The Only Milk Carton Boat Regatta in Europe Will Take Place in Jelgava This Saturday
Honouring milk, bread and honey products, which are so traditional in Latvian cuisine, the 17th General Latvian Milk, Bread and Honey Festival 2017 will take place in Jelgava this Saturday, 26 August, bringing together more than 180 traders and craftspeople.
Meanwhile, thrilling events will take place on the waters of the Lielupe, where families, groups of friends and teams from various companies will participate in the “15th Baltais Milk Carton Boat Regatta” in homemade watercraft built from one-litre milk cartons. From 17.00, visitors will be entertained at the Pasta Island open-air stage by the Mirage Jazz Orchestra and Ieva Kerēvica, Rīgas Modes, Galaktika and a foam party with DJ JAX. Admission to all events is free.
17th General Latvian Milk, Bread and Honey Festival 2017
From 09.00 to 16.00, gourmets are invited to visit the festival market in Duke Jacob’s Square and take part in various activities and tastings, sampling products made by masters from all over Latvia. There will be a rich selection—cheeses of various kinds (marinated, smoked, fresh and others), braided cheeses, loaves of bread with dozens of flavours and toppings, sklandrausis with various fillings, ring cakes, cakes, pies, bread-tree tea, a wide variety of ice creams, types of honey and beekeeping products, as well as ice-cream rolls prepared on site. There will also be a selection of craft products—baskets, wooden spoons, dishes, linen tablecloths and more.
Various activities for adults and children will take place, while the stage in Duke Jacob’s Square will feature the Turquoise Choir Ensemble under the direction of Žoržs Siksna and Ingus Leilands, Summer Band and Dārta Damlica, and the popular music group Reprīze under the direction of Juris Kaufelds.
Everyone is invited to take part in competitions organised by the Latvian Beekeepers’ Association and the Latvian Bakers’ Association. Through tastings and voting for their favourites, the winners of “Latvia’s Most Recognised Honey 2017” and “Latvian Rye Bread in Zemgale” will be determined. The winners of the Zemgale regional competition “National Patterns in a Cheese, Curd Cheese and Bread Delicacy”, organised by the Siera klubs association, will also be announced at the event.
For the first time, the “Milk, Bread and Honey Festival” will host a family competition, “Our Family’s Delicious Rye Sandwich”, in which everyone interested is invited to participate. A sandwich workshop will also operate throughout the day, where visitors can prepare their own most delicious sandwich.
15th Baltais Milk Carton Boat Regatta
The central event of the festival and one of its most entertaining activities will be the “15th Baltais Milk Carton Boat Regatta”, which will bring the bravest sailors together on the waters of the Lielupe. The milk carton boat regatta is not merely a speed competition; it is a challenge for every team, as participants must first build their own boat. The competition is made even more entertaining by the fact that the boats may be powered only by human effort. The main construction material will be provided by AS “Tukuma Piens”, which this year will supply 43,000 Baltais milk cartons.
The laurels will go not only to the fastest boat—the jury will also assess the most creative ideas and technical solutions. Judging will take place in six categories: “most original boat”, “most entertaining team”, “most innovative boat”, “fattest milk raft”, “complete nonsense” and “fastest boat”.
The boats and team presentations can be viewed from 14.30 at the Lielupe promenade, while the boat races will start at 16.00. Immediately after the final race, there will be SUP, or stand-up paddleboarding, competitions, in which everyone interested is invited to participate by registering in advance by telephone at +371 25757555. Participation is free.
From 17.00 until 01.00, residents and visitors to Jelgava are invited to go to Pasta Island, where various concerts will take place. The Mirage Jazz Orchestra with Ieva Kerēvica will perform in the concert “Let My Fatherland Resound”; afterwards, the Latvian Music Recording Award winners in the “Best Pop Album” category, the group Rīgas Modes, will take the stage. The evening programme will conclude with the group Galaktika and a foam party with DJ JAX. Meanwhile, the winners of the “15th Baltais Milk Carton Boat Regatta” and the SUP competition will be presented with awards on the stage at the Pasta Island open-air venue at 20.00.
“BE” Wellbeing Festival
On 26 August, for the first time, the “BE” Wellbeing Festival will take place in the square behind the Jelgava Culture House from 10.00 to 16.00. Everyone is invited to participate free of charge in more than 30 different educational classes and activities, nutrition masterclasses, discussions and lectures on healthy lifestyle topics.
Admission to all events and participation in the activities of the “BE” Wellbeing Festival are free of charge.
The festival is organised by the City of Jelgava in cooperation with AS “Tukuma Piens”, the Latvian Beekeepers’ Association, the Latvian Bakers’ Association and the Siera klubs association.
Find out more: www.jelgava.lv, www.festivali.jelgava.lv
