Vilnius will be crawling with Beetles

By Karina Juodelyte-Moliboga

VILNIUS - It’s summer, and like every summer you can pretty much expect insects of all sorts to be buzzing or crawling all over the place, beetles included. But the kind of beetles you’ll see in Vilnius on June 9 are somewhat different than the ones you typically brush off your picnic plate: they’re the colorful Volkswagen Beetles that will be crawling – or rather driving – through the streets of Vilnius as part of the “VW Beetles Summer with Cili-2007” festival.

The festival, now in its 12th year, will involve somewhere between 50 and 80 cars, both from Lithuania and from neighboring countries like Poland and Estonia. And just to clear up some potential confusion, the “Cili” part of the festival’s name refers to the main sponsor, Cili Pizza, and not to any southwestern US food traditions.
The event is organized by the the Lithuanian VW Beetles club, known for thinking up original activities and for its friendly, active approach. That’s no surprise, since the VW Beetle, which first rolled off Germany’s production lines in 1938, is a car that’s long been associated with sunshine and good moods. Don’t forget its stylistic connection to the goofy, flower-power 1960s, not to mention the endless “Herbie” films that Disney has cranked out through the decades.

As always, the festival will involve various competitions and tasks, so don’t be alarmed if you see a bunch of Beetles flying through a checkpoint as part of the 9.30 a.m. orienteering contest. If you’re more interested in eye-catching sights, head to the “Hyper RIMI’’ parking lot (Zirmunu 64) at 11:00 a.m. to see the VW Beetles bowling cup. This is a rare chance to see first hand that, yes, even a car can become a bowling champ.
If you’re getting a late Saturday morning start, don’t worry, there’s still plenty to see in the afternoon. From 1:30 p.m. you can watch the Beetles parade as it winds its way through the streets of Vilnius, or go straight to Kernave, where the VW Beetles camp is set up for the entire weekend. There, starting from 3 p.m., you’ll be able to take an up-close look at the legendary car and watch competitions like the “Beetles Swing” and the “Pulling of a Beetle.” You can even try your hand at dismantling a Beetle then putting it back together.

Of course, no Beetle convention would be complete without awards for the best tuned car, etc. So keep your eyes peeled, there will be a lot to look out for during the event.
Even if you don’t own one of these atypical autos, the festival’s organizers invite you to come and enjoy the atmosphere. “This is an open event and everyone is free to come,” says Arunas Stepulis, the president of the Lithu-anian VW Beetles Club. So don’t miss this chance to check out these special cars and meet their special owners.
Who knows, maybe you’ll take the plunge and buy your own Beetle at the Beetles auction, which takes place in Kernave at 8 p.m. Otherwise, you can always just listen to the “Road Band” concert, dance in the disco and enjoy the beautiful landscape of Kernave. And if you get tired, you’re welcome to pitch a tent and camp there for the night.

The full festival program can be found at http://www.vabalai.lt. Click on the top left link and scroll down to the bottom
of the page.

password reminder