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On June 21st, Jelgava will mark the longest day and shortest night of the year by honoring Latvian traditions and the power of fire. Residents and visitors will have the opportunity to visit the Summer Solstice and Herbal Market in the Jelgava Old Town Street Quarter, participate in ancient rituals on Castle Island (Pils saliņa), and witness an impressive burning and glowing of fire sculptures on Post Island (Pasta sala).

The Summer Solstice and Herbal Market in the Jelgava Old Town Street Quarter will take place from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM. It will gather craftsmen and home producers offering both handmade goods and delicacies for the festive table. Visitors will be able to learn about the traditions of making Jāņi cheese, enjoy musical performances filled with Midsummer spirit, and participate in various workshops for both children and adults.

From 9:00 PM until midnight, traditional solstice activities will take place on Castle Island—including singing around the great oak tree, fire rituals, bidding farewell to the sun, dancing, and traditional games. A festive atmosphere will be created by the folklore groups “Dālava”, “Dimzēns”, “Laukam pāri”, “Liepāre”, “Nāburdzīte”, “Svitene”, and “Vecsaule”, inviting everyone to celebrate together.

Once the sun has set at midnight, the celebrations will continue on Post Island. At 12:00 AM, the culmination of the 14th International Large-Scale Ceramic Fire Sculpture Symposium will take place—the burning and glowing of the fire sculptures.

The large-scale sculptures created by four artists, themed “Identity” this year, are made of chamotte—a clay characteristic of the Zemgale region, supplemented with finely crushed particles of fired clay. This material is heat-resistant, allowing for a burning process where the clay works reach temperatures of up to 1000°C, transforming them into permanent art objects.

This year’s symposium features:

• Guntis Svikulis (Latvia/UK) with the sculpture “Finding Oneself in a Tangle of Contradictions”

• Jānis Leimanis (Latvia) with the work “Urban Identity”

• Ieva Jurka (Latvia) with the piece “On the Way to Wholeness”

• Kärt Seppel (Estonia) with the sculpture “Angel’s Shadow”

The artistic director of the symposium is Ilze Emse from Latvia. The burning and glowing of the fire sculptures will be accompanied by a musical performance from the world music group “Kanisaifa”.