Ice Sculpture Festival

Jelgava is fourth largest city after Riga, Daugavpils and Liepâja. According to the historical documents Jelgava received the town rights in 1573. It is located in the southern part of Zemgale Plain.

Culture has a very special place in Latvian hearts. So it is in Jelgava. Culture rests in national and amateur art, but more often we surprise City Council with interesting new projects. Since 1998 Jelgava is famous for three festivals: "Wine festival", "Ice Sculpture festival" and rock festival "We for Tower". This summer already 7^th hard rock concert "We for Tower " was organised. As only best Latvian groups were invited, now the city is called hard rock & metal city in Latvia.

In 1998 Culture Center of Jelgava organized the 1^st "Ice sculpture festival" and decided that the festival should be arranged every year. Such festivals are very popular in many countries, but unique in Latvia.

The festival organizers decided about its future development. The idea was to invite ice sculptors from Nordic Countries. In 1999 Ice sculpture festival was 3 days long, when artists from Denmark, Sweden, Latvia created 16 sculptures ! They competed for "The best sculpture". The task was to create one of fairy tales' characters and the other sculpture up to artist's choise. The representation of the jury and sculptors were astounded by great interest and original solutions. From big ice blocks the tale characters were created: "Princess on the Pea", "Little Water – nymph", "Medusa" or "Alient". The created sculptures formed the unique garden, which was attended by thousands of people.

During the Baltic State Year, the Culture Centre decided to invite ice sculptors from Estonia, Lithuania and Sweden to please festival guests with their art. Themes of ice sculptures will be – "Ice flower " and "The symbol of 21^st century". Attention of the mass media, spectators interest proves the necessity of the festival. Remember the date – 17^th of December – and come to Jelgava !