About

In the Vana-Antsla manor, a barn was already kept during the tsarist era. In the fair announcements from 1858 - 1859, Vana-Antsla manor is mentioned as the location, e.g.: "The fair will take place in Vana-Antsla manor by the Kraavi tavern." During the period of independence, Antsla town was indicated as the fair location in the calendars.

The Vana-Antsla fair is mentioned for the first time in the official fair notice under the name Hauka fair in 1903 on March 20 and October 23.

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At this point, the meaning of the place name Hauka must be explained. In some reference books, the name of Hauka is added to the name of Antsla town. Antsla, which was initially named Siksälä and later Hauka after the nearest farm, was formed around the Siksälä tavern, which was located on a busy road. After the completion of the Valga-Pihkva railway in 1898. the settlement of Hauka began to grow rapidly. In 1920, Hauka received township rights and has been called Antsla since then. In the 1930s, a fair was held in Antsla even every month.

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During the Soviet era, the fair tradition stagnated, but at the end of the 1960s, Antsla Tarbijate Kooperatiiv revived the tradition, which is still known today under the name Hauka Laada. The warehouse is often stocked with goods in short supply. If in a normal situation you had to take 20 kg of rags to the stocking office to buy a pair of jeans or 40 kg of waste paper to buy two car tires (of course you had to know and know that the said goods are in the store at all), then during the fair you could buy the aforementioned goods without waste paper. Of course, this led to long queues and fights outside the store doors.

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Today, the Hauka Fair has become a major event covering the entire Antsla, which is not limited only to trading. Several manufacturers and importers, 5-6 car company representatives, various sellers of handicraft, industrial and garden goods are represented at the fair. The fair is becoming more and more like a trade fair, where the main goal is not only to sell goods, but also to present your products and services.

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On the entertainment side, there will be an opening party in the Laululava Park on Friday evening and Romuralli on Saturday evening, while a big Stadium Party with top performers will be held at the sports stadium.