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Social Events

MISSISSIPPI RIVER SHINDIG & PIG ROAST 

Image: McGheiver

Thursday, June 30, 2022

18:00-23:00

Harriet Island Regional Park | Wigington Pavilion


Come enjoy a summer party – a real shindig! – on the banks of the Mississippi with a pig roast dinner, music, and dancing! The Latvian folk music bands Stokholmas Spēlmaņi from Sweden and local Minnesota group Lini will play a variety of traditional Latvian dances, as well as some waltzes, foxtrots, polkas and maybe even a tango! Don’t miss a great opportunity to meet and mingle with other festivalgoers!

 

Ticket includes transportation to and from the InterContinental Hotel and also the pig-roast dinner at the event. Buses will circulate continuously between 6:00pm-12:30am. Dinner at the event will be served from 6:30pm until 8:30pm.

More information about the performers:

CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES

Friday, July 1, 2022

09:00-11:00

InterContinental Hotel | Governors IV Room
Presentation Language: Latvian / English


Starting Friday morning, there will be activities for kids and families – drawing and coloring,  button making, Song Festival bingo, and the Latvian billiard-like game Novuss (with instructors), and more! Free of charge, come play!

Image: K.Gutmane

CHILDREN'S PARTY

Friday, July 1, 2022

18:30-20:00

InterContinental Hotel | Great River Court
Presentation Language: Latvian / English

In the evening, come to the Children’s Party where we will be shaking the floorboards with some popular traditional Latvian dances. Folk group Lini will be playing, singing and teaching some of your favorite Latvian danči: everything from “Cūkām driķos!” (Pigs in the Buckwheat") to "Pankūkas" ("Mom's Pancakes"), to “Trakajam īram” ("The Crazy Irishman"). It doesn’t matter if you have no idea what that is all about – everyone can learn, no Latvian language required! We’ll mix it up with some rotaļas (game-dances), a quick waltz lesson, and perhaps a chicken dance, too. There will be something for all ages, pre-schoolers to teenagers. Parents can join in or socialize at nearby tables, or enjoy other events happening Friday evening.

 

All of these events are free and open to everyone – there is no excuse to not participate!

YOUTH DANCE

Friday, July 1, 2022

21:30-00:00
InterContinental Hotel | Minnesota Ballroom

The American Latvian Youth Association (ALYA) invites you to a fun evening with young people (ages 16-35) from around the world: find old friends and make new ones! Dance music curated by the popular

DJ AI-VA from Latvia.

Image: DJAiva.com

AN EVENING WITHOUT JURIS KRONBERGS
tribute with music and poetry

Friday, July 1, 2022

21:30-00:00
InterContinental Hotel | Great River Ballroom

Presentation Language: Latvian

 

Enjoy a casual evening of music, cocktails, and socializing. The unique program will be a tribute to the works of the late Swedish Latvian poet Juris Kronbergs. The Latvian band from Sweden, Stokholmas Spēlmaņi, and other performers will bring to life the humor and inspiration this great poet rendered during his lifetime.

Image: A. Blaubarde

Image: Kurt Jung Lighting

ROCK CONCERT

Saturday, July 2, 2022

21:00-01:00

Palace Theater

Presentation Language: Latvian, English

Enjoy a showcase of various Latvian rock music genres featuring: a reunion of the popular Latvian-American 1980s rock group Akacis, one of the most popular current Latvian indie-rock groups Astro’n’out, and Latvian DJ AI-VA. This performance will be held at the historic Palace Theater: a vaudeville theater built in the 1910s that has been transformed into a popular nightclub venue with state-of-the-art sound and lighting.

About the performers:

 

This will be the debut North American performance of Astro’n’out, although the group has been touring in Latvia and Europe since its founding in 2003.  Astro'n'out has received nominations for the Latvian Music Records Annual Award for all six studio albums, and in 2020 the group's album “Multivitamīna multipaka” won the Golden Microphone award for the best Latvian pop album. 

ASTRO'N'OUT

A previous Astro'n'out concert.

DJ AI-VA

Akacis was a Latvian-American rock band that emerged in the late 1970s and played into the early 1990s. Although the members of the group varied over the years, they were all from the East Coast of the US, having attended Latvian camps and Saturday schools together. Akacis stood out as a group of serious, talented musicians and songwriters that could play pop, hard rock, progressive rock, and even jazz rock, folk and reggae. They were one of the few diaspora bands that released albums recorded in professional studios and had a number of concert tours in Latvia. They also knew how to play fun, sweaty, dance-filled concerts at Latvian Song Festivals and American Latvian Youth Association (ALJA) events. Eventually, Akacis members went their separate ways – most of them continuing as professional musicians. Three of them moved to Latvia: Gatis Gaujenieks has played with the Latvian post-folk group Ilģi for over 20 years, Jānis Abens leads a bluegrass band, and Arnolds Kārklis has played with Otrā Puse and Ilģi. Now, for the first time in over 20 years, Akacis is reuniting for a very special concert during this Festival!

AKACIS

Documentary about Akacis.

GALA DINNER

Sunday, July 3, 2022

18:30-21:00

InterContinental Hotel | Great River Ballroom

 

Celebrate the final evening of the festival by enjoying an elegant cocktail hour and three-course meal - with live music! A combination ticket is available for those who wish to attend both the dinner and the ball (dance). Meal selection will occur with ticket order. 

If you have any serious food allergies, please contact Baiba Olinger 

FESTIVAL BALL

Sunday, July 3, 2022

21:00-2:00
InterContinental Hotel | Great River Ballroom

 

Celebrate the final evening of the festival at the Grand Ball, which will feature a variety of music by Stokholmas Spēlmaņi from Sweden, and Adam Zahl from Chicago. A combination ticket is available for those who wish to attend both the dinner and ball (dance).

More information about the performers:

Image: IHG

JAZZ BRUNCH

Monday, July 4, 2022

09:30-12:30
InterContinental Hotel | Great River Ballroom

 

Time to savor the last moments of the Festival together with friends and reminisce about the festival’s cultural adventures. Enjoy music by Latvian American jazz artists together with a delicious buffet brunch.

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