Pig in Rye 2025

The Valga Museum's Folklore Heritage Festival of 2025 held on July 12, was dedicated to agriculture and rural life through the ages, in honor of Count Berg's 180th and Sangaste rye's 150th anniversaries. The festival was preceded by a series of preparatory events such as the celebration of Count Berg's birthday in February at Valga Museum and Sangaste Castle, a lecture on vocational education in Helme in March, an overview of the Laatre Large Farm and science in April, life in the Koiva-Mustjõgi Nature Reserve in May, the farmer and agrarian politician Middendorf in June, and Soviet-era agriculture at the beginning of July. As a follow-up event to the folklore festival, a lecture on the most prominent plant breeders in Valgamaa was held at the end of July. 

This year, we were lucky with the weather. If the folklore festival had taken place a day earlier or later, we would have been caught in a tree-snapping storm or a torrential downpour. However, we did face one setback due to the weather. Namely, we could not offer the promised horse-drawn carriage ride, as the previous day’s rain made it impossible to bring horses onto the lawn of Säde Park. 

Lawn games were held, including kettlebell lifting and stick pulling. The Estonian Agricultural Museum conducted a flax-growing workshop, and the Estonian Dairy Museum held a farmhouse butter-making workshop, complete with cow milking. In the children's area, a paper farm was built and giant rabbits were admired. The museum hosted the exhibition Don’t Forget Times Gone By about Soviet rural life and milk as a source of health. Snacks were provided by Café Kalyna. 

Visitors were entertained by the theater troupe Poolvillased with the play Catching a Crane with an Axe. The highlight of the evening was the cabaret concert by Artur Raidmets and Peeter Kaljumäe. 

The event was supported by Valga Parish and the Estonian Cultural Endowment.