Auce festival revives tradition of brass orchestras
The Auce city festival on July 17-18 attracted many visitors, with a highlight being a grand brass orchestra concert that revived a historical tradition.
The Auce city festival took place on July 17-18 this year, offering a rich program of culture, sports, and entertainment. The event drew a large number of visitors, according to the Dobele municipality.
The festival began with a concert titled “From Opera to Jazz” in Vecauce Castle Park, featuring Latvian National Opera soloist Ilona Bagele and accordionist Inita Āboliņa. Later in the evening, an organ music concert was held at Vecauce Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The central event was the large concert of Latvian brass orchestras, “Games of the Black Crayfish,” which was part of the interlude program of the Latvian Brass Orchestra Festival. The concert was dedicated to the centenary of composer Gunārs Ordelovskis. Several orchestras and principal conductors performed works by Raimonds Pauls, Imants Kalniņš, Aivars Krūmiņš, Gunārs Ordelovskis, Mārcis Miķelsons, and Raitis Rērihs.
During the festival, nine principal conductors of Latvian brass orchestras were honored at Vecauce Castle for their contribution to maintaining the tradition. They received special honorary badges featuring the symbol of Auce – a crayfish.
In addition to concerts, visitors enjoyed a fair of craftsmen and home producers, sports activities, creative workshops for children, and the traditional festival procession. The evening concert featured the band “Labvēlīgais tips,” followed by a dance party with the band “Laika upe.”
The festival also honored 38 children born in 2025 and registered in the historical territory of Auce municipality. Each received a bronze Kurzeme–Zemgale corner brooch.
