Vergi Fishermen’s Day, 10 July 2026

There are days you look forward to all summer. For us it was Friday 10 July, when Vergi Harbour hosted the first ever Vergi Fishermen’s Day: a family event running from midday until well past midnight.

We spent half a year preparing it. We wanted an event that genuinely tells you who we are on this coast: fishermen, cooks, musicians and seafaring people.

What happened

The gates opened at 12:00 and the opening words were spoken at 13:00. The day was hosted by Karl-Robert Saaremäe and Rait Õunapuu.

The daytime programme was made for the whole family. The Aasukalda sea rescuers showed how rescue work really happens, let people try it themselves and took visitors on boat trips from the harbour out to sea. Fisherman Leo Bergström set a trap net and explained what coastal fishing looks like today.

There were games for children and a market across the whole area: artisan ice cream, fresh bread and pies, farm produce, hot crisp-fried sprats and, of course, smoked fish.

Music that carried into the night

At 16:00 Viivi Voorand ja Lahemaa Rahwamuusikud took the stage with dances, folk tunes and children’s games, the way it used to be done in a coastal village.

At 18:30 Väikeste Lõõtspillide Ühing took over, led by Marko Matvere. VLÜ is a living legend of Estonian folk music: formed in Pärnumaa in 1989, the band has played concertina tunes, dance music and sea shanties for over 35 years.

At 22:00 Meie Mees came on stage - a hundred minutes of songs every Estonian knows by heart. After the concert DJ Mark Kitajev played until two in the morning.

Event details

When: Friday, 10 July 2026, 12:00 to 02:00.

Where: Vergi Harbour, Sadama tee 51, Vergi village, Haljala municipality.

Food and drink: market stalls and food vendors on site, the Wirkes restaurant and bars open all day.

For children: games, rescue activities and workshops, boat trips.

Vergi Fishermen’s Day was created together with MTÜ Vergi Kalandus- ja Jahtklubi and Virumaa Rannakalurite Ühing, supported by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.

Co-funded by the European Union

Vergi Fishermen’s Day 2026 was carried out with support from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) operational programme 2021-2027, measure "Community-led local development support for the period 2021-2027".

Beneficiary: MTÜ Vergi Kalandus- ja Jahtklubi (registry code 80332880), Sadama tee 51/2, Vergi village, Haljala municipality, Lääne-Viru county, Estonia.

PRIA decision no 17-31.3/26/1552 (05.08.2026), application file F3132400744. Local action group: Virumaa Rannakalurite Ühing MTÜ.

Amount of support: EUR 22,274.73.

Short description of the activity: On 10 July 2026, Vergi Harbour hosted the first ever Vergi Fishermen’s Day - a family event presenting coastal fishing and Vergi Harbour. The programme included a presentation of fishing gear and the setting of a trap net, rescue activities and workshops together with boat trips run by the Aasukalda land and sea rescue unit, and performances by Viivi Voorand ja Lahemaa Rahwamuusikud, Väikeste Lõõtspillide Ühing and Meie Mees, with hosts leading the day and a DJ closing the night.

Objective: To value and present the coastal fishing heritage of Vergi and Lahemaa, bring the community and visitors to the harbour, and start a new annual tradition that supports the vitality of the region, local enterprise and the development of the harbour.

Result: The event took place as planned on 10 July 2026 at Vergi Harbour. The coastal fishing and sea rescue presentations, local food and the concert programme brought visitors from Lahemaa and further afield, and started a tradition - people were already asking about next year’s line-up the day after the event.