The fifth National Carpet Fair takes place at three museums in Chisinau on December 16. The event entitled “Longing Carpet” aims to promote the authentic Romanian carpet and the carpets of the national ethnic groups, IPN reports.

The fair is housed by the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History, the National Museum of History of Moldova and the National Museum of Arts of Moldova. Entrance is free of charge between 2pm and 6pm.

The National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History will present an exhibition of carpets from its collection and two types of thick cloth used to make carpets that were brought from the Țării Crișurilor Museum of Oradea, Romania. A peasant farmstead will be set up in the yard of the museum and the visitors could taste traditional dishes.

As from 3:30pm, the National Museum of History of Moldova will present winter traditions of Bulgarians, Ukrainians and Gagauz people and will host workshops staged by famous female weavers and also a performance of songs from the folklore of the minorities living in Moldova.

An exhibition entitled “Traditions and modernity” will take place at the National Museum of Arts of Moldova starting at 5pm. The exhibits will include paintings made by Mihai Grecu, Elena Bontea, Sergiu Cuciuc and tapestry works made by Elena Rotaru, Silvia Vrânceanu, Andrei Negură, Maria Saca-Răcilă and others. There will be staged a show of winter people’s clothes.

The band “Flori de măr” of Râșca, Suceava, the folkloric group “Glasul Odăieșilor” of Galați Ciunty and the band “Cerbul” of Heleșteni, Iași, are the special invitees of the fair. The event is organized with assistance from the Swiss Development Agency and the Castle Mimi.