CroatiaFest will take place on Oct. 5, noon–6 p.m., at the Armory Food & Event Hall. The festival is part of the Seattle Center Festál series. It is free and open to the public.
Seattle Center Festál presents CroatiaFest in partnership with CroatiaFest. The festival presents Croatian culture through music and dance performances by the finest Croatian musicians, singers and dance ensembles from the Pacific Northwest, Canada and beyond. Museum-quality exhibits tell the story of the Croatian American immigrant experience through historical photos, artifacts, traditional costumes and folk instruments. Attendees can enjoy cooking demonstrations of traditional foods by Croatian chefs. The office of the Croatian Consulate assists with passports, visas and official government documents.
Step into Croatia’s heritage with exhibits such as A Legacy in Costume featuring museum-quality folk garments, Through the Lens of Martin Koenig photography of rural Croatian communities, and Who Were They and Where Were They From? highlighting Croatian immigration history and accomplishments in Western Washington.
Guests can also enjoy a special travel talk by adventurer Marko Pavela on exploring the Cetina River valley, and the film presentation Leaving=Arriving by Dalibor Martinis: a documentary exploring cyclical migration through personal stories from the Croatian island of Vis.
Live entertainment will showcase traditional and contemporary Croatian culture, including performances by musicians playing Croatian instruments, folk dance groups, singers, and local artists. Award presentations will honor Ivana Prpić of Vancouver, B.C., as the 2025 Featured Young Croatian and Kenneth A. Malich of Gig Harbor, Wash., as the 2025 Outstanding Croatian, with recognition by Croatian Ambassador to the U.S. Pjer Šimunović.
Croatia image credit: Michelle Maria/Pixabay
