiere of the stage folk dance mystery "Mēs deviņi bāleliņi" by choreographer Jānis Purviņš will be performed by all the dancers of "Līgo".
The Great Day "Midsummer's Eve. Blossoming" (Diždiena "Līgo. Ziedēšana") is the end of a series of concerts that took place in the spring in four regions of Latvia - each concert symbolically depicted the journey of the mythical flower "Līgo" - from its creation, sowing, growth and blooming, culminating or blossoming on Summer Solstice.
The celebration of Summer Solstice in the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia will begin with the celebration of the Great Day - from 11.00, attendees will be welcomed by folklore groups "Vilcenes", "Skandinieki", "Savieši", "Budēļi", "Zemgaļi", "Ceidari", "Ēdol's Ķists", "Suitu vīri" and string instrument ensembles. There will be wreath-weaving workshops led by Līga Reitere, a keeper of ancestral wisdom and traditions and a herbalist, cheese-tying workshops led by Ilze Briede, the hostess of "Priedes krogs", workshops on making sauna whisks, herbal carpets and shower scrubs, and you will be able to enjoy Solstice delicacies.
At 14:00, the opening concert of the Great Day will take place - all the ensembles of "Līgo" - folk dance ensemble "Līgo", middle generation dance ensemble "Līgo", middle generation dance ensemble "Sen Līgo", senior dance ensemble "Līgo Absolventi" and the children and youth studio of folk dance ensemble "Līgo" will take part.
From 16.00, attendees of the Great Day will be invited to the ensemble's concerts in the Farmsteads of Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Zemgale regions and in the Latgale Hamlet.
At 20:00, dance ensembles and spectators will gather for a lively Midsummer sing-along with the band "TKP" ("Tā kā pērn"), whose artistic director is Ēriks Zeps.
At 22.00, the Great Day will close with the premiere of the stage folk dance mystery "Mēs deviņi bāleliņi" by choreographer Jānis Purviņš, inspired by the 2021 recording of "Mēs deviņi bāleliņi", the longest song in Latvian folklore, by the Latvian post-folk and folk-rock band "Iļģi". This folk song is unique in Latvian folklore - it has many lyrics and musical variants, its origins go back to the oldest layers of wedding songs, but most importantly - it is the longest song in Latvian folklore - 65 verses long.
Entrance tickets to "Midsummer's Eve. Blossoming" ("Līgo. Ziedēšana") are available at "Biļešu paradīze", the first entrance ticket price for adults - 20 euros, for pupils, students, pensioners, people with disabilities upon presentation of appropriate certificates - 10 euros. Ticket prices will become more expensive as the event approaches. Attendees are welcome to bring blankets and throws for sitting and solstice treats, and bicycles can be parked at the event venue. Entrance with umbrellas will not be allowed, please bring raincoats if necessary.
The event is organised by the Riga State City Municipality institution "Culture and Folk Art Centre "Mazā Ģilde"" and the association "Jaundeju pieradinātāji" with the support of the Riga State City Municipality, the State Culture Capital Foundation and the association "AKKA/LAA".
