The festival of thousand tables

On 26 September 2009 the Association of Palanga Hotels and Restaurants together with the municipality already for the second time organized a festival for the whole family "Palanga Table 2009". By this festival the biggest resort of the country celebrated the International Tourism Day and started the season of autumn events.

During the festival the whole town sat at thousand tables, inviting all guests from Lithuania and abroad. Tables stretched for almost 1-kilometre distance along entire J. Basanavičius Street, leading to the sea. The guests were welcomed by the biggest table in Lithuania (4-metre high, table top area - 24 square metres). Palanga folk artist Linas Žulkus in an extremely short time - 1 hour- made the smallest amber table in Lithuania (10-millimetre high, table top area -130 square millimetres), which was 400 times smaller than the biggest table. Palanga folk artists and amber guild craftsmen not only offered to acquire unique souvenirs and amber-ware, but also encouraged the visitors to try out various crafts. The best Palanga groups and performers were giving a concert during all day of the festival. The partners of this year festival - Lithuanian Grill and Barbecue Association - organized the first national fish barbecue championship for the Palanga Mayor's Cup. Reception offices of the town mayor Vytautas Stalmokas and director of Administration Valerijus Kuznecovas were open all day long, where the public could learn about the nearest future projects to be implemented in Palanga, and the town residents and guests had an opportunity to talk directly to the city authorities and specialists. Participants of other event held in Palanga at the same time - International Kite Festival - also took their places at the table. In the sky near the sea bridge one could see a unique exhibition of three-dimensional kites: flying octopuses, a sea horse, a cat, an orca whale, a shark and various fish. Next to the exhibition there was a workshop where visitors could learn how to make a kite and make one yourself. The town sport school invited to the table to play table tennis, chess, checkers and other table games, the company "Kurortų pramogos" gave an opportunity to take a ride on electric carts, cycle carts and the most populartransportofthe resort-bicycles. Palanga Tourism Information Centre invited tourism specialists from Lithuania and abroad at the table. The festival was finished with the award ceremony of the first national fish barbeque championship, traditional table nominations awards and with the evening of the world top 100 music video clips.

A traditional feast "Palanga Smelt 2009" and the winding music concerts "Brass Summer" were the other important events in Palanga attracting a lot of visitors from Lithuania and abroad.