Latgale marks 25th edition of poetry and music festival “Upīte's Apple Orchard”

The village of Upīte in Latgale has hosted the 25th edition of “Upītes ābeļdārzs” (Upīte's Apple Orchard), the oldest continuously running love-poetry and song festival in Latgale and one of the longest-running festivals in all of Latvia.

Twelve poets performed at the event, reading both older and newly written works. The only rule was that each participant include at least one poem by festival founder Antons Slišāns. The poetry readings were complemented by a wide range of musicians, spanning genres from klezmer to singer-songwriters.

Performances and traditions

One of the evening's most memorable moments was a joint performance by the bands “Marysana” and “Dabasu Durovys” together with Viktors Baikovs, vocalist of the legendary Latgalian rock band “Fenikss.” Many attendees were also looking forward to a performance by the band “Tautumeitas.” This year's festival was opened by Dailes Theatre actor Aldis Siliņš, whose family roots trace back to Viļāni.

Following tradition, festival participants received apples from Upīte's own orchard as gifts, while visitors could purchase apple juice for a donation to help support the festival's continuation in future years.

Culture center and exhibition

Ahead of the festival, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Center “Upīte” opened an exhibition titled “Human Trajectories,” featuring works by Latvian textile artists created in collaboration with the Art Academy of Latvia, including pieces made using wool felting and crochet techniques.

Visitors and participants described the festival's atmosphere as uniquely warm and welcoming, drawing both local residents and visitors from farther afield, and expressed hope that “Upītes ābeļdārzs” will continue for years to come.