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Plenty of festive fun on offer at St. Anna Fair in Zelva

GRODNO, 22 August (BelTA) – Zelva, Grodno Oblast, will host a traditional Annensky Fair (Gannensky Kirmash or St. Anna Fair) on 23-24 August, BelTA learned from the Zelva District Executive Committee.

Local residents cherish time-honored traditions of their land. Every year merchants, artisans and artists from all over Belarus and abroad flock to Zelva for this flamboyant fair. During the times of Rzeczpospolita, Zelva was said to sleep for 11 months and to burst into festive spirit when the fair started. St. Anna Fair was one of Europe’s biggest marketplaces to trade in horses. Every year it kicked off on 25 July (St. Anna Day) and lasted an entire month. The fair was first mentioned in chronicles in 1501.

“Therefore, the festival is held in the format of a traditional fair. Horses will be a key element of the show. Visitors will be able to take a ride in horse-drawn vehicles, like carts and cabs,” the Zelva District Executive Committee informed. The food court will offer dozens of dishes, from Burgundy snails to schmaltz.

The program of the first day of the festival will offer a plethora of various activities and entertainments, like a fishing competition, a fish cooking competition, a merry makeshift vessel race, a volleyball tournament, a festival of colors and a concert.

The official opening of the fair will take place on Saturday. Visitors will see a theatrical performance and a concert. They will be able to buy souvenirs and hand-made products.

St. Anna Fair will wrap up with fireworks, a liquid nitrogen cryo show and a disco.

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