Vilnius turned into a whirlwind of excitement and culinary delights as the 2023 Pink Soup Fest took centre stage in celebrating Lithuania’s adored cold beetroot soup. The highly anticipated festival bathed the city in pink and captivated the hearts and palates of locals and visitors, who immersed themselves in a vibrant celebration of culinary heritage.
In many countries, technological advancement is causing tradition to take a backseat; that’s far from the case in Lithuania. On June 10th, Vilnius, the country’s capital, embraced the joyous Pink Soup Fest, which was a spectacular celebration of Lithuania’s beloved cold beetroot soup.
Many of the locals and visitors to the festival chose to dress in pink to pay homage to šaltibarščiai (pink soup) whilst jumping headfirst into the fund and festivities. Even the city’s renowned TV Tower joined in with the fun, bathing festival-goers in pink.
Inga Romanovskienė, the director at Go Vilnius, the official tourism and business development agency of Vilnius and festival organiser, said, “Since the cold beetroot soup is inseparable from warm season treats in Lithuania and is one of the draws for visiting travellers, the Pink Soup Fest is our way to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. With mild warm temperatures, lots of greenery, 700-year history and long evenings when the sun doesn’t set until midnight, Vilnius offers a relaxing and refreshing getaway.”
She added, “Visitors to Vilnius are often pleasantly surprised to see how much the city offers. There are a lot of amazing sides of Vilnius to discover, including its trademark Baroque architecture, quality gastronomy, lively cultural scene, and relaxed atmosphere and closeness to nature.”
Vilnius paints itself pink in celebration of the iconic dish
The Pink Soup Fest brought together the lively Vilnius community, which included diners, cafés, bars, nightclubs, tour operators, corporations, entertainers, vehicle enthusiasts, and more.
Participating establishments enticed festival visitors with special discounts emphasising their unique views on cold beetroot soup, inviting tourists on a fascinating gourmet journey.
At this year’s festival, a record 500 litres of šaltibarščiai was prepared and placed in a single bowl. In addition, those in attendance were treated to tantalising fragrances reminiscent of pink soup and interesting graffiti with a pink soup theme.
One of the city’s most prominent aesthetic elements was an eye-catching mural created by famed artist Eglė Žvirblytė that can be seen in Vilnius’s centre, near Bernardine Garden. Jolita Vaitkutė, another artist known for her food-based art, has also unveiled an installation at the Lukiškės square that celebrates the dish.
The infectious enthusiasm for the vibrant pink dish transcended the festival itself. Attendees embraced the spirit of the occasion by donning whimsical costumes inspired by beetroot, eggs, or cartons of buttermilk, sliding down the Bastion hill, which afforded breathtaking panoramic views of Užupis, the bohemian district, and the self-proclaimed separate Republic.
It wasn’t only Lithuanians who enjoyed the festivities; People came from countries such as Poland, Israel, France, Norway, and Sweden, to join in with the celebrations, proving that once you try an iconic pink soup, you can’t stop falling in love with it wherever you are from.
One of the biggest highlights for the younger, more active and adventurous at the festival was an exhilarating descent down a slide, which ended in a specially constructed artificial soup bowl, which resulted in the perfect opportunity to take some fantastic photographs.
More information and pictures of some of the 2023 Pink Soup Festival highlights can be seen here.
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The lead photo used in this feature and the photo below is courtesy of Gabrielius Jauniskis.