Kolkja Sled and Winter Festival

Kolkja Sled and Winter Festival invite you to discover winter by Lake Peipsi in its most authentic form. The community festival in Kolkja village offers a rare opportunity to experience the culture of the Old Believers of Peipsi, whose roots go back centuries. Winter in Peipsimaa is quiet and enchanting – the lake ice, the wind, and the smell of smoked tea create an atmosphere that cannot be found elsewhere.

The event centers around the local way of life: sledding, winter folk games, Old Believers' songs and stories, and Peipsi lakeside food – onions, fish, and samovar tea. The Winter Festival is not a staged performance but a village party where guests are welcome to partake in the community's everyday heritage.

When the lake is covered with ice, we also take out our kicksleds and test ourselves in friendly competition in the kicksled race, Kolkja Sled is born. The race is part of a larger Winter Festival, which brings local food vendors, winter flavors, and local dances to the lake.

Kolkja Sled is scheduled to take place, depending on ice conditions, on either February 1st or March 1st.