Latvians in Australia will celebrate their culture for the 50th time during the Australian Latvian Culture Festival (Austrālijas Latviešu Kultūras dienas) scheduled Dec. 26-31 in Melbourne.

The many different events scheduled during the festival will include staging of the classic Latvian play by Anna Brigadere, “Lolitas brīnumputns,” and a folk-dancing performance with a theme centred around the septiņdienu gredzens (Seven-day ring) and featuring dancers from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra.

The opening concert on Dec. 27 will feature soloist Baiba Zandere and a youth choir from Latvia, Resono, conducted by Edgars Račevskis.

Other features of the festival are an arts and crafts exhibition, a sacred music concert, a night for Latvian families at the Polly Woodside Maritime Museum, basketball matches, a darts competition and social get-togethers every night for the younger crowd at various venues in Melbourne.

A youth-oriented “Triple Bill Extravaganza” is scheduled Dec. 30 and will feature Brīvdiena, a band from Latvia, as well as performances of modern and folk music by the Latvian-Australian groups Kastietādi, Zigrīda ansamblis, Duk Duks and Bārdas tiesa.

The festival will conclude Dec. 31 with a New Year’s Eve Ball.

For further information about the festival, visit www.al50kd.org. For information about youth-oriented activities during the festival, visit www.ljaa.org.au.