Participation, enthusiasm, and activities are all on the rise for the GO! Games: the second edition of the cross-border neighborhood games will take place on Saturday, May 17th at Baiamonti Park, in Piazza San Rocco, with as many as 13 teams representing different neighborhoods from the municipalities of Gorizia, Nova Gorica, and Šempeter-Vrtojba. Culture will remain a central element of the event, especially through the Treasure Hunt, but many new features will make this edition even more fun and engaging, fully embracing the GO! 2025 spirit. The morning will spotlight around a hundred 10- to 11-year-old Italian and Slovenian children, who will compete in the exciting challenges of the GO! Games School, organized in collaboration with the Gorizia Department of Education and its Slovenian counterpart.

After last year's zero edition, which was born during a meeting with representatives of neighbourhood associations in Gorizia and developed thanks to the enthusiasm of the latter and other people involved for the occasion, work has been hard at fine-tuning the programme. For the treasure hunt, which involves a long route through the three municipalities, starting from Salcano with stops at the main historical sites in the area and as many questions to be solved, the research contribution of the Borgo San Rocco association was important.

The initiative, conceived and organized by the Municipality of Gorizia in collaboration with the EGTC GO and the municipalities of Nova Gorica and Šempeter-Vrtojba, is supported by Cassa Rurale FVG as the main sponsor, along with contributions from Goriziana Caffè, Campagna Amica Coldiretti, Irisacqua, Despar Nordest, Fructal, and, for the morning activities, Famila on Via Torriani. EGTC GO will also provide specially designed T-shirts for the 13 adult teams and the 10 children's teams.

This morning, the Mayor of Gorizia, Rodolfo Ziberna, presented the GO! Games alongside the Deputy Mayor of Nova Gorica, Tomaž Horvat; the Mayor of Šempeter-Vrtojba, Milan Turk; Gorizia’s municipal councillors for GO! 2025 and Decentralization, Patrizia Artico and Maurizio Negro respectively; EGTC GO Deputy Director, Tomaž Konrad; Umberto Martinuzzi, Vice President of Cassa Rurale FVG; Ivo Bozzatto, Director of Coldiretti Gorizia; Luca Monopoli from the Territorial School Office for Gorizia; Darjo Trobec, Head of Javni Zavod za sport Nova Gorica; and Paolo Verdoliva, President of the Gorizia section of ANA (National Alpine Association). The new features of the 2025 edition were presented by Mauro Battista, speaking on behalf of the neighborhoods involved. Also present was journalist Roberto Covaz, who has been entrusted with creating guides dedicated to the spirit and history of the city’s districts, which will be followed by a series of cultural events.

Participants in the GO! Games School will gather at the Baiamonti field at 8:30 in the morning, while those taking part in the GO! Games will meet at 1:30 PM in Piazza Vittoria, before heading together in a parade to Piazza San Rocco. There will be 13 teams in total: Nova Gorica 1, Nova Gorica 2, Nova Gorica 3, Solkan, Šempeter-Vrtojba, Lucinico, San Rocco–Sant’Anna, Piuma–San Mauro–Oslavia, Piedimonte, Madonnina, Sant’Andrea, Straccis–Montesanto–Piazzutta, and EGTC GO. Each team can include up to twenty members.

At 3:00 PM, there will be a lighthearted, non-competitive showdown featuring the three mayors—an event also inspired by the tradition of the “Games Without Neighborhoods.” The unifying theme will be the Giro d’Italia, in anticipation of the Treviso–Nova Gorica/Gorizia stage finish in Transalpina on Saturday, May 24.

At 3:30 PM, both the challenges at Baiamonti Park and the Treasure Hunt will begin. Participants will take on board games and briscola, various other games, and skill-based courses, leading up to the grand finale, which will involve all teams simultaneously. The 2025 Treasure Hunt will consist of solving 8 riddles that will guide teams to 8 symbolic locations across Salcano, Gorizia, Nova Gorica, and Šempeter-Vrtojba. At each location, teams must take a selfie as proof they’ve solved the clue and send it to the organizers. There will be two additional mystery selfies, crucial for the final ranking, which will be revealed only on the day of the event. All participants must have a bicycle. Speed will not affect the score. The Treasure Hunt is designed to highlight artistic, historical, linguistic, and urban gems throughout the area.

Organized by the National Alpine Association (Associazione Nazionale Alpini), a convivial gathering for registered participants will follow, culminating in the awards ceremony at 9:30 PM. The evening will be enlivened by live music.