St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk in 2020

St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk in 2020

It has been officially announced: St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk in 2020 will not be cancelled despite the coronavirus problems. There will be some additional sanitary requirements, and maybe the fair will not be as spectacular as usual, but you may now start looking for hotels in Gdansk during the 760th St Dominic Fair in Gdansk in 2020!

St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk is one of the biggest commercial open-air events in Europe. It was established in 1260 by Pope Alexander IV, and since then has been annually organized in the streets of Gdansk – with the short period of a break during and after the Second World War. In 2020, St Dominic’s Fair will start on the 25th of July and last for three weeks – until the 16th of August. You may find the detailed program of St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk in 2020 at the end of this article.

St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk – Dluga Street gets really crowded

What will you find at St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk?

For the three weeks of St. Dominic’s Fair Gdansk changes completely. The city is very popular during summer, but as the Fair starts it’s even more crowded than usual.

St Dominic Fair makes Gdansk even more crowded

Most of the streets in the Main Town are closed for cars and are packed with stalls and shops. You will find everything here – clothes, amber jewellery, old German helmets and swords. The latter may be found at the oldies market – close to Motlawa River and Dlugie Ogrody Street. There are lots of souvenirs to choose from, too.

St Dominic’s Fair – Oldies Market

The commercial character of the fair is complemented by cultural, entertainment and music events every day. The most significant take place at the beginning of the Fair and in the end. There are also food stalls and food trucks through the streets, where you can eat local, Kashubian or Polish and European cuisine.

There is also an area with seats provided, where you may eat or drink what you have just bought.

Rest area at the St Dominic Fair

Just be careful, as many of the seats are located under the trees and the trees host birds that sometimes drop something from above.

This year the fair has been located in more areas of the city – crossing Motlawa River and reaching Dlugie Ogrody Street. Below you will find a Map of Gdansk St Dominic Fair:

St Dominic Fair in Gdansk 2020 Map

This year Gdansk followed Berlin bears idea, and you may find Gdansk Fair Roosters around the city. You are not allowed to sit on them, but feel free to take as many pictures as you want.

St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk Rooster

What should you avoid during St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk?

Most of the city centre is closed for cars, so it’s definitely better to leave your car outside the Main Town. Main Town is also very noisy those days, with most of the bars open until late at night. So if you want to rest during your stay, you should book your hotel somewhere else.

St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk – Souvenirs Stalls

Also, St. Dominic’s Fair is not only visited by tourists – the crowd is followed by pickpockets, who try to take advantage of the chaos at the tram stops, as well as the crowd gathering to see some unusual attractions – gambling being one of them.

St. Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk during coronavirus

What will change this year due to coronavirus? What we know now is that the opening and closing ceremony will not be available for the public. It will be broadcasted on the Internet but you can’t attend it. Also, the number of stands will be limited by 1/3 (to be honest, I don’t think this will be noticeable), and they will be arranged in a way that helps to keep the social distance. They will be sanitary regimes at the stands and in the food areas, but that’s quite obvious.

During the events, you will need to keep the social distance, too, and the audience may be limited if needed.

There will be more free toilets in Gdansk Main Town – this is actually a very good idea and should be maintained regardless of the coronavirus.

Car access to the Gdansk city centre will be limited, but as parking in Gdansk is now very expensive, it’s better to leave your car at home anyway.

Main Events during St. Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk in 2020

Opening ceremony – passing on the keys to the city gates

25.07, Saturday, at 12.00 / ONLINE – watch on Facebook!

At noon on Facebook you will be able to watch the broadcast of the opening ceremony of the St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk AD 2020. Without the participation of the public, the Mayor of the City of Gdansk will hand over the keys to the gates of Gdansk.

On that day, colorful characters will appear on the fair streets throughout the Fair area, playing scenes and showing off their craftsmanship: Hermes (patron of merchants), Gdansk Merchant with the key to the city gates, town criers, and Crimson Rooster (the symbol of the Fair). In this small festival of Fair theaters we will also see a young Lady From the Window, a tarantula, a shepherdess, mimes and clowns.

In a blink / 1972-2019

Exhibition of St. Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk photographs from the Dziennik Baltycki (local newspaper) archives / Targ Węglowy

The history of St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk dates back to 1260, when Pope Alexander IV allowed Gdańsk Dominicans to grant indulgences on the feast of their
founder. This tradition was interrupted by World War II. It was returned to her in 1972 on the initiative of the popular Gdansk newspaper “Wieczor Wybrzeza”. Since then, the August fairs have made headlines every year. Exhibition of press photographs and covers – shared by Dziennik Baltycki – will recall the atmosphere of those years and guide us through almost four decades of tradition of the post-war Fair.

XXV Feast of bread

26.07, Sunday / Dlugi Targ at the Green Gate

The feast will be full of events during the day – including concerts, competitions and advice by experts.

Beautiful Moments!

Saturdays: 01.08, 08.08, 15.08 / Sundays: 26.07, 02.08, 09.08
14.00-15.30 / Targ Węglowy, Długi Targ, Szeroka Street
World of theater, circus and joke. Costume mini-parades in the dell’arte comedy style with musicians, jugglers, stilts and town criers in costumes referring to the history of Gdansk and the traditions of the St. Dominic Fair.

Animal carnival / Mascot miniparades

Mondays: 27.07, 03.08, 10.08 / Fridays: 31.07, 07.08, 14.08, . 12.00-13.00, 14.00-15.00, 16.00-17.00 / Swietopelk Park

For kids and elderly 🙂 Starring “Dominican Rooster” and his forest friends.

Tower Concerts

Mondays: 27.07, 03.08, 10.08 / Thursdays: 06.08, 13.08
In the 16th-century Gdansk trumpet players and carillonists played concerts together on the towers of city churches. Today we are restoring the custom of tower music-making, combined with ceremonial passages from tower to tower. The main characters will be musicians in period costumes and a group of reconstructors who play the bourgeois figures of the 18th century.

Concert times:
17.30 – concert on the tower of the Church of St. Catherine
18.45 – concert on the tower of the Church of St. Jana
20.00 – concert on the tower of the Main Town Hall

Here is history

08.08, Saturday, Basilica of St. Nicholas / CELEBRATION OF SAINT DOMINIC
at 10.30 – opening the door of the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Gdansk
at 12.00 – mass in honor of St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order

09.08, Sunday, Basilica of Saint. Nicholas

Every day from 9 to 16 August at 13.00 presentation of historic organs on the occasion of the St. Dominic Fair

Closing ceremony

16.08, Sunday at 16.00 / ONLINE – watch on Facebook!
The key to the city gates will be returned to the City Mayor, the bugle call of the Fair will be played for the last time. The ceremony will take place without the public.
On the closing day, colorful characters will appear on the market streets again: Hermes (patron of merchants), Gdańsk merchant with the key to the city gates, costumes in stilts, burghers and Crimson Rooster.

Swietopelk Park Station

Children’s station

So are the fairy-tales

26.07-01.08 / 13.00-13.40

Why do elephants have trumpets? Where did the hump on the camel’s back come from? Why do cats walk their own ways? Who wrote the first letter?
“So are the fairy-tales” are stories full of humour and fantasy about old, very old times, when the world was still new, so completely new. He collected these stories Rudyard Kipling – author of the famous Jungle Book. The children will go on this reading journey together

Daddy reads for me

04-06.08 / h 12.00-14.00

Reading to children has extraordinary power!
The “Daddy reads for me” project is a meeting of the youngest readers with book authors and … fathers. The roles of reading daddies will be played by well-known residents of the Tri-City. If your kids love books, you can’t miss this meeting! Details: www.wbpg.org.pl

Fairy Tail site / Seven Days Around The Week

08-15.08, at 15.30-17.00

Music Station

Summer Chillout

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays / hours. 18.00-21.00
Evening, “lazy” music-making. Soul, funk & jazz

Under the blue sky concerts

July 28, Tuesday, at 19.00 / RHYTHM – THE BEATING HEART OF MUSIC
August 4, Tuesday, at 19.00 / REVUE IN OLD AND NEW STYLE
August 11, Tuesday at 19.00 / THEIR THREE

THE GOODFELLAS

Thursdays: 30.07, 06.08, 13.08, at 19.30-20.00
The duo of two friends: Maks Pabjanczyk (vocals, trumpet) and Olek Jelonek (guitar, backing vocals).
A mix of genres such as soul, funky or gypsy jazz is their element.

Attractions with Calsberg Polska brands

Grimbergen Foodpairing

09.08, Sunday / 15.00-17.00
Grimbergen, a great Belgian beer, invites you to Grimbergen Foodparing – a workshop with chef and cooking journalist Tomasz
Jakubiak, who will present the secrets of choosing the right beer for dishes.

Tomasz Jakubiak in action!

Tomasz Jakubiak is a chef and culinary journalist. Cooking is his element, love and passion. He can talk about food for hours, at the fair he will run
culinary workshops twice. It will be tasty!

Ufff Station…

Choose Your Puf!

Time to relax. Catch your breath 🙂 Remember the social distance.

Targ Węglowy Station

Jumping Jacks 25.07-16.08 / at 11.00-18.00

That’s what all kids like! Good fun at the inflatable Energa Gdańsk Stadium.

Ball in play! 25.07-16.08 / h 11.00-18.00

Meetings with football players from Lechia Gdansk academy, demonstration, sport activities for families with children.

For the first time at Saint Dominic Fair in Gdansk – The city of Wroclaw!

Presentation of Wrocław artisans and craftsman, including workshops cooperating in the implementation of Game of Thrones, masters of architectural and glass mockups, and handicrafts.

Olowianka Station

Pomorskie Voivodeship Station –  The taste of Pomorskie 25.07-16.08 / at. 10.00-18.00

This is the area prepared by Pomorskie Voivodeship. Our cuisine, culture and attractions will be presented here. It’s worth visiting!

Music Station

Carillon Concerts

Gdansk is the only city in Poland that has a unique mobile carillon. It is an instrument installed on the platform of an antique truck and consists of
48 bells with a total weight of almost five tons (the heaviest weighs 845 kg, the lightest 9 kg). How is the music played? The carillonist punches the wooden pegs, reminiscent with their arrangement piano keys and connected with the hearts of stationary bells. In addition to manual play, it also uses a foot pedal similar to the organ. The tradition of market concerts is to combine carillon with other instruments.
01.08, Saturday, at 19.00 / CARILON PLUS TRUMPET
02.08, Sunday, hours. 19.00 / CARILLON ELECTRIC ORCHESTRA

UFFF STATION …

Rest, Breathe 🙂

You do something or do nothing here 🙂 One thing is certain: there is slack! Keep distances.

Attractions with Calsberg Polska brands

Okocimska BARREL ZONE

01.08, Saturday / 02.08, Sunday / 12.00-18.00

Okocim, the main beer partner of the St. Dominika invites you to the Olowianka Island on the second weekend of the Fair. You will be able to try a wide offer of Okocim beers and expand your knowledge about beer in a pleasant and attractive way.

Film evening with Somersby

08.08, Sunday, at 21.15 / LA LA LAND / director: Damien Chazelle 
Mia is a novice actress who works as a waitress in anticipation of a chance. Sebastian is a jazz musician who, instead of recording discs, plays the chop
in a subordinate tavern. When the paths of these two intersect, they share a common desire, to finally do what they love. Love gives them strength, but when careers finally begin to shape, there is less and less time for each other. Can they save the feeling without giving up their dreams?

Accompanying Events

Olowianka Cinema

25.07 – Saturday, at 21.15 / A Star is Born / director: Bradley Cooper,
30.07 – Thursday at 21.30 / Chocolat / directed by: Lasse Hallström,
31.07 – Friday at 21.30 / I, Tonya / director: Craig Gillespie
06.08 – Thursday at 21.30 / Comme un chef / director: Daniel Cohen,
07.08 – Friday at 21.30 / Chicago / director: Rob Marshall,
13.08 – Thursday at 21.30 / We are your friends / director: Max Joseph,
14.08 – Friday at 21.30 / Green Book / director: Peter Farrelly,

Grobla I Station

Children flea market

Grobla I / every day at 10.00-19.00
Special area for children. Here, the youngest will be able to exchange their treasures or check what it is like to be a seller.

Memories Storage

Best souvenirs in Gdansk🙂

Gdansk Tourist Organization’s stand
Targ Węglowy / 10.00-20.00

Night Pictures

Don’t forget to tag us!
A photo in an illuminated frame with a view of the Crane! #magiajarmark,
@jarmarkdominika

Non Stop

Soothing of senses

Kolawka & Lawkolo / Dlugi Targ

Listen to the sound of the sea!
In the Fair area, crowded by passers-by and visitors, two unusual benches are a refuge, offering more than just the rest – the opportunity to listen to the sounds of the fair, or the opposite – to calm down, detach from the sounds of the city and plunge into the sound of the sea. The choice is on the one who takes a seat.

The date tree / Swietopelk Park

Find your soul mate!

For accountants:)

Fifteenth Gdansk Gate / Dlugi Targ

Make it count!
Gdańsk is a city of gates. Since 2010, for the time of the St. Dominic’s Fair, as an addition to fourteen existing Gdansk gates, one more was established on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the St. Dominic’s Fair.
The gate is equipped with a mechanism counting people passing through it and displays the current result.

For the crazy

Gdansk carousel / Fish Market

Here the time passes in retro style 🙂
It’s beautiful! It has two levels, 11.5 m high, 12 m in diameter and  can accommodate 78 passengers at the same time. It was made especially for Gdansk, modeled on the Venetian carousel in a family Italian workshop. It is decorated with colorful, hand-painted sculptures. All figures are mobile – they gallop, sway and rotate to the rhythm of stylish music. The chariots are adapted for the disabled. The top of the carousel is decorated with hand-carved ornaments depicting the most important elements of Gdańsk architecture and landscape.

Ambersky / Olowianka

See Gdansk from an unusual perspective!
In London there is the London Eye, in Las Vegas High Roller, in Singapore Singapore Flyer, and in Gdansk we have AmberSky! The observation wheel, 50 meters above sea level, is equipped with 36 eight-person, air-conditioned and heated gondolas, including one VIP cabin with a glass floor. The ride takes about 15 minutes. AmberSky is the craziest attraction of Gdansk!

For Punctual

 St. Dominic’s Fair Bugle Call, everyday at 12.12 / pre-door of the Town Hall / Długa Street

Don’t miss the city hall trumpeter!
Every day at On December 12, a trumpeter appears in the historical costume at the door of the Main Town Hall to play the St. Dominic’s Fair bugle call, composed of 760 notes (another note is added to the bugle call each year).

For ornithologist

The Rooster sculpture / Targ Węglowy – Amber Museum

Sculpture of a Rooster, which is a symbol of the St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk. It was made by blacksmith artists from all over Poland in 2010 on the occasion of the 750th jubilee of the St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk

Cookrookoo / Swietopelk Park

Check which rooster crows!
Gallery of Fair Cockerels in various designs and colors.

Rooster Mascots

They can be anywhere 🙂