News and Updates

We congratulate our Festival's Music Program Leader, Paul Berkolds, with being awarded Latvia’s highest honor – the Order of the Three Stars!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first Town Hall on October 22! We were blown away by the participation–thank you to all 72 people who tuned in to learn what the XVI Latvian Song and Dance Festival Organizing Committee has been up to.

Organizing committee members...

A team of Latvian volunteers...

A group of enthusiastic golfers gathered...

In June of 2024, Jody Galens and Rita Bole once again organized a wonderful Pickleball tournament in Garezers.

In May of 2024, we hosted a Game Night Fundraiser at the Grand Rapids Latvian Association...

​​In April of 2024, the Grand Rapids Song Festival organizers coordinated a Logo Launch and Lounge, which included a canned food drive...

225+ Latvians and Friends brought in the 2024 New Year with a Fundraiser in coordination with the Kalamazoo Latvian Association...

In fall of 2023, we launched our second fundraising event, a dual event!

On September 9th, 2023, at Mežvidi, the organizing committee held their first in-person master planning meeting for the Song and Dance Festival...

In June of 2023, we launched our first fundraising event, a Pickleball Tournament led by Jody Galēns and Rita Bole in Garezers.