Riga - In Your Pocket 06-07 2013

Good things come to those who wait and Latvians are a very patient lot indeed. They often have to shiver through months of dark and snowy nights just to enjoy a short and fleeting summer, but when the sunshine does finally arrive they try to squeeze every drop of warmth from the season because they know that winter is coming. If you happen to be in Riga during June and July then you’ll be able to see Latvians at their sunniest and not just because summer has finally arrived. The Song and Dance Festival that only occurs every five years will be entertaining locals and tourists alike beginning at the end of June, but before the celebrations start, many of Riga’s residents will head out to the countryside for beer drinking and bonfires to mark the ancient pagan holiday of Midsummer’s Eve. But if folklore isn’t your pint of lager, there are plenty of other events from rock concerts and the Riga Opera Festival to Tall Ships Races and intriguing art exhibitions.