On Wednesday, 22 June, the Riga Central Market welcomes everyone to join in the Midsummer Celebrations – Līgo and Jāņi – at Nēģu Square from 11 AM to 2 PM. Those who visit the Central Market on this day will have the opportunity to enjoy the festive concert, feel the magic of the summer solstice and rediscover the ancient traditions of holiday cheese making, folk song singing and ethnographic style dancing.

Anatolijs Abramovs on behalf of Rīgas Centrāltirgus AS: “Summer solstice is the time to draw the forces of nature, so the Midsummer event held by the Riga Central Market this year will focus on the activities to strengthen the body and the spirit. The Riga Central Market, which offers an array of delicious bounties of nature and Midsummer herbs during the solstice every year, is the right place for city dwellers to draw strength and tune in to the right mood of the most beautiful summer festival.”

Daira Jātniece will host one of the solstice activities and demonstrate the entire process of the traditional holiday cheese making, starting from heating the milk in the large pot on the fire and ending with the tasting of the delicious outcome.

The folk dance group Dzērve will be dancing the ethnographic style in the middle of Nēģu Square, while the Latvian traditional music group Tautumeitas and the vocal group Spuldzītes aizvējā will revive the most beautiful solstice songs in the memory of the audience. The event will be hosted by Marija Bērziņa, actress of the National Theatre.

Those who attend the event will have the opportunity to watch the demonstrations and draw inspiration and knowledge for making beverages from fully ripe summer goodies for both the festive table and after the holidays.

Everyone, big and small, will have the chance to explore the Latvian power signs and their meaning and decorate their body with those signs or participate in the pottery-making workshop. To celebrate the summer solstice, everyone will be able to make charming head-wreaths using the traditional Midsummer herbs.

The Midsummer fair will be held at the Riga Central Market all day long on 22 and 23 June. Everyone will surely find something that they will want to buy from the Midsummer herb gatherers, craftsmen and producers of home-made festive culinary specialities.

You are kindly invited to welcome Līgo and Jāņi at Nēģu Square of the Riga Central Market on Wednesday, 22 June, and buy everything you may need for a fabulous Midsummer celebration at the Midsummer fair.

See you in the most colourful place of the city – the Riga Central Market!