Mary’s Fair, or Maarjalaat, in Tartu

Text Stewart Johnson
Photo City of Tartu / Rein Leib

Early every autumn the city of Tartu in Southern Estonia holds its annual fair, called Maarjalaat in Estonian and Mary’s Fair in English. This year’s Mary’s Fair takes place on 12 September, a Saturday. Vendors from around the country offer their wares to the public. These range from handicraft goods to delicious foods. This celebration of autumn will of course take full advantage of apple season officially arriving. The scents and aromas throughout the Old Town will be irresistible to thousands of visitors from across Estonia.

On sale will be farm produce, autumn-themed delicacies, high-quality handicrafts, plants and gardening products, clothing, jewellery, and a lot more! The atmosphere at the Maarjalaat is generally very festive, and you can expect to see a lot of friends there, as the event is traditionally a popular meeting place.

There will also be a contest open to the public: the Tartu Apple Pie Championship! This delicious event will consist of two categories, one for amateurs, and one for professionals. If you think you have what it takes to win, you can register here. There are rules though! Absolutely 100% of the apples in your pie have to be from the Tartu region, and at least half of the other ingredients have to be from the Tartu region. The pies must also be fresh, no older than 24 hours prior to the 10:00 deadline Saturday morning. The winners will be announced at 12:30.

Mary’s Fair will take place in the heart of Tartu’s Old Town, completely filling up Town Hall Square, and stretching the full length of Küüni Street, including a very large children’s area in the park next to Town Hall Square. Pony rides, trampolines, and more await the youngest visitors.

The full programme is available in Estonian here.

To learn more about this and similar topics
apple pie Events In Tartu Family Event Festival Flea Market Maarjalaat Mary’s Fair Tartu