The sports and cultural festival "Vytoki. A Step Towards the Olympus” kicks off in Slonim on 16 June, BelTA has learned.

Slonim is taking over from Baranovichi as a host of the festival run by the National Olympic Committee of Belarus for the third year in a row. Over the two days, 16 and 17 June, Slonim residents and guests will be treated to an eventful program.

The first day of the festival will celebrate the cultural heritage of the region. Experts will also discuss sport development in the region at a number of seminars.

The Slonim District Center for Children and Youth Creativity will host a drawing interactive event “Play and draw with us” organized by ArtHaos Gallery. The major theme for the contest is Tsmok [dragon].

The draw of the festival's third season is its theatrical component. The evening program of the festival in Slonim will be opened by the play A Fooled Husband by the Gorky National Academic Drama Theater at the Centre of Culture and Recreation. The first day will be wrapped up with the screening of a famous sports film in the open-air cinema.

On 17 June, the festival will continue with the fest "The Wealth of the Place" that will highlight the cuisine, the structure and rituals of Grodno Oblast. The exhibition and sale "Belarusian Brands" will present the products made by Belarusian manufactures, including those developed with the participation of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

The Olympic race, which will draw together about 500 children under 9 years old, will precede the opening ceremony. It will be followed by the Olympic quest, one of the most anticipated activities. Everyone under the age of 14 will have the opportunity to take part in sports competitions, test their capabilities in various sports, complete tasks and receive valuable prizes. Activities will be organized across 30 locations. The festival will also present its new location "Games of our Yard". The final of the regional leg of the new intellectual and educational project "Vytoki. Quiz” will feature teams from each district of Grodno Oblast. The project will continue in each of the cities hosting Vytoki 2023.

The program of the second day will also include a show of apparel collections by Belarusian manufacturers, designers and entrepreneurs (Rodnaye-Modnaye), a new song lyrics contest "Poems about life important things". The festival will also feature a vocal competition. Laureates will be awarded diplomas and prizes. The highlight of the festival this year will be a concert featuring Belarusian artists, fireworks and a disco.

Grodno Oblast is hosting Vytoki for the third time. In the past the festival was held in Lida and Novogrudok. The organizers of the festival are the National Olympic Committee, the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, OOO Arthaos and OOO BelBrendAudit with the support of local authorities.

Written by belta.by