On Saturday, 12 September, from 13.00 to 16.00, the Open Courtyard Festival will take place in the historic centre of Aizpute. Owners of historic buildings will invite visitors to discover their courtyards and stories, exhibitions, creative activities, food and places to meet. The event is part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme and also forms part of the European Heritage Days 2026, whose theme in Latvia this year is “Cultural Heritage: Crises and Solutions”.
This theme is particularly relevant to the historic centre of Aizpute. Alongside buildings that have stood empty for a long time or whose preservation remains a challenge, there are an increasing number of buildings that have been given a new lease of life – they are being restored and transformed into homes, workshops, guest houses, cultural spaces and businesses.
“At the Open Courtyard Festival, we want to showcase not only the beauty of the Old Town, but also the people and the work behind its revival. Preserving an old building is often a complex and lengthy process, so it is important for us to open up the courtyards, share our experience and show that even a threatened or abandoned building can become a vibrant place once again,” says Andris Tauriņš, Member of the Board of the Aizpute Renaissance Association.
Each of the five courtyards will offer a different programme. At Pilskrogs, visitors will be able to see an exhibition of works created by students of the Jānis Rozentāls Art School during the plein-air workshop “Courtyard Stories in Aizpute”, followed by an auction and sale of the works at 4.00 p.m. At Mordziņš, visitors can take part in a screen-printing workshop and print Aizpute-inspired designs on their own T-shirt, sweatshirt or fabric bag. At Brīvības osta, the hosts will invite visitors to tour the house, explore a Home Memories Corner and take part in a children’s jewellery workshop, with solyanka soup and peppermint tea also on offer. At Amālijas Manor, visitors can discover the story of the manor’s revival and explore its historic interiors. Meanwhile, in the courtyard at 10 Jāņa Street, photographs from the exhibition “Aizpute Through My Lens” will provide a starting point for conversations and collecting memories of Aizpute, while visitors will also be invited to share ideas for the courtyard’s future garden.
The Open Courtyard Festival invites visitors to discover Aizpute at a leisurely pace – moving from one courtyard to another, meeting the people who care for these historic buildings and seeing how cultural heritage lives on and is being revived today.
Festival programme and courtyard map
The event is organised by the association “Aizpute Renaissance Society with financial support from the foundation “Nodibinājums Liepāja 2027”. The programme of “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” is implemented by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, with funding allocated by the City of Liepāja, the South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities, and the Ministry of Culture. The “Liepāja 2027” programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, Jsc; its main partner in air mobility and international communications, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, legal partner: Sorainen Law Office, Ltd., Jsc; and its land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, Ltd. Media partners: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd. and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.
The Open Courtyard Festival also takes place as part of the European Heritage Days 2026. The annual European Heritage Days programme in Latvia is coordinated by the National Heritage Board.
For more information, please contact:
Inese Tauriņa
Aizpute Renaissance Association
Phone: +371 29 149 125
E-mail: aizputes.renesanse@gmail.com
