History
Home | History | Program | Get Involved | Tickets | Maps | Accommodation | Contact
Estonians have been holding “Eesti Päevad” (Estonian Days) festivals since 1954. Since then the festivals have been held every 2-3 years in turn in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The 2010 festival will be in Adelaide.
The festivals have a core component of song, dance, theatre, arts and crafts and in the early days were held in conjunction with “Eesti Mängud” the Estonian sports festival. The heyday of the festivals and the games was in the 1960s and 1970s. Hundreds of singers and dancers participated in the festivals and interstate rivalry in volleyball and basketball was strong.
Over the years, as the older generation has dwindled, the language skills of the Estonian community have diminished. Music, dance and art need no language whereas theatre and lectures do. Singing and folk dancing remain popular and at this festival we have dancers from three generations.
The festival committee welcomes the participation of all Australians of Estonian heritage, no matter what level of involvement in the community or knowledge of the language.
Help us remember previous festivals
Have you got photos from previous festivals? We are looking to compile some historical photos for use at the 2010 festival, so please forward any photos to us.
Please contact:
Silvi Crawford
