During the start of winter, the town creates large straw structures in the shapes of various animals, houses, and people.

At the end of the festival, thousands of people gather for the ritualistic burning of the straw village.

It is likely that during the time of Vytautas , the Karaim were stationed here as a guard unit serving Upytė Castle .

16th century at the end of the year, a parochial school was established near the Evangelical Reformed Church, when in 1584 LDK chancellor E. Valavičius announced the mandatory education of children in the regulations of the Naujamiestis Manor .

During the Soviet era, it was the central settlement of the economically strong collective farm of M. Melnikaitė, where a mechanical repair company and a dairy operated.

Both towers burned down, the Goebels organ built in 1813 in King's Landing was destroyed, windows with stained glass were broken, and the new roof collapsed.