Grundzāle holds its first-ever parish festival
The Grundzāle parish in Smiltene municipality held its first parish festival on August 22, with rain and strong wind forcing organizers to move part of the event indoors. The highlight was the premiere of the amateur theatre group's new play "Pilsētnieki".
On Saturday, August 22, the Grundzāle parish in Smiltene municipality held its first-ever parish festival. The event was organized by the Grundzāle Culture House together with the administration of the Grundzāle and Virešu parish association and the parish residents' council, with support from many locals.
Weather forces a change of venue
A day before the festival, forecasts predicted rain and strong wind, prompting questions about whether the event would go ahead at all. Culture House director Sintija Purgale confirmed on social media that the festival would take place regardless, with some activities moved indoors if needed. Decorating of the outdoor stage continued on Friday, but on Saturday morning organizers decided to relocate the festival from the open-air stage to the Culture House and the parish primary school, citing visitor safety. Only a planned foam party was cancelled from the program; everything else, including a market, homemade cake tasting, sports activities, robotics sessions, and pony rides, went ahead as planned.
Theatre premiere draws a full house
One of the most anticipated events was the premiere of the Grundzāle amateur theatre group "Cik jaudas", staging Baiba Jukņēviča's play "Pilsētnieki", featuring 13 actors, including several newcomers to acting. The play will also be shown at the Vijciems community house on September 5. The Culture House's main hall, with 120 seats, was packed, and attendees had to bring in extra chairs.
The festival opened with speeches from local administration and Culture House leadership along with a musical performance, followed later by a concert from musician Gatis Mūrnieks. The evening concluded with a dance featuring a local youth band and DJs lasting until nearly 3 a.m., though only around 46 people attended due to the weather.
Festival born from a resident survey
The parish festival replaced an originally planned celebration of the Culture House's 55th anniversary, which was cancelled due to health issues. An earlier survey of residents had shown a parish festival was the most desired event. Organizers already plan to combine next year's festival with a phlox flower celebration.
