[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”12722,12720,12718,12716″ show_title_and_caption=”off” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”0px|||||” custom_margin=”-62px|||||”]<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 From July 1 to 6, the city of the Sun will become the epicenter of international folklore festivities. The jubilee 10th edition of the international folklore competition-festival \u201cThe Flower of the Sun\u201d will take place \u2013 one of the most important folk art events not only in Lithuania but also in the entire Baltic region.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The festival began in 2005 thanks to the initiative of Darius Daknys, R\u016bta Stankuvien\u0117, and Zenonas Ripinskis, in collaboration with the association \u201cBalt\u0173 centras.\u201d Over two decades, \u201cThe Flower of the Sun\u201d has grown into a prominent international competition, earning recognition from FIDAF (International Federation of Folklore Festivals) and other global organizations. Just last year, \u201cSaul\u0117s \u017eiedas\u201d was awarded the FIDAF Festival of the Year title!
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 This year, the festival received over 50 applications from around the world, and selected participants will represent 12 countries: Spain, Hungary, North Macedonia, Portugal, Slovakia, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, and of course, Lithuania. Throughout its history, the festival has welcomed groups from more than 40 countries \u2013 spanning Europe, South America, Australia, Asia, and North America. According to festival director Zenonas Ripinskis, it is heartening that over the past twenty years, people from across the globe have discovered \u0160iauliai and Lithuania. \u201cOur aim from the beginning was to bring more people to \u0160iauliai, to introduce them to our land and traditions, and to foster cultural connections,\u201d said Ripinskis.
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 This year, over 700 performers will participate in the festival \u2013 more than 300 from abroad and around 400 from all over Lithuania.
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Artistic director Darius Daknys hopes the six-day festival will be enjoyable for both audiences and performers. \u201cWe invite different foreign performers each time, so they can present their region. That\u2019s what makes the festival so exciting. I\u2019m also grateful to all the Lithuanian performers who gladly accepted our invitation. I hope the weather won\u2019t interfere with the festivities and that it brings wonderful emotions to everyone,\u201d says Daknys.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 This year\u2019s main concerts will take place at \u0160iauliai\u2019s Resurrection Square, where an even larger audience is expected. Evening concerts will be held there daily, along with interactive play zones and entertainment spaces for the whole family. Renowned Ukrainian traditional craft masters will showcase and teach traditional craftsmanship.
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The festival will kick off on July 1 at 6:00 PM with a ceremonial parade along Vilniaus Street Boulevard, from the \u201c\u0160iauliai\u201d hotel to Resurrection Square (Prisik\u0117limo a.), where the opening ceremony and first concert will be held.
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 One of the festival highlights will be the massive \u201cThe Flower of the Sun\u201d dance, in which all \u0160iauliai residents and city guests are invited to participate.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The festival is not only a celebration but also a competition featuring six categories: traditional and stylized folk dance groups, traditional vocal and instrumental music groups, solo vocalists, and solo instrumentalists. The competition performances will take place on July 2 and 4 at \u0160iauliai Cultural Center.
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Performances will be evaluated by an international panel of judges led by ethnomusicologist, folk performer, and TV host Loreta Sungailien\u0117. The jury will also include experts from Romania, Spain, Portugal, Latvia, and Lithuania.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Throughout the festival week, folklore will resonate across various \u0160iauliai locations \u2013 on the terrace of the \u201cSaul\u0117s Miestas\u201d shopping center, along Vilniaus Street Boulevard, with the main evening concerts held at Resurrection Square.
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 On July 3, special concerts dedicated to Lithuanian music are scheduled. At Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, the concert \u201cLet the Kankl\u0117s Sound\u201d will honor the Lithuanian kankl\u0117s (zither) playing tradition, recently inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. In the evening, the concert \u201cJazzing Up Folklore\u201d will feature the Lithuanian Armed Forces Orchestra and renowned trombonist Vytautas Pilibavi\u010dius, along with Loreta Sungailien\u0117 and the folklore ensemble \u201cSalduv\u0117.\u201d After the concert, attendees are welcome to join the traditional dance evening \u201cLet\u2019s All Dance!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 From July 4 to 6, \u0160iauliai residents and visitors are invited to one of the largest traditional crafts, culinary heritage, and folk fashion fairs the city has ever seen \u2013 turning \u0160iauliai into a true capital of ethnoculture.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The festival\u2019s closing ceremony will be held on July 6, a day of national celebration marking Statehood Day (Coronation of King Mindaugas) and the National Anthem Day. On this symbolic day, the celebration will take on a special meaning as diverse world folklore unites with Lithuania\u2019s national holiday. During the final concert, everyone will join together in singing the national anthem.
On July 6, festive events will also take place in the \u0160iauliai district and in \u017dagar\u0117 (Joni\u0161kis district), featuring performers from Spain, Hungary, Azerbaijan, and Slovakia.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The festival\u2019s success is made possible not only by organizers but also by partners and sponsors: \u0160iauliai City Municipality, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, \u0160iauliai Cultural Center, concert agency \u201cSaul\u0117,\u201d UAB \u201cBaltic Champs,\u201d UAB \u201c\u0160iauli\u0173 spaustuv\u0117,\u201d \u201cSaul\u0117s miestas\u201d shopping center, \u0160iauliai Vocational Training Center, \u201cJuventa\u201d progymnasium, \u0160iauliai State College, \u0160iauliai Saulius Sondeckis Arts Gymnasium, and many others. Media partners include LRT, Etaplius, \u0160iauli\u0173 kra\u0161tas, among others. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 From July 1 to 6, the city of the Sun will become the epicenter of international folklore festivities. The jubilee 10th edition of the international folklore competition-festival \u201cThe Flower of the Sun\u201d will take place \u2013 one of the most important folk art events not only in Lithuania but also in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12722,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12664"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12726,"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12664\/revisions\/12726"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saulesziedas.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The organizers are sincerely grateful to MP Rima Ba\u0161kien\u0117, the \u0160iauliai City Municipality Culture Department and other municipal staff for their ongoing support with organizational matters.
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The festival\u2019s patron is the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, \u0160ar\u016bnas Birutis.
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Full festival program available here<\/a>
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 We invite everyone to visit \u0160iauliai from July 1 to 6 and experience the unique atmosphere of \u201cSaul\u0117s \u017eiedas\u201d \u2013 a week full of folklore, music, traditional crafts, and the spirit of national unity. \u0160iauliai is waiting for you!<\/p>\n