Antsla hosts its traditional Hauka fair
The usually quiet town of Antsla in Võru County turned into an open-air marketplace this weekend as the century-old Hauka fair took place once again.
This past weekend, the normally quiet town of Antsla in Estonia's Võru County transformed into a sprawling open-air marketplace for the Hauka fair, an event with a history spanning more than a hundred years.
The fair once again drew sellers and buyers, performers and spectators to the streets of Antsla, according to a report by ETV's "Aktuaalne Kaamera" news program.
An entire town turned marketplace
Fair organizer Alo Abiline described the event as a unique concept rarely seen elsewhere: the trading spreads across the whole town, with rows of vendors stretching for kilometers. The range of goods on offer is remarkably diverse, he said, from cars to tiny thimbles. Visitors never know in advance what will be on sale in the stall around the next corner, and it's that sense of anticipation and uncertainty that every visitor experiences at the fair.
Something for everyone
Given the huge selection of goods and varied program, every visitor could find something of interest. A fairgoer from Tartu County named Angela said her impressions were fantastic, adding that she was especially pleased so many vendors had come, including American cars, all gathered in one place.
One attraction that drew particular attention from visitors was the chance to have a photo taken of their own eye's iris. Kai Rannamees, the photographer offering the iris photography, said Hauka was the very first fair she ever attended and she has stayed loyal to it ever since. She noted that the people there are very friendly, and this year some of them already recognized her from before.
