Christmas Halė: a sustainable festive fair invites you to celebrate differently
- Tomas Čižmakovas
- Nov 29
- 4 min read
This year Vilnius is proud to hold two titles at once: European Green Capital and European Christmas Capital. Extending this double celebration, “Kalėdinė Halė | sustainable Christmas fair” invites everyone on November 29–30 to step into the festive season in a responsible and mindful way. Less last minute stress, more attention to what we buy and who we buy it from.
For two days Halė Market will turn into a festive yet conscious city hotspot. Around 50 small creators will take part in the fair: vintage clothing, textile and accessory designers, makers of original handicrafts and jewellery. Visitors will be able to choose natural cosmetics and body care products, discover local and unique food producers and enjoy culinary wonders on the spot.
Christmas tree lighting and festive party at Halė
One of the key highlights of the weekend is the Christmas tree lighting. On November 29 at 4:30 pm the choir “Dainuojam” will lead everyone in singing Christmas carols, followed by a live performance by the band “Gabija and The Band”. That evening Halė will turn into a mini music festival full of sound and light.
During the day DJ Tomas Vėjas will set the mood behind the decks and invite you not to rush home but stay on for the evening celebration. Later the stage will be taken over by two charming DJs – Paipce and Zay’zemi from Venezuela. They promise a festive, energetic atmosphere and a dance floor that will stay hot all night. We will dance together, welcome the start of the Christmas season and the time of waiting for the holidays.
Free creative workshops and sustainability education
On both days visitors will find not only market stalls but also free creative workshops for adults and children. You will be able to make postcards and wreaths, decorate gift packaging, learn solutions that generate less waste, talk about sustainability and look for the meaning of the holidays not in the quantity of purchases but in the quality of our choices.
The youngest visitors are not forgotten either. Children at the fair will be able to create their own Christmas gingerbread cookie, decorate it with icing and sprinkles and become authors of their own festive dessert.
The fair will also host “Sengirės fondas” (Ancient Woods Foundation), established after Mindaugas Survila’s film Sengirė (The Ancient Woods) and dedicated to preserving the most valuable old growth forests in Lithuania and educating the public about their importance. Here you will be able to meet the foundation’s team, find out how donations become purchased forest areas protected from logging and choose symbolic gifts or forms of support. This is a perfect option for those who prefer to gift not yet another object but a contribution to the future of living forests.
Visitors will also be able to support the animals cared for by “SOS gyvūnai”. This animal shelter offers a safe place for pets that have been abandoned or become “unnecessary” and during the festive season reminds us that an animal should not become a gift. A new family member should appear only as a carefully considered and responsible decision by future owners, not as a surprise. During the fair visitors will be able to talk to shelter volunteers, learn about their work and purchase artworks donated by Lithuanian artists. In this way you find a gift and at the same time support the shelter’s activities.
The organisation “Prirašytos rankos” will also be present at the fair. They focus on people in correctional institutions. Almost ninety of their volunteers lead non formal education activities in prisons, build relationships with inmates, help them prepare for release and together create the podcast “(Iš)gyvent”. At the fair you will be able to learn more about their work and buy hoodies and T shirts created together with incarcerated people. By purchasing these items you will find an original gift and at the same time contribute to meaningful change behind prison walls.
Coffee lovers will be invited to join coffee sustainability workshops organised by the association “Kavos entuziastai” together with the café “Oldskūl” based in Halė Market. Here you can learn what sustainable coffee is and how to choose it more responsibly, how to enjoy coffee in a more environment friendly way and where in Vilnius to find cafés that embrace a sustainable approach. The workshops are free, but the number of participants is limited, so we encourage you to register in advance.
Gastronomy discoveries at Halė
Visitors will be able to taste rice bowls from “Chaosai”, where marinated vegetables, the popular kimchi, fish, meat and freshly created healthier flavour combinations come together. “Eerie Onigiri”, the first onigiri snack bar in Lithuania, will introduce guests to Japanese snack culture. Fans of juicy party flavours will be treated to legendary “Halės Mėsainis” smash burgers.
A slower yet deep flavour kitchen will be presented by “Soviki”, who highlight the true taste of ingredients. Sandwich enthusiasts will discover “Savore Sandwich Lab”, where generous layered sandwiches are created with careful attention to every component from bread to sauces and unique combinations. Meat and smoke lovers will be invited to “Halės Smoke House”, serving BBQ pork ribs, pulled beef, pork and chicken and chorizo sausages. All meat dishes are served with mashed potatoes and local fermented vegetables. Groups of friends will be able to share generous meat platters that combine all these BBQ delights.
“These are only some of the participants who will create a colourful yet mindful map of sustainable gifts in the festive Halė this year”, says event organiser Viktorija Šuminaitė. “It is very important to me that long time Halė vendors meet here with small creative studios and local businesses from nearby streets. For this weekend they become one community that wants to show that celebration can be both cosy and responsible. Halė Market has always been a place where the city meets and the Christmas fair simply continues this story. For some participants this may become the start of a new chapter under this historic roof.”
Event organisers: Youngs Club, Luz Love, “Vilnius – European Green Capital 2025”.
Date and time: November 29–30 from 11:00 am
Location: Halė Market, Pylimo g. 58, Vilnius
No registration required. Entry is free for everyone.
Programme and workshop registration: https://tvarioskaledos.lt/
More information: follow the organisers’ social media accounts or visithttps://fb.me/e/3O1qUN3Jk
During the event photography and filming will take place. The material may be published on social media, websites and in the press.
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