Vilnius Kaziukas Fair, Lithuania, spotlights craft tourism travel trend

A market where experiences come first

According to a study published in the Environmental and Sustainability Indicators journal, creative tourism has gained prominence as a way to attract visitors while also supporting community development by actively involving them in creating cultural, artistic, and craft-based experiences. The survey is confirmed by 2025 Hilton Travel Trends Report, which highlights that 73% of global travelers are on the lookout for more authentic, local experiences to fully immerse themselves in a new culture.

The annual Kaziukas Fair is then the perfect place to visit. Walking through the sprawling market, visitors will be faced with an array of colorful and intricate wares, encompassing glassware, ceramics, jewellery, leatherware, and even painting and sculpture. Accompanying these sights will be the sounds of ironmongers plying their trade, or potters’ wheels spinning, all against a backdrop of traditional musicians adorned in national dress playing local folk tunes.

Not to be missed are the many local delicacies on offer, from baked goods to locally produced sausage, smoked fish, as well as the al fresco eateries offering filling local fare like cepelinai – the famous Lithuanian potato dumplings.

A celebration of arts, crafts, and flavors

This year, the fair introduces two new focal points. Dzyvų Alėja (Alley of Life), located in Cathedral Square, will bring together celebrated artisans and food producers from all five of Lithuania’s ethnographic regions – Aukštaitija, Samogitia, Sudovia, Suvalkija, and Lithuania Minor – in one symbolic gathering.

The nearby Šventaragio Valley will be taken over by the Avilys creative collective, turning into a space where visitors can watch artisans work and get a hands-on experience of traditional techniques used by woodcarvers, blacksmiths, jewelers and other craftspeople.

Three traditional crafts to find in Vilnius

Among the hundreds of crafts represented at Kaziukas Fair, three stand out as distinctly Lithuanian – each rooted in centuries of tradition.

1. Sodai or straw gardens are intricate three-dimensional ornaments with deep ties to Lithuanian folklore and cosmology. Traditionally, they represent the World Tree, and are hung above dinner tables and baby cribs.

The art of sodai making is experiencing a resurgence, with the tradition recently added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023. While sodai are difficult to transport, DIY kits are becoming more popular, making it easier for people to recreate the meditative experience of building their own at home.

(Photo: Sodai © Credit Ruta Verseckaite, Go Vilnius)

2. Verbos. As Kaziukas Fair is held a few weeks before Easter, brightly colored verbos (or Easter palms) dominate the stalls. As palm trees don’t grow in Lithuania, artisans get creative with willow branches, dried flowers, juniper twigs, and other plants native to the region.

Verbos are a celebration of spring, and Kaziukas Fair visitors have the unique opportunity to not just see these Easter palms come to life, but to create one on their own.

3. Šakotis (also known as tree cake) is one of the most iconic dishes in Lithuania cuisine. Shaped like a pine tree, it’s a staple dessert typically served at weddings or other large celebrations. The preparation process takes a lot of time and effort, as the cake is baked by slowly dripping egg-rich batter onto a rotating metal cylinder over an open flame.