Kuldīga autumn fair blends election jokes with local produce

Kuldīga’s biggest autumn celebration brought crowds to the Duke Jacob Fair, where election-day jokes accompanied stalls of local produce and handmade goods, LSM reported, citing Skrunda Television.

Three quick-witted women set up a pop-up salon at the fair, joking about voters, people from Kurzeme and the future government. They said they were disappointed not to be allowed into polling stations.

“People don’t really understand what they are doing until a month later, when they see who has been elected. It’s like sex: while you’re doing it, you don’t know what the result will be; you only see later what came of it. It’s roughly the same with the government: even after nine months, there’s no real understanding,” the women joked.

The fair was held for the 15th time. Duke Jacob, portrayed by Arvis Šaroks, and his wife Charlotte had more duties than usual: along with inspecting the harvest, they had to visit a polling station and vote for their preferred political party in the 15th Saeima elections.

“This time I relied more on rational considerations and followed the debates. In the end, I made my decision based on what had been done,” Šaroks said.

People came from across the region to showcase their communities and bring goods grown in their gardens, fields and farms, gathered from forests, meadows and apiaries, or made by hand. Maija Simanoviča, a fair participant from Renda parish, called it an exceptional event, praising the large crowds and positive atmosphere.

Māra Hildebrante, from Laidi, said sorrel soup was her speciality. She described making it with potatoes, groats, eggs and sorrel, along with seasonings, fried onions and carrots.