Seaside festival sets sail

  • 2014-07-03
  • By TBT staff

TRADITIONS: Klaipeda hosts its annual event.

KLAIPEDA - This year will be the 55th celebration dedicated to the biggest treasure of Lithuania – the sea. Every time is different, but at the same time, loyal to origins and traditions, Klaipeda Sea Festival has become an integral part of Klaipeda image.

The most anticipated and biggest summer fiesta this time appears with the slogan: “The Best of All Times.” Providing more than 100 events for Klaipeda residents and guests, this time Sea Festival invites remembering the most beautiful traditions going back to 1934, the most colorful projects of 80 years, which will cover Klaipeda’s downtown.
On July 25-27 the streets of Klaipeda will again welcome various events – the sea fest, a traditional and longed-for summer event. The main theme of this year’s fest is the Sea Feast Kingdom.

“For these three days and three nights we will crown Klaipeda! All together – the organizers, authors, performers, city residents and guests,” said the director of “Klaipeda Holidays,” Romandas Ziubrys. “After all, the Sea Feast is the crown of Klaipeda adorned with the greatest values – deep traditions, cultural variety, hospitality, generosity. Every year allows creating at the seaside a unique, unrivaled in its scope and traditions, event.”

According to Ziubrys, the idea for the fest is connected not only with the royal past of the city, the returning legend of Queen Louise, but also with the fairytales of the city with many royal characters – from powerful sea king Bangputis to the goddess Jurate, who fell in love with an earthly man.”

We do not want to resurrect kings, with the vanity and pomposity of their palaces; we want to invite to a sincere, Klaipeda-like fest where each one would feel like a king, where everything will be interesting, cheerful. Let us forget the everyday routine just for a short time,” Ziubrys continues.

The organizers will implement the theme of royalty through special accents in the city’s decorations and creative projects. The interpretations are various: on opening day on Atgimimo Square, under a crown to be placed, the public will be presented with a theatrical and musical event based on historical documents “The Echo of Royal Steps,” which recall the Prussian Queen Louise’s times in Klaipeda.

On Teatro Square the orchestra and chorus of Klaipeda State Musical Theater will, for the first time, perform a symphonic suite dedicated to the pop king Michael Jackson. Singer Mantas will perform the “Queen Show” on Saturday, while elsewhere – at the Cruise Ships Terminal – the public is welcome to a show be Dutch group “Trafassi,” which this year had the honor of playing during the inauguration ceremony of the new king of the Netherlands.
Organizers stress the sea tradition of this event and Klaipeda patriotism. The program will bear the sign “Made in Klaipeda.”

“We would like to show our guests everything that we are proud of,” says the creative director of “Klaipeda Holidays,” Dalia Griksaite.