Kedainiai, the cucumber capital and geographical center of Lithuania, beckons to three major festivals in 2023

2023-07-15

Kedainiai (Kėdainiai), a town in central Lithuania, has made a name for itself as Lithuania’s cucumber capital – due to the huge number of cucumber growers in the district and also owing to the spectacular annual Cucumber Festival. However, this year the city is beckoning everybody not only to this, but to some other big events too.

In June, the Kedainiai Regional Museum invites everyone to the traditional Nobel Prize winner Czeslaw Milosz Festival, famous for its lectures, discussions, and concerts. Czesław Miłosz went into world history as a Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, diplomat and Nobel Prize winner in literature in 1980. In its citation, the Swedish Academy called Miłosz a writer who "voices man's exposed condition in a world of severe conflicts".

Regarded as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, he was born in Seteniai, a village in the Kedainiai district. Seteniai is said to be his source of inspiration. In his novel The Issa Valley, Seteniai Manor comes alive together with its people, stories, legends and myths.

Not surprisingly, Seteniai village hosts an international debate, „Czesław Miłosz’s “Native Europe’s” value reconsideration amid the war in Ukraine” on June 28. Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian intellectuals, politicians and scholars are expected to take part.

The Mikalojus Dauksa Public Library of the Kedainiai District Municipality invites you to the singing poetry festival "Ant Nevėžio kranto” (On the Nevezis riverbanks) to be held in July. One of the main concerts will take place in the village of Pelednagiai on July 14, the other in Surviliskes on July 21 and the crown of the jewel will be the concert, including bards, in Kedainiai on July 29.

This year, the legendary Cucumber Festival will be held in Kedainiai on July 15 for the 26th time.

This year, the residents and guests of the city will be delighted by an impressive fair where various folk artists, creators, masters, craftsmen, design associations, and representatives of national heritage will sell their works.

The evening of the Cucumber Festival will be crowned with a disco. For everyone's taste: Egidijus Sipavicius’ musical band, Zemaitukai, Jurgis Bruzga and his musical band.

If you are not a big cucumber fan, the city’s multicultural gastronomic variety needs your consideration, nevertheless. Here you can taste Jewish dishes, Scottish haggis, Radvilu stew, cucumber ice cream, mead and other traditional and/or new groovy meals or drinks.

Talk to the locals and tourists and you’ll undoubtedly hear they enjoyed the experience in Grejaus namas, Kavamanija, Benneto karcema, Ragane, that they savoured Susves mead.

On September 8-10, the whole city will be buzzing celebrating the city’s 651st birthday.

The celebration will include both entertainment and sports events, there will be no shortage of concerts, games, and education for everyone.

As part of the city birthday, the traditional festival Radviliada 2023, dedicated to the historical and cultural heritage of the town, will rattle during September 9-10.

As a reminder, for almost 300 years, the town of Kedainiai belonged to the noble Radziwill family, one of the most powerful and influential families of the time. During the festival, historians read lectures, meanwhile all the townies and guests have a chance to taste meals of the Radziwill cuisine, entertain in Medieval music and dance.

Most of Kedainiai’s 651st birthday celebrations will take place on the vast banks of the picturesque Nemunas River and near its dam. This is where the festive bustle filled with entertainment, food and music will overlap, plunging everyone in the cacophony of the rhythm and motion!

The traditional folk festival “Būkite grįžtantys paukščiai” ("Be the returning birds") will take place at the end of August.

With fewer than 50,000 inhabitants, Kedainiai is definitely one of the most robust Lithuanian towns.

Besides the festivals, there is the distinctive legacy of the Radvilos (the Radvilos family was one of the most influential and wealthy families of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 15-18th centuries), the magical aura of the afore-mentioned Sateniai, located about 13 km north of Kedainiai, and the spirit of peace and tranquillity in the sacred heritage complex of Father Stanislovas in Paberze permeates the air.

Kedainiai is proud of the unique architecture of the old town, its rich multicultural heritage. Tourists are also attracted by the impressive gifts of Mother Nature, like Bakainai Mound, the Mikalojus Dauksa Oak, Skinderiskis Park, which is famous for its thousand magnolias.

If you feel like springing into some action, the 209-kilometre Nevezis River, the country’s sixth longest river which crosses Kedainiai, bustles with kayakers, paddlers, sun-bathers. Get into one to enjoy the scenic views of the river and the city!

And, last but not least, if you end up being in Kedainiai, stomp ground, so everyone hears from far – the city is the distinguished geographical center of Lithuania!

The most prominent places of interest in the Kedainiai district are:

The Evangelical Reformed Church and the Mausoleum of Dukes Radvilos

The Evangelical Lutheran Church,

Sviesioji Gymnasium

Kedainiai Regional Museum,

City Hall,

Synagogues,

A minaret,

Janina Monkute - Marx Museum - Gallery

Mikalojus Dauksa's Oak,

Bakainiai Mound,

The geographical center of Lithuania