Maria’s Bridge Festival in Mazzalves

For many years, Ērberģe has linked Maria’s name day with a special tradition: Maria’s Bridge Festival. It is more than a date on the calendar. It is a day when the bridge across the Suseja River becomes a symbol of the joy of meeting, friendship and togetherness. The bridge connects not only two riverbanks, but generations, memories and people’s hearts.

From early morning, the bridge was dressed for the festival by Zilgma, Astra, Jānis and Gundega. The Baron and Baroness — the storytellers of Ērberģe’s history, guides Silvija Lisovska and Elmārs Vectirāns — formally opened the celebration and invited everyone to join it.

The first and liveliest part of the festival was the bicycle ride. It was no ordinary ride: each participant chose a song and decorated both their bicycle and themselves according to its theme. Imagination knew no limits. The road filled with bicycles transformed into songs, including “Finnish Sauna”, “Three Tomcats”, “Blue Carbuncle”, “Only Amber”, “The Winder” and others. The most distant participants even came from Irši.

The ride became a friendly time together. There were no winners or losers — the main prize was the joy created for oneself and others. The jury nevertheless celebrated every creative participant, presenting awards to the brightest and most witty riders. Participants also answered thoughtful and warm-hearted questions prepared by the Baroness.

After the active and colourful bike ride, the audience gathered in the meadow by the Suseja River for the second part of the festival: a concert by singer and National Theatre actor Juris Hiršs. His sincere songs filled the area with warmth; the audience laughed, reflected and sang along, as if the music paused time for a moment.

The third part was a peak of community spirit and excitement: a Raimonds Pauls song duel between the singers from the right and left riverbanks. As befits a true bridge festival, the two banks competed as friends, proving that music can unite and inspire at the same time. Song after song followed — “Mežrozīte”, “Par pēdējo lapu”, “Vardīte” and other beloved melodies by the maestro. It did not matter who sang more beautifully; what mattered was that everyone sang.

A special surprise was the prizes: winners and the most active singers received sweets from the Baron’s own hand. The festival is not only a concert, a bicycle ride or a song contest. It is living proof that a small place can have a very big heart. Everyone is welcome — both first-time visitors and those who wait for this day all year.

The bridge that normally connects the two banks of the Suseja becomes a much larger symbol during this celebration. It connects people with their roots, memories and future, reminding us that the most valuable traditions are not those kept in books, but those that live in people’s hearts.

The event was organised by Mazzalves Community Centre together with the Mazzalves Tourism Information Point, creating the opportunity to share warm and inspiring moments.

Silvija Lisovska, Mazzalves Tourism Information Point organiser

Source: Mazzalves Primary School