Folk Celebration in Haapsalu: Puuluup, Silver Sepp and Workshops

Rahvapidu promenaadil (Folk Celebration on the Promenade) takes place on Friday, 28 August at the Haapsalu Bandstand. This free event features performances by Puuluup and Silver Sepp, along with a variety of creative workshops where everyone is welcome to join in.

Rahvapidu is part of the programme of Valge Daami Aeg (White Lady Festival), taking place from 28 to 30 August 2026. It is one of Haapsalu’s best known summer traditions. During the festival, Haapsalu Old Town comes alive. Visitors can enjoy concerts, performances, a handicraft fair and a varied cultural programme.

But who is the White Lady and why do people wait for her to appear in Haapsalu?

A centuries old legend tells the story of a forbidden love between a young woman and a canon, a clergyman of Haapsalu Cathedral. The canons were required to follow strict monastic rules and women were not allowed to live in the castle. The canon secretly brought the young woman into the castle. She wore boys’ clothing, so no one knew she was a woman for a long time.

When the secret was discovered, the punishment was cruel. The canon was sentenced to starve to death in prison, while the young woman was bricked alive into the wall of the unfinished chapel. According to legend, her soul has never found peace. On full moon nights in August, a mysterious white female figure can appear in the chapel window.

Is she Haapsalu’s most famous ghost or could the mysterious figure simply be a play of light created by the craftsmen who built the chapel centuries ago? That is for everyone to decide for themselves. This mystery has kept the legend of the White Lady alive. Valge Daami Aeg (White Lady Festival), which grew out of the legend, has been one of Haapsalu’s most important summer events for more than four decades.

You can also experience Valge Daami Aeg on the Haapsalu Promenade, where Rahvapidu invites visitors not only to enjoy the music but also to join in and try something new.

Join the workshops at Rahvapidu

• Literature workshop “Discover Estonia Through Stories”, Lääne County Central Library
• Creative workshop, Ilon’s Wonderland
• Hiiu kannel (bowed lyre) workshop, Coastal Swedes Museum
• Community design and upcycling workshop, Estonian Academy of Arts
• Fantasy instrument workshop, led by Silver Sepp

The evening’s musical performances feature Puuluup and Silver Sepp. The event is hosted by Eero Reinu.

Date and location

Date: Friday, 28 August 2026
Time: 18:00 to 22:00
Location: Haapsalu Bandstand, Haapsalu Promenade
Entry: free

Spend a summer evening on the Haapsalu Promenade and enjoy music, creativity and Estonian culture!

Discover what else Valge Daami Aeg 2026 has to offer and explore the programme taking place in Haapsalu from 28 to 30 August:
→ View the full programme

On the website of the project “Integration and Adaptation Support in Haapsalu”, we share information about local cultural and community events that help people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds living in Haapsalu discover local cultural life, practise Estonian and take part in the local community.