From the busybodies who grew up among the stalls to the shy, gaze-averting newcomers – there is likely no one in the world who has not visited a market, even by chance, even if not entirely of their own volition.
A market, a marketplace, a fair – these are not just places for the exchange of goods and money, though that is their nature. They are also crossroads for all kinds of people meeting for different reasons. This is where the exchange of ideas, stories, experiences, and wisdom takes place. Can one exist without the other? Of course. Discussion circles, lectures, or workshops function perfectly well without buying or selling anything, and we can purchase curd without giving a single thought to the life story of its seller.
But this time, we are focusing on those crossroads where both elements simmer. September in Kaunas suggested the magazine’s theme itself: the month begins with the now traditional Kaunas Culture Fair and ends with the Kaunas Art Book Fair and a classic of the genre, the Kaunas “Autumn” Fair. Sandwiched between these is the Kaunas Book Fair, which debuted last year and has moved from October to September – it is certainly worth a second chance. The Lithuanian National Communities Festival “Garden of Cultures 2026” does not suggest a market experience by its name alone, yet it was in the participant list of this event that we found some of the most interesting characters of the issue, who will bring stories, culture, and treats from North Africa.
By the time you complete the entire route of historical and contemporary Kaunas marketplaces compiled by Algirdas Šapoka – we suggest one per weekend, and make sure to try the potato pancakes at the Šilainiai market – December will have arrived. With it comes another initiative of the Kaunas Artists’ House, essential to the city and its cultural pulse, which brings together the most interesting creators of art and handicrafts in a historic villa. Meanwhile, hunters of young art should look forward impatiently to the spring, when two educational institutions nurturing future stars will invite you to visit.
Yes, all the texts in the September issue are about fairs, markets, and the traditions of human connection.
Look for the free magazine all over Kaunas and in parts of Vilnius, or read it online.
The author of the cover illustration is Ieva Trinkūnaitė.
