Experience the Best of Croatia: Vukovar festival to showcase culture and cuisine

(Photo: TZ grada Vukovara)

Vukovar from May 3rd to 5th once again hosts the Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tourist Events, Attractions, and Destinations “”SVI zaJEDNO HRVATSKO NAJ.”

This year’s festival theme – protected Croatian traditional dishes.

The city of Vukovar will be the host of the unique Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tourist Events, Attractions, and Destinations “SVI zaJEDNO HRVATSKO NAJ” (ALL TOGETHER CROATIA’S BEST) for the sixth consecutive year. 

The festival was announced today at a press conference where the mayor of Vukovar, Ivan Penava, the director of the Tourist Board of the City of Vukovar, Marina Sekulić, Ivica Tucak, the honorary ambassador of this year’s festival, the author and producer of the festival, Aleksandar Kovačević, and Slaven Klobučar from the Tourist Board of Bilogora-Bjelovar spoke about the rich program and all the news related to the sixth edition of the Festival.

(Photo: TZ grada Vukovara)

This year’s Festival, emphasized at the press conference, is dedicated to protected Croatian traditional dishes. At the beginning of the press conference, Mayor Penava expressed his satisfaction with continuing the tradition of the Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tourist Events, Attractions, and Destinations “SVI zaJEDNO HRVATSKO NAJ” and revealed the honorary ambassador of this year’s festival.

“We are particularly pleased that year after year Vukovar, like this festival, is getting better and better. It is my honor to announce that the ambassador of the sixth edition of the Festival is the coach of the Croatian water polo team, Ivica Tucak,” emphasized Penava, addressing the assembled media representatives. 

Tucak also addressed the media, saying, “It is a special honor for me to be the honorary ambassador of the ‘SVI zaJEDNO HRVATSKO NAJ’ Festival this year. I didn’t hesitate for a moment to accept the invitation, which particularly delighted me for two reasons: primarily because it involves Vukovar, and certainly because it concerns Croatian cultural heritage.”

(Photo: TZ grada Vukovara)

Marina Sekulić, the director of the Tourist Board of the City of Vukovar, emphasized that the Vukovar festival “SVI zaJEDNO HRVATSKO NAJ” is of great cultural and tourist importance not only for the city of Vukovar but for the entire Croatia and Europe.

“The festival has become one of the main events – a brand that defines Vukovar as a place of Croatian unity and through tourism. Since its inception, the festival has been recognized as a TOP event of the Croatian National Tourist Board, recognized at the EU level by the European Commission with the EFFE label for significant European cultural festivals. It is also a recipient of the Simply the Best UHPA and Way to Croatia tourism awards,” highlighted Marina Sekulić.

This year’s Festival, emphasized at the press conference, will be held at more city locations than ever before. Along with Vukovar’s Corso and the well-known central stage location at the Republic of Croatia Square and the Eltz Castle park, this year’s festival program will expand to the promenade along the Danube and the attractive location of the amphitheater below the Vukovar water tower.

“We are especially pleased that this year we are organizing a concert program for the first time in a completely new and significant location – in the amphitheater below the Vukovar water tower. This new festival stage will be opened on May 4th, during the second day of the festival at 5:30 pm with a concert by the L.I.P.E. vocal ensemble from Sisak and students from the music department of Dragutin Tadijanović Elementary School,” stated Aleksandar Kovačević, the festival producer, representing the Organizers Without Borders agency. 

(Photo: TZ grada Vukovara)

Slaven Klobučar also addressed the media on behalf of the Bilogora-Bjelovar Tourist Board, which is a partner of this year’s festival, and presented the program activities awaiting visitors.

This year’s Festival will be held under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian Parliament for Culture. It is worth noting that last year’s festival brought together more than eight thousand visitors from all over Croatia and the diaspora, and organizers expect this year’s edition to surpass last year’s attendance.

The ceremonial opening of the sixth Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tourist Events, Attractions, and Destinations “SVI zaJEDNO HRVATSKO NAJ” will take place on Vukovar City Day, May 3rd. 

After the traditional solemn procession and parade of all participants, who will walk the streets of Vukovar, the program of the ceremonial opening will begin at 6:00 pm at the Republic of Croatia Square, with the participation of more than 300 participants this year, during which special awards for the promotion of Croatian intangible cultural heritage will be presented. 

It is important to emphasize that this year, over 600 participants from all parts of Croatia will be involved in the entire program of the 6th edition of the Festival.

Following the ceremonial opening of the Festival, Republic of Croatia Square will once again become a dance floor for about fifty dance couples as part of the “Vukovar Dances” program, and this interactive dance program will continue throughout all three days of the Festival.

As part of the Festival, there will be an eco-ethno fair with numerous exhibitors from all parts of Croatia, and a new attraction of the Festival will be a promotional drive of solar-powered cars organized for the citizens and guests of Vukovar by the Tourist Board of Sisak and the Sisak-Moslavina County within the solar-powered car race – SOELA.

(Photo: TZ grada Vukovara)

This year’s program will be especially interesting for the youngest participants, as the famous Toy Festival from Ivanić Grad will be visiting Vukovar on the second day of the festival.

In addition to the eco-ethno fair and the Toy Festival from Ivanić Grad, various cultural and artistic societies from almost all parts of Croatia will be presented at Vukovar Corso and Republic of Croatia Square as part of the Heritage.hr program, acquainting visitors with the customs of their regions. Among others, the participants include the Zagreb-Markovac Folklore Ensemble, Milan Begović Cultural Art Society from Vrlika, Bjelovar Cultural Art Society, Ivan Vitez Trnski Cultural Art Society from Nova Rača, Sveti Juraj Cultural Art Society from Kras, the municipality of Dobrinj from the island of Krk presenting the authentic song and dance of the island of Krk (Krčki tanac, sopile, etc.), Družina Cultural Art Society with lacemakers from Pag, Vinac Cultural Art Society from Stankovci, Vocal Ensemble Kantalice from Zadar, Knights Association Kumpanjija from Blato on the island of Korčula, and many others.

As part of the Festival, visitors will have the opportunity to explore well-known and original Croatian tourist destinations and events that will be hosted in Vukovar: The Tourist Board of Bilje will present the Paprika Festival and the Shrovetide event “Udaranje pijetla,” the Tourist Board of the Banovina-Pounje area will showcase its Chestnut Festival from Croatian Kostajnica, the Tourist Board of Petrinja will feature its FLIK ceramic festival, and the Women’s Association “What Our Ancestors Ate” from Vrbovca will present the eponymous oldest Croatian gastro-event.

One of the most attended programs of this year will undoubtedly be the stage presentation of the event organized by the Tourist Board of Bjelovar-Bilogora – “Both of Bilogora – Both of Croatia,” which will take place in the Eltz Castle park. As part of the program, the historical unit of the Bjelovar Border Guards – Hussars 1756 and over a hundred costumed participants will be presented.

(Photo: TZ grada Vukovara)

As in previous years, all Festival visitors can expect top-notch concerts. Alongside the “Other Side of the Festival” program, which will showcase young talents and singers every day, they will have the opportunity to enjoy three free evening concerts featuring prominent names from the Croatian music scene on the Republic of Croatia Square. The first night at 9:30 pm will feature the popular Jole, the second festival night will be reserved for the performance of the Rišpet choir also at 9:30 pm, and on the third evening, Tiho Orlić will perform at 8:30 pm.

Before Tiho Orlić’s evening concert, organized by the Tourist Board of Bjelovar-Bilogora, a concert dedicated to the famous Croatian writer, painter, lyricist, and author of numerous chansons, Željko Sabol, will be held under the title “Old Friends, Where Are You.”

As every year, the organizers of this year’s Festival are the City of Vukovar, the Tourist Board of the City of Vukovar, the Organizers Without Borders agency, and the Croatian House “Mother’s Tale.” This year, the partners of the Festival include the Tourist Board of Bilogora-Bjelovar, the Vrhunsko Vukovarsko Cooperative, the Vukovar City Museum, the Zrinski Hunting Society, and the Vukovar Water Tower.

For all the details of the 6th Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tourist Events, Attractions, and Destinations “SVI zaJEDNO HRVATSKO NAJ,” please visit the official website of the Festival: https://svizajedno.eu/#!/program.