The largest restored historical estate in Lithuania, the 19th-century Pakruojis Manor, is known for hosting many interactive historical events, where guests become participants of living history happening right in front of their eyes. This summer, the manor is inviting guests for the first-ever Flower Sculpture Festival in the country. The festival is called Midsummer Night’s Dream, and runs from the end of June to the beginning of October.
The manor’s grounds become fairy-tale like as they are covered with flower carpets, various floral compositions, and sculptures made of a million blossoming plants. Flower sculptures are up to 9 metres high, and their size varies from a few square metres to a few thousand. They are made of more than 200 kinds of summer flowers, including the ones unique to the region.
The event includes engaging activities and intends to be the biggest flower sculpture festival in Europe.
“Our goal was to allow the most talented Lithuanian artists to create sculptures from unconventional combinations of materials. Flowers make the artworks more vivid as plants grow and look different in different light, weather and time of the day. Therefore, the sculptures never look the same,” says Giedrius Klimkevičius, the owner of Pakruojis Manor.
Combined with modern blooming installations, the sculptures bring characters from various tales to life, creating a mysterious set. The theme of the Flower Festival was inspired by William Shakespeare's romantic comedy Midsummer Night's Dream, and its focus on the wedding matches the romantic scenery of the 19th-century manor.
On weekends, Flower Festival guests are welcome to join the performers from Lithuania Drama Theaters and participate in live interpretations of scenes from Shakespeare's play.
All the artworks were designed by famous Lithuanian sculptors, florists and 21 other nationally renowned artists.
The festival experience, however, does not end with the flower sculptures and theatrical performances happening all around the estate. Several restaurants offer authentic regional dishes decorated with edible flowers, such as beetroot salad, special potato pancake Bumbulų, and chicken cooked with beer. Furthermore, the restored distillery of the manor brews beer and bitters made with local botanicals. Finally, guests can explore living history by joining an excursion, or visiting a perfume making workshop, honey bee farm, sewing atelier, and trying other traditional handicrafts, tailored to the wedding theme.
For more information:
pakruojo-dvaras.lt