The first Saturday of February is usually cold in Lithuania, but it's the perfect time for their traditional winter horse race in Dusetos, near Lake Sartai.
For over two hundred years, thousands of Lithuanians have been gathering at Dusetos in early February to be part of the festival surrounding the traditional Sartai Winter Horse Race. While they traditionally ran at Lake Sartai, changeable winters made this location impractical, and the harness race is now held in a nearby hippodrome. Other traditions which go along with the horse race are brass bands, choirs and many people in national costumes.
This year, the big Sartai race takes place on 3 February at the Sartai Hippodrome in the Zarasai region. The festival's fair opens at 10am with the official opening and race from midday. From its beginnings, this year will be the 211th Sartai race, and the 101st official "traditional" race. With all the marketing promising an event full of "legends, stories and vivid heroes", it sounds like a Lithuanian tradition not to be missed.
