Valmiera City Festival

We’ll be going on a birthday march

On Friday, July 26th, at 7PM, starting from the Vienības square to the St.Sīmanis church there’ll be a march “Valmiera lepojas!” („Valmiera is proud!”). Everyone – including members of unions and institutions, as well as friends of Valmiera – are welcome to participate. The first rows of the march will provide the most joy – parents with their children, who were born this or last year.

 

Festive concerts for everyone’s taste

At the birthday opening concert, on July 26th, at 8:30PM, at the main festivity square there’ll be concerts by Ance Krauze, Ieva Kerēvica, Daumants Kalniņš, Mārtiņš Ruskis, the bands “The Sound Poets” and “MC Orķestris”. After the concert we’ll warm up our legs for the upcoming days of celebration – a ball with “MC Orķestris”.

 

Meanwhile at the same time, from 9PM until 2AM, at the crossing of Lucas and Palejas streets, the mood will be conjured up by the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences improvisation theater „ViA Gars”, the calm summer evening will be shaked by Inokentijs Mārpls, as well as the bands “Plenērs”, “Jūdas Graši” and “Tavas Māsas Nāsis”. For the purpose of relaxing from the rush of everyday life guests will be able to use hammocks.

 

In order to not miss out on the Saturday events, there’ll be a special alarmbell on the morning of July 27th. The first ring will be at 8AM, and it will ring until 9:30AM, without the option to snooze it for later time. Additionally, it will be mobile and will be heard in various places around Valmiera. The alarm will be provided by the brass band and the artists of Valmiera Music school.

 

On Saturday from 11AM until 2PM the youngest festivity participants are welcome at the Valmiera Culture centre. There’ll be performances from the popbands “Notiņas” and “Lizantes”, as well as shows, that will bring joy not only to kids, but will aslo inspire parents – concert performance “Vali, mierā!”, a performance by the children’s vocal band “Smaidiņi” titled “Pasaka nesaka, pasaka pasaka”, and also a staging of “Vinnijs Pūks ar saviem draugiem” („Winnie the Pooh and his friends”).

 

On Saturday at various times a concert hall on wheels will be making its rounds through the streets of Valmiera – musical buses. Entrance is free, passengers will become concert spectators and enjoy the live music on the bus. For the past two years at a random stop the bus driver also receives his share of dancing. Will it happen again this year? One must ride the bus, listen and see!

 

For a true open-air party mood between fragrant bushes and sun rays stuck in the tree branches we invite to enjoy in Vecpuišu park. Starting from 2PM until 7PM there’ll be a musical marathon from the brass band and bigband, as well as the band “Rumbas kvartets” will be visiting Valmiera. There will be more than enough room for a waltz.

 

The most powerful part of Saturday evening will be at the main square of the festivities. Starting from 8PM until 5AM the bands „Pērkons” and „Līvi” will invite to party and sing along, rhytmic hair shaking will be provided by “DaGamba”, meanwhile a real dancefest at the ball will be helmed by “Ballīšu orķestris”.

 

On Sunday, July 28th, Ilona Birģele, Juris Vizbulis and Inita Malnača will provide a real pleasure for the mind and spirit in the concert “Bahs un romantika”, at 1PM, in the St.Sīmanis church.

 

Dance and party around

Valmiera’s birthday wouldn’t be a birthday without the presence of sports activities. On Saturday, July 27th, in the square between the Valmiera Culture centre and the shopping mall “Valleta” starting from 10AM until 4PM everyone is welcome to try out the rock wall climbing. Get to know the city better through orienteering sprint. You can visit a different reality even without leaving the square – we invite to try out the virtual reality sports games by becoming a part of the „Angry Birds” and visiting the Alps. As for the SIA “VALPRO” activity Valprolling will demonstrate, what kind of interesting games can be played by using fuel cans and fire extinguishers.

 

On Saturday starting from 12PM until 3PM in the square by the Valmiera Culture centre strongmen and women are welcome. Valmiera was crowned the strongest city in Latvia two years ago. Will we manage to reclaim our title? Come and help us do it! By pressing the weight bar, you’ll help increase the city’s overall result, as well as earn points for yourself.

 

The usually restrained Dzirnavu lake will be dressed, decorated with green-white and red-white gates hanged above the water. On Saturday, at 12PM, the start for the fourth paralel rowing slalom “Valmiera viļņo!” will be given, gathering around 100 participants not only from Latvia, but but also Lithuania, Estonia and Russia.

 

On Sunday the pace will be kept high thanks to rogaining in the area of Valmiera, starting at 2PM in the Valmieras castle territory. During the three hour long competition teams must visit as many checkpoints as possible, using the map prepared by the organizers.

 

Festivities for the youngest birthday guests

Traditionally the guests of honor on the birthday of Valmiera have been the youngest visitors. Their genuine pleasure is the real birthday spirit. On July 27th starting from 10AM until 4PM in the Valmiera Culture centre square there’ll be various activities and creative workshops for families and kids. Guests will be able to test their agility, attention and ingenuity under the guidance of the kindergarten “Buratino”, Valmiera Design and Art school, youth centre “Vinda” and the Valmiera Children’s sports school. Nearby will also be a swimming pool with all the swimming equipement, toy ponies, children will be able to ride the toy train and catch the wind in the carousel. We encourage to dress up in the spirit of celebration, letting yourself to take part in face painting or henna tattooing.

 

Meanwhile in the territory of the Museum of Valmiera, Saturday from 10AM until 4PM guests will have the chance to time travel and find out more about the life in an ancient city. Jewelery workshops, ancient writings, belt weawing, heraldry and coin forging workshops, medieval games – balancing on the log, walking with stilts, archery, trying out medieval costumes, exploration of the weight of armor, weapons un and shields, interesting stories, knight battle and sword fight demonstrations. It will be exciting not only for the kids, but also the parents and everyone else!

 

Back to present day – on Saturday, July 27th, at 10AM at the square by the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences on Tērbatas street 10 will be a showcase of new cars: from automakers Volkswagen, Škoda, KIA, Subaru, DACIA, Opel, Volvo, Mercedes and Nissan, as well as the opportunity to take test drives.

 

Not far away, at the Valmiera firefighters depot on Tērbatas street 9, visitors will be introduced to the everyday life of firefighters, the depot, firefighter vehicles and tools and also will be able to try out the firefighter protective gear.

 

The church rooster is a local

Every guest will have the chance to come a little closer to the rooster, because during the Valmiera city festivites, on July 26th, at 5PM, will be the opening of the restored tower of the Valmiera St. Sīmanis church.

 

By climbing up the tower, it becomes clear, that during the summer Valmiera “disappears” in the verdancy. To enjoy the mood of a summer evening and the beauty of everything green, we invite on Saturday, from 7PM until 2AM, at the Vecpuišu park to listen to more than 30 works of various forms by the actors of Valmiera. Authors of these works are Pāvils Rozītis, Juris Helds, Jānis Poruks, Ojārs Vācietis, Linards Laicens, Rieteklis, Estonian poet Contra, Daina Sirmā, Elza Stērste, Tamāra Skrīna and many others.

 

The artist Edīte Pauls-Vīgnere will make sure there is a special and unforgettable festive jewelery. The exhibition “Vainagi” at the Museum of Valmiera will be opened on July 26th at 4PM. The good defeating the evil, the dark berries of an era, immortality, the liveliness of the town, a spider web in a solstice meadow, the smoldering of a firefly, eternity in an amber, the beauty of a woman – such different stories has the artist expressed, by creating wreaths and head-dresses.

 

Joy for the stomach and heart

It has already become a tradition, that on Saturday the Valmiera city festivities begin with the craftsman fair, which will take place on Rīgas street, in the territory from Katrīnas until Lāčplēša street, at the starting point of Lāčplēša and Tērbatas streets, and will offer seedlings, wood and clay products, jewelery, snacks, textiles and various useful household items.

For the first time the merchants will be joined by children and teenagers with their own creations. What can the new generation of Valmiera and nearby areas create – guests will be able to see and purchace it, thus continuing the fair road through Raiņa street. In honor of Rainis and his special skill to create new words, which brilliantly correlates with the creativity of the young merchants, will bring the new word “Jēgums” created by Rainis to the title of the kids and teenagers creation fair. The young merchants and guests are welcome to participate in the fair in the coming years as well.

 

The “Valmieras garšu festivāls” (“Valmiera taste festival”) will take place on Friday, July 26th, starting from 7PM and on Saturday, July 27th, starting from 9AM, in the town hall square. Restaurants “Valmiermuižas teātra kafejnīca”, “Vecpuisis”, “Rocket Bean Roastery”, “Entresol”, “H.E.Vanadziņš”, “Čarlstons”, “Restorāns Ferma” will offer special tastes of Valmiera festivities, meanwhile the visitors will be able to taste tasty dishes and drinks, while the meals are prepared on the spot, in front of your eyes. The guests of the birthday of Valmiera will be witnesses to the cook’s fantasy flight and taste experiments, while at the same time locals and guests will have to answer the question – what is the true taste of Valmiera?

 

On Saturday, July 26th, around midnight, gorgeous fireworks will brighten the sky.

 

And above everything – we live green in Valmiera, which is why we also have some “green” celebratory advices.

 

The full programme of the Valmiera city festivities is available at www.valmiera.lv.

 

Valmiera city festival is sponsored by: SIA “PATA TIMBER”, AS “SEB banka”, AS “Citadele banka”, “Latio”, SIA “VALPRO”, GRASBERGS Z/S “Zilūži”, wakepark “Rancho parks”, VSIA “Valmieras drāmas teātris”, Valmiera swimming pool, “Gaujas Stāvo krastu Sajūtu parks”, “Ādažu čipsi”, “DRAKO”, “vietējais “top!””, AS “Latvijas valsts meži”, concert hall “Valmiera”, restaurant “Rātes Vārti”, caffe “Jauna Saule”, SIA “Valmiermuižas alus”. Informed by “Valmieras Ziņas”..

 

During the event photography taking and video recording is probable. The photos and video materials can be used by the Valmiera city municipality for publicity purposes.