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Summer Fair - The Church Square [2016]
📅•⏱️7 min read

Summer Fair - The Church Square [2016]

Celebrating the founding of Riga! With a lot of activity, Vermanes Garden was full of excitable youths, enjoying the sights and games set up for them, while Old Riga, the original Riga city that was founded before it expanded in the subsequent centuries, had a more medieval flavour to its attractions.

The Second part of the 2016 Riga Celebration, focusing on the happenings in St. Peters Church square.

Photo of a coin being smashed with a heavy metal hammer flat on a wooden stump
Photo of a coin being smashed with a heavy metal hammer flat on a wooden stump

The Fair: Smash the Coin

Original Description: Now we have moved from the park to another location: St. Peters Church.
For this Attraction: Basically, put a coin (Euro or Cent) and then see it getting flattened.

A sign, with a drawing of what a 14th century knight wore as armor
A sign, with a drawing of what a 14th century knight wore as armor

The Fair: 14th Century

Original Description: A not very good picture of what knights wore in the 14th century…sorry.

A sign of what armor, weapons and jewelry looked on a 15th century knight
A sign of what armor, weapons and jewelry looked on a 15th century knight

The Fair: 15th Century

Original Description: The armor and gear of a 15th century knight.

Photo of a wooden pillar, placed in the middle of the church square, with people milling about the square
Photo of a wooden pillar, placed in the middle of the church square, with people milling about the square

The Fair: Punishment

Original Description: Nobody was tied to it when I was there.

A boy in the stocks with another boy helping him into it, with people around the area
A boy in the stocks with another boy helping him into it, with people around the area

The Fair: To the Stocks!

Original Description: (I guess) little brother was locking big brother up in the stocks. Wonder what for.

St. Peters Church square, with people milling about the area
St. Peters Church square, with people milling about the area

The Fair: The Area

Original Description: There was quite a lot of people that day.

Area with weapons and some tools for entertainers, who are milling about the inside of the tent
Area with weapons and some tools for entertainers, who are milling about the inside of the tent

The Fair: The Knights Place

Original Description: This is where the knights were when they were not performing.

Tent of the knights, with some having a lunch break, with weapons and tools in the area
Tent of the knights, with some having a lunch break, with weapons and tools in the area

The Fair: The Knights on Break

Original Description: As you can see the knights off duty were having lunch.

Photo of a stall with traditional Latvian jewelry, with a lady in blue, the stall worker, showing some curious customers her wares
Photo of a stall with traditional Latvian jewelry, with a lady in blue, the stall worker, showing some curious customers her wares

The Fair: The Stalls

Original Description: Gold and silver brooches and decorations were being sold by the church, just on the other side of the Knights Area.

Stalls by St. Peters Church in Old Riga, wih toy weapons and shields and clothes, fitting a medieval fair
Stalls by St. Peters Church in Old Riga, wih toy weapons and shields and clothes, fitting a medieval fair

The Fair: Shields and Swords (And Everything Else)

Original Description: Further down the way, you can see quite a lot of options.

Stall selling weapons for kids, in the medievla portion of the summer fair
Stall selling weapons for kids, in the medievla portion of the summer fair

The Fair: The Weapons

Original Description: So many to choose from.

A stall selling toy weapons, in the medieval portion of a summer fair
A stall selling toy weapons, in the medieval portion of a summer fair

The Fair: Even More Weapons

Original Description: And in different colors too!

Photo of a table in a stall, with medieval knight figurines and weapons
Photo of a table in a stall, with medieval knight figurines and weapons

The Fair: And Even More

Original Description: Then just weapons are being sold here.

Photo of a fair performer, dancing with his swords, as other fair orkers played music on bagpipes
Photo of a fair performer, dancing with his swords, as other fair orkers played music on bagpipes

The Fair: The Sword Dancer and the Musician

Original Description: He danced with the swords to the music of the bagpipes. It was so cool.
You can watch the dance here
Added Description: New link: https://unskeep.com/video/Orck7iYoKr_BfeX

A youth dressed in mesh armour and being given a sword by a fair worker
A youth dressed in mesh armour and being given a sword by a fair worker

The Fair: The New Knight

Original Description: A young girl was getting dressed up for her new duty and being given the sword.

The sword dancer going through his routine in the middle of the fenced off area
The sword dancer going through his routine in the middle of the fenced off area

The Fair: The Dance of the Sword

Original Description: It was so cool to look at it.
You can watch the dance here
Added Description: Here's the new link: https://unskeep.com/video/Orck7iYoKr_BfeX

People checking out the stocks, that await for both its prisoner and worker...
People checking out the stocks, that await for both its prisoner and worker...

The Fair: The Other Stocks

Original Description: This was used for when executions needed to be done.

...the Executioner has arrived, axe ready for his next victim
...the Executioner has arrived, axe ready for his next victim

The Fair: The Executioner

Original Description: He has arrived to do his job.

Added Description: Note, this is an act! Nobody got beheaded here!

A young girl is in the stocks, the Executioner readying for the strike
A young girl is in the stocks, the Executioner readying for the strike

The Fair: 'Sorry Kid'

Original Description: 'But job's a job'.

A man is in the stocks, with his partner explaining why he has been sentenced
A man is in the stocks, with his partner explaining why he has been sentenced

The Fair: So, Ma'am, what's he in for?

Original Description: 'He doesn't do the dishes.'
'Oh, that is definitely a capital crime. Sorry, dude.'

An older man is in the stocks, but is a bit bigger than the stocks were meant for, so they don't lock fully
An older man is in the stocks, but is a bit bigger than the stocks were meant for, so they don't lock fully

The Fair: Need Bigger Stocks

Original Description: Someday's, you just need bigger stocks, you know?

A young boy is in the stocks, the Executioner readying his axe
A young boy is in the stocks, the Executioner readying his axe

The Fair: Age Matters None

Original Description: Even kids were being sent here.

A very young boy is in the stocks, being lifted to fit into the stocks
A very young boy is in the stocks, being lifted to fit into the stocks

The Fair: Assisting

Original Description: And other days, you need smaller stocks.

A young boy is in the stocks, the axe raised high
A young boy is in the stocks, the axe raised high

The Fair: Young Blood

Original Description: This was happening for a while.

A tall man crouching to fit into the stocks, the Executioner raised his axe up high
A tall man crouching to fit into the stocks, the Executioner raised his axe up high

The Fair: Gotta Do The Job

Original Description: And back to adults.

Except, the Executioner decides to take a break, put his axe down and is now leaning against the stocks, with the tall man still crouching in it
Except, the Executioner decides to take a break, put his axe down and is now leaning against the stocks, with the tall man still crouching in it

The Fair: Just Chilling

Original Description: 'You know what, no, I'm going to pose before I off you.'

A young guy is in the stocks, the axe again raised high
A young guy is in the stocks, the axe again raised high

The Fair: Off you go

Original Description: ...Bad pun, but I had to.

A young girl was in the stocks, with the axe raised and ready
A young girl was in the stocks, with the axe raised and ready

The Fair: All Visit Me

Original Description: It was scary to look at, despite how fun it was.
Mom (when I sent her a pic of one of the executions) was mortified and amused by the proceedings.

Another youth in the stocks and the axe is again raised
Another youth in the stocks and the axe is again raised

The Fair: Just Another Day on the Job

Original Description: People just kept coming...How much do they pay executions anyway?

An older man is in the stocks and the axe is raised up high
An older man is in the stocks and the axe is raised up high

The Fair: One More

Original Description: 'And then it's lunch time for me'.

A young woman, dressed in traditional medieval clothing, standing in front of the church wall, hiding behind her back her lunch from a corner store
A young woman, dressed in traditional medieval clothing, standing in front of the church wall, hiding behind her back her lunch from a corner store

The Fair: The Maiden

Original Description: A worker of the Fair dressed as a maiden from days of old.
...I caught her on lunch break, so she's hiding her modern day food...Sorry, lady!

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✍️ Written by

Weave

Weave

The lurker behind this blog, displaying my photo collection here

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