CroatiaFest will take place on Oct. 6, 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.
Featured activities include:
- Traditional music and dance, with special performances by local, national and international groups including Klapa FD (Folklorno Društvo) Kumpanija a cappella singers from Vela Luka, Croatia; Nova Nada singers and dancers from Detroit, Michigan; and Šarena Tamburitza Orchestra from Cleveland, Ohio — one of a few all-female tamburitza bands
- Cooking demonstrations with expert chefs, preparing Croatian dishes like a traditional seafood specialty, Baklava dessert, and Komiška Pogača, a Croatian bread filled with salt fish or anchovies, onions, garlic and tomatoes
- Delicious traditional Croatian cuisine including BBQ lamb on the spit
- A Croatian marketplace with imported Mediterranean foods, beverages and baked goods, crafts, ceramics, jewelry, wooden ware, apparel, and gift and souvenir items
- The Konoba Wine Room with Croatian-American vintners and wine shops, Ancestry Cellars, Balkan Store, Vinbero. Open from 12:30 p.m.–5 p.m. with live music and free admission.
- Lectures, presentations and kids’ activities
Croatia image credit: Michelle Maria/Pixabay
