Weaver Day in Vēveri 2025

On August 2nd of this year, at the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum's rural exhibition in Vecpiebalga, Cēsis Municipality, “Vēveri”, the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum in collaboration with the Latvian National Cultural Center organizes the second All-Latvian Weaver Gathering “Weaver Day in Vēveri”. Every weaver in Latvia is invited to participate in the festival to jointly create a new tradition - a weavers' festival, and anyone interested in spending time in an authentic environment, exploring ancient craft skills and secrets.

The event program will feature lectures such as “Tablecloths in the Cultural History of Latvia” by Dr. Aija Jansone, head of the Ethnography Department at the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, “The Making of Traditional Latvian Belts and Belt-like Fabrics – A New Value in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List” by Edīte Kuzmane, chair of the Lielvārde Craftsmen Brotherhood, “Overview of Historical Estonian Fabrics” by Ave Matsina, director of the Folk Craft Program at the Viljandi Culture Academy of the University of Tartu, and a talk by Baiba Vaivare, head of TLMS “Dzilna”, titled “How to Inspire Weaving”.

A wide and varied range of workshops and creative studios will be offered - “Patterns in Nature” with Piebalga craftswoman Inese Īris Liepiņa, exploration of Piebalga culinary heritage recipes, rye bread baking, a discussion with members of the Work and Culture Center “Līdumnieki” on digital looms, demonstrations by Eva Līsa Krīsa from the Estonian studio IIDA, butter churning with Piebalga craftsmen. Piebalga men's braided belts, patterned fabrics, and woven shawls will be showcased by members of the foundation “Lielvārdes Jostu Audēji”. The craftsmanship of “Creative Weaving” will be demonstrated, and plant tapestry weaving will be taught by the Drabeši association “KasTe”, spinning skills with a spinning wheel and spindle will be shared by craftswoman Ligita Hļiboiko, and rag weaving will be demonstrated by the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum weaver Ilze Kešāne.

Everyone will be invited to participate in the game “Identifying Ethnographic Skirt Patterns”.

In the Virolvēveri barn, the Piebalga weavers' exhibition “The Story of a Linen Tablecloth” will be on display.

There will be special stories from weaving groups from Latvia's historical cultural regions, demonstrations of master works, singing with the mixed choir “Jaunpiebalga”, and a concert “Musical Weaving” with the Viļāni band “Bumburneicys”.

Children are invited to creative workshops “Little Tailors, Little Weavers” with museum educator Ieva Bērziņa.

All day there will be a Marketplace – items for weaving, folk applied art creations, food from Piebalga home producers.
Traditionally, farmers in Piebalga have mastered local crafts such as linen weaving and spinning wheel turning for a better livelihood, becoming renowned for their skills in near and far regions. Especially high weaving skills have been developed by Piebalga weavers, whose living environment can be seen in “Vēveri”, where a wide range of linen processing items, weaving tools from spool frames to looms, various fabrics, and unusual household items for modern people can be viewed.

Weaving is one of the oldest branches of folk applied arts worldwide. Rich information about centuries-old fabric-making traditions has been preserved in folk memory, mythology, folk songs, as well as 19th-century weavers' pattern books, ethnographic costumes, blankets, and fabrics. Interest in weaving has not waned even today. In Latvia, there is a strong community of weavers concentrated in more than 100 applied arts studios, groups of like-minded people, and gatherings ready to share their experience and inspire others to inherit weaving skills and continue the traditions.

The All-Latvian Weaver Gathering “Weaver Day in Vēveri” is organized in collaboration with the Latvian National Cultural Center, financially supported by the Ministry of Culture, the State Culture Capital Foundation, the State Culture Capital Foundation's target program “Latvian Historical Lands Development Program”, the Vidzeme Planning Region, and the Cēsis Municipality.