City of Seattle, WA
09/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/30/2024 21:43
The 20th Anniversary of CroatiaFest Brings Croatian Culture, Cuisine & Folklore to Seattle Center | Oct 6
Links below will open new windows.
SEATTLE - Seattle Center Festál showcases the rich Croatian culture, cuisine, and folklore with CroatiaFest - the only Croatian festival of its kind in North America - on Sunday, Oct. 6 from noon to 6 p.m. at the Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall.
The free public event will feature traditional Croatian music and dancing all day on the mainstage, Croatian delicacies, crafts, local history exhibits, travel information, cooking demos, souvenir booths, imported foods, and kid's activities.
Special guests from Croatia musical group, Klapa Kumpanija from Vela Lake, Croatia (a 20-year sister city of Anacortes, WA), will be performing the Klapa style of acapella singing on the Armory stage and in the Konoba Wine Room on the third floor of the Armory.
The event will also welcome 20 local Croatian music and dance ensembles, including the Croatian folklore ensemble, Nova Nada of Detroit, MI, and Sarena Tamburitza Orchestra of Cleveland, OH. Making their first appearance at the festival, Nova Nada preserves and promotes Croatian folklore through song and dance, and the all-female Sarena Tamburitza Orchestra - a festival favorite - will wow audiences with its four-part vocal harmony.
"This year, CroatiaFest will be bigger and better than ever as we mark the event's 20th anniversary," said John Morovich, a CroatiaFest organizer. "CroatiaFest is like taking a day trip to Croatia, where you can taste the food, hear the music, and join in the circle dance," Morovich added.
Seattle Center Managing Artistic Director of Cultural Programs, Heidi Jackson added, "The richness and beauty of Croatia and its culture come to life with CroatiaFest, and we're excited to celebrate it again this year here at Seattle Center."
In addition to the entertainment and festivities, the Consulate General of Croatia from Los Angeles will be available from 12:00-4:00 pm on the 3rd floor of the Seattle Center Armory for passport renewal, citizenship applications, and notary services by appointment on a first-come, first-served basis. For information about required documents and to schedule an appointment, contact the Consulate by phone (310-477-1009) or email ([email protected]).
Information about the festival is available at seattlecenter.com and croatiafest.org.
About CroatiaFest
CroatiaFest promotes and preserves Croatian culture and educates future generations of Croatian Americans and the general public with the richness and beauty of Croatian culture.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál is where the world gathers to celebrate the people, the places, the stories, and the traditions of diverse ethnic communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. This unique public program series links together 24 free festivals, each offering its own cultural focus, identity, and range of engaging activities to cultivate a deeper understanding of the diversity of our region. Seattle Center Festál is produced in partnership with community groups, presented on weekends from February to November, and supported by City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation, and 4Culture. Festál is also part of the ArtsFund Cultural Partners Network.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our city and region. Seattle Center's 74-acre campus, centered around the International Fountain, is part of the Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena; more than 30 cultural, educational, sports, and entertainment organizations; and a broad range of public and community programs. In everything it does, Seattle Center's mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments which delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities.
Seattle Center has expanded its role to provide maintenance and public safety services for Seattle's new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle's downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center supports managing these new waterfront public spaces in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, which offers the community a range of recreational and cultural programming. Thanks to the support of Official Seattle Center Partners - Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Premera Blue Cross, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank - Seattle Center is the #1 arts and entertainment destination in the Pacific Northwest with 12 million annual visitors, generating $1.864 billion in business activity and more than $631 million in labor income annually. www.seattlecenter.com