At the beginning of September, residents and visitors of Vilnius enjoyed one of the most exciting festivals of the capital “Vilnius Days”, where one of the main attractions was the Green Capital Meadow, located on the banks of the River Neris between Mindaugas Bridge and Žirmūnai Bridge (Olimpiečių g. 17). Here, the visitors of the festival could not only learn how to take better care of the environment, but also participate in creative workshops and embark on an authentic journey of sounds.

“The year 2025 is a special year for our capital, as Vilnius is proud to hold the prestigious title of European Green Capital. We want the residents of Vilnius and visitors to the city to celebrate this achievement together, so the Green Capital Meadow will offer a wealth of free activities for the whole family. This is a great opportunity to look at the capital with curiosity and spend your free time in a meaningful way,” says Jurga Pociūtė-Mikūtienė, the head of the project “Vilnius – European Green Capital 2025”.

During the three-day festival, visitors enjoyed inspiring conversations with LRT journalist Audra Avižiūtė, who interviewed sustainable lifestyle enthusiasts on stage. Meda Šermukšnė, the head of Augalyn, took part in the discussions, revealing how many plant-based dishes are finding their way onto city menus today. Anton Nikitin, the head of sustainability at Vilnius City Municipality, invited visitors to look at the green city from a new perspective, while Augustė Barbora Budrienė, the EU Climate Pact Ambassador, shared why buying less and choosing second-hand clothes is the most meaningful fashion choice today. The landscape architect Lina Liubertaitė also shared her insights, explaining why more and more people are growing vegetables on their balconies, while the climatologist Silvestras Dikčius shared what he discovers about Vilnius when walking around the city.

The topic of sustainability was also reflected in the festival’s creative activities. The artist Milda Paukštė invited participants to create flowers from denim and fabric scraps without needles or thread, while the travelling Understyle print studio offered to revamp T-shirts using silk-screen printing. In the workshops organised by Looptex, participants could make key rings, bracelets or small decorations from textile scraps. An interactive virtual reality journey through the world of Čiurlionis offered a welcome break from the workshops. There was also a special “DĖK’ui” clothing rack where visitors could pick up clothes.

The festival guests also enjoyed a unique project by Jolita Vaitkutė titled “Portraits of Vilnius Residents on Leaves”. The participants could bring own plant leaf or use the ones provided, and a human portrait of a person was transferred onto the leaf. All of the works were ultimately combined into a collective picture reflecting the lively and ever-changing face of Vilnius. There were also tours of Vilnius, during which we invited people to photograph the city in a different way – using stencils of the most famous symbols of the city.

A wide variety of entertainment

The Green Capital Meadow was full of activity: morning yoga, the musical performance for children “Carrot Day” (Morkadienis), Silent Disco, “Fainuolių choras”, a performance by “Rhythm Differently” (Ritmas kitaip) and a special musical programme by Miglokas titled “Water Blue” (Vandens mėlyna). The latter took listeners on a meditative journey of sound.

A large group of the festival partners also presented their activities. The Bonobo rock climbing centre invited visitors to try out introductory training sessions, while the municipal company JUDU offered interactive activities ranging from bubble bikes to educational games about sustainable mobility. There was also a climate-neutral Vilnius bingo game, writing workshops organised by Bibliobus, and a refreshing cocktail bar by Vilniaus vandenys. Meanwhile, Gijos provided a unique opportunity to listen to the sounds of the energy ecosystem of the city.

A special area was set up for the youngest festival visitors, with entertainers, a bubble show, temporary tattoos and other fun activities. Children and adults could try out large wooden games and have fun together in the outdoor games area.