Super Advent Weekend in Tartu

Text Timo Raussi
Photo ERM

If you travel to Tartu this coming weekend, you can enjoy the very best of Estonia’s festive pre-Christmas atmosphere. The city will host no fewer than three different Christmas markets, along with a Winter Dance Day featuring hundreds of folk dancers and musicians—with celebrations continuing late into the evening at Püssirõhukelder, known in English as the Gunpowder Cellar tavern.

The market festivities kick off on Saturday, 13 December at 10:00. Vendors selling handicrafts, Christmas treats, and other gift ideas brought from near and far will fill Küüni Street, the pedestrian street running from Town Hall Square to the Kaubamaja department store. There will also be stalls next to the Tartu Market Hall, and along the riverside boulevard by the Emajõgi. The Tartu Christmas Market runs until 16:00.

At the same time, the large two-day fair of small Estonian craftsmen and food producers opens at the Estonian National Museum (ERM). The museum staff are careful to ensure that the up to 165 stalls offer only locally made goods and products. The ERM Christmas Market is open on Saturday, 13 December from 10:00 to 18:00, and on Sunday, 14 December from 10:00 to 16:00.

On Town Hall Square, in the heart of the Christmas City, a large gathering of folk dance enthusiasts will come together for the 16th time. At 11:00, children’s groups arriving from across the county will perform a selection of Estonian and international dances. At 13:00, the adults’ dance festivities begin, featuring choreography from various corners of Europe. The day will be hosted by this year’s ülembsootska of Setomaa—the highest traditional steward: musician Jalmar Vabarna, known among other things from the band TradAttack!.

Behind the theatre building, at Vanemuise 19, the premises of the Estonian Writers Union and the Salong culture club will host Christmas book and record markets on Saturday, 13 December from 12:00 to 16:00. Among those selling their books are, for example, Indrek Hargla, creator of the “Apothecary Melchior” mysteries, and Estonian–Finnish children’s author Mika Keränen will be among the book sellers. On the music side, visitors can find treasures for fans of vinyl records, cassettes, CDs, and various band merchandise.

To learn more about this and similar topics
Christmas Christmas Markets events Folk Dance Folk Music Literature music Tartu