“Museum Festivities” is a folklore and ethnographic celebration that the Rivne Regional Museum of Local Lore has been hosting every year since 1992 in its courtyard. At the end of May, folk art masters, folklore groups, writers, and artists from Rivne region gather here.
The festival was founded by ethnographer and local historian Alla Ukrainets, an honored cultural worker of Ukraine. Its predecessor was a folk crafts fair held in 1990 at the Theatre Square in Rivne.
Fair, concert, and fashion show
The festivities take place on one of the last Sundays of May and conclude the week-long “Museum Marathon” — daily tours, exhibitions, and meetings with writers at the museum and its branches. In the courtyard, ceramics, straw and wood crafts, woven and embroidered items, folk toys, bead and amber jewelry are displayed. Nearby, handmade soaps and candles are sold.
Masters hold workshops, folklore groups perform concerts, and there is a fashion show of traditional clothing. Communities from across the region bring folk dishes — over the years these have included Shpaniv, Horodok, Tarakaniv, and Babyn. Near the museum entrance, artists exhibit landscapes, and local writers present their books.
Photo: Suspilne Rivne
Who brings the crafts
Over more than three decades, over four hundred masters have participated in the festival. In the best years, more than two hundred craftsmen from all over Ukraine gathered in the courtyard, and historical clubs demonstrated sword fencing and crossbow shooting.
They primarily invite honored folk art masters and those with many exhibitions behind them, alongside young people just starting out. Among the participants are teachers, doctors, and candidates of historical sciences who practice crafts, as well as owners of ethno-estates in Rivne region.
Festivities during the pandemic and war
In 2020, due to the pandemic, the festival was held in a shortened format and called “Museum Hospitality.” The 30th anniversary festivities took place on May 23, 2021, and the 33rd on May 25, 2025.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, the number of participants was limited, and mostly masters from Rivne region are invited. During the festival, funds are raised for the military: in 2024, 86 thousand hryvnias were collected for the treatment of a wounded soldier.
Where the festival takes place
The festivities are held in the courtyard of the Rivne Regional Museum of Local Lore: 19 Drahomanova Street, Rivne. The date is announced annually by the museum, usually on the last or penultimate Sunday of May.
