Riga's neighbourhoods will come together in August for two exciting events - a festival in Nordeķi Park and a festival in Dreiliņkalns. On 24 August, head to the nearest neighbourhood park and enjoy a specially prepared programme of festivities - enjoy the fair, dance to the music, enjoy shows and performances and meet friends and neighbours you haven't seen in a long time.
Neighbourhood festivals in Nordeķi Park
The Neighbourhood festivals in Nordeķi Park on 24 August will feature a large harvest, art and knowledge fair. Nordeķi Park will be a gathering place to exchange home-grown and home-made produce, ideas and experiences, thus strengthening community ties and bringing joy to all who take part. During the day, there will be a residents' forum and guided tours, as well as educational performances. There will be performances by local community groups, children's ensembles and well-known musicians, creative art and movement workshops for children, young people and families, as well as a harvest and craft fair.
Discussions on the future development of the neighbourhood at the annual residents' forum "III Nordeķi Congress" will take place in the morning. In close cooperation with the neighbourhood association, the development of neighbourhood gardens and parks, the neighbourhood association's planned resident participation initiatives
and the local residents' life stories project as a community strengthening tool will be discussed. In the afternoon, there will be playful learning experience from one another through educational performances.
There will be clay-making, drawing and games, as well as ISSP photography workshops throughout the day. There will be fitness, orientation, roundnet and Riga Circus School classes, badminton, novuss and other sports games. The Museum of Literature and Music will offer guided tours on literary themes in the Iļģuciems neighbourhood. Craftsmen from the Iļģuciems Culture Centre will show their products. A harvest and crafts market will take place throughout the day.
Children's ensembles from the local area will perform on stage, thus celebrating the talents of the local community. In the afternoon, circus tricks will be performed by the Riga Circus School, and Ukrainian circus artist Artyom Kazimov will give an aerial gymnastics performance. The music programme will also include a children's cartoon music concert "Astoņi kustoņi" by Kristīne Pāže, concerts by the chamber choir "Muklājs" of the "Iļģuciems" Culture Centre and the bands "Kalnejas", "Čipsis un Dullais" and "Big Al & The Jokers".
Free entry. Participation in all activities is possible without prior registration.
Neighbourhood festivals in Dreiliņkalns Park
On 24 August, everyone is invited to experience an exciting day in Dreiliņkalns Park, participating in creative workshops and sports activities, co-creating a contemporary art object, visiting the "quarter" of neighbourhood associations and businesses and enjoying a variety of concerts and theatre performances throughout the day.
The creative workshops will be based on exploration, discovery and rediscovery, by getting to know the elements of the neighbourhoods of Pļavnieki, Purvciems, Dreiliņi, Mežciems and Dārzciems.
Workshops, co-creation workshops and sports activities will be available from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m., while the neighbourhood associations and businesses "quarter" will be open until 5 p.m.
The festival guests will be able to enjoy the open-air musical performance "A brief lesson in love", a programme of young musicians, sparkling opera arias with Sonora Vaice and friends, Julianna Tīruma and her backing band, a concert by the band "Standarts", musical improvisations with Rūdolfs Rubenis, a concert by the singer Boo, and Spanish romances with the band "Duende".
There will also be a music improvisation workshop, magic performances and other exciting surprises throughout the day.
You can learn more about Riga's summer and birthday events by visiting the website vasara.riga.lv, or by following updates on the Riga City Council's social media pages, “Rīga” and “Rīgā notiek”.