Vinkovačke jeseni: Vinkovci becomes centre of traditional Croatian culture as autumn festival opens

The opening ceremony of the Vinkovci Autumn Festival (Photo: Vinkovci Autumn Festival)

VINKOVCI, 19 September 2020 – The annual Vinkovci Autumn Festival (Vinkovačke jeseni), which is celebrating its 55th year, was officially opened last night with a musical-scenic performance called “Curo draga iz sokaka moga”. 

Many visitors gathered around the conveniently arranged stage in the city centre and, despite the epidemiological measures, enjoyed the opening entertainment programme which featured members of cultural and artistic societies.

“The opening ceremony showed the diversity of traditional dances, and the folk attire is a luxury that has been preserved to this day so that on this occasion all the wealth of Šokadija shines before the eyes of viewers,” explained Marko Sabljaković, the opening ceremony’s director.

(Photo: Vinkovci Autumn Festival)

Vinkovci Autumn festival is a celebration of the Slavonian lifestyle, habits and culture and aims to give festival-goers an insight into all things Slavonian – including food, dance, music, costume and dialects.

Visitors could only attend the opening ceremony via checkpoints. Temperatures were measured with thermal cameras, and they all received disinfectants and protective masks.

(Photo: Vinkovci Autumn Festival)

“Tonight, for the 55th time, Vinkovci is the centre of traditional Croatian culture. Tonight’s stage scenes will show the centuries-old immortality, that is, the timelessness of Slavonian life through the famous love song by Ivan Kozarac. I thank everyone who came to our Vinkovci this year as well, which has always been a city with an open heart and welcoming at every step. For the first time in history, the Vinkovci Autumn Festival received the same welcome and togetherness throughout our Croatia. We could not invite you all to Vinkovci, but we brought the Vinkovci Autumn Festival to all of you and we toured Croatia from the south to this beautiful east of ours. Let’s stay responsible and show this year that we are the best hosts by protecting the health of our guests, but also all of us,” said the Mayor of Vinkovci Ivan Bosančić.

(Photo: Vinkovci Autumn Festival)

The opening was also attended by the Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who pointed out that he was pleased to be in Vinkovci, at the 55th Vinkovci Autumn Festival, a famous event that nurtures cultural heritage, folklore, traditional culture.

“I congratulate the mayor and all those involved in the cultural and artistic societies who, despite the special epidemiological circumstances, managed to organise this event, in a slightly shorter format. It is my pleasure to be here in Vinkovci, with a number of members of the Government, and I believe that today we will all once again see the richness of Slavonia and the Šokac region and the great hospitality of the people of Vinkovci and Slavonia,” said Plenković.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić-Radman, the Minister of Defense Mario Banožić, the Minister of Regional Development and European Union Funds Nataša Tramišak and the Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac.

This year, which is the 55th jubilee, is being held under different circumstances because of the current situation with a large number of events cancelled.