ZAGREB, March 3, 2019 - The Rijeka Carnival Parade, a colourful march which is the culmination of the Rijeka Carnival, was held in that Adriatic port on Sunday, with over 10,500 costumed participants and 67 allegorical floats passing through the city centre.

This year's carnival parade included groups from Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia as well as from all parts of Croatia.

The seaport was imbued with a festive atmosphere throughout this weekend, especially on Sunday afternoon when floats were passing along the main streets.

The carnival procession attracted a large audience, including very important persons such as Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, foreign ambassadors to Croatia, other diplomats and officials from Rijeka's twin cities.

The children's carnival parade was held on 16 February.

The Rijeka Carnival has been added to the list of the 500 most important events in Europe (Top 500 European Events). Furthermore, the British newspaper Sunday Times has described the carnival as one of the most exotic events in the world.

More news on Rijeka can be found in the Lifestyle section.

The 20th Rijeka Carnival Ball was held at the Croatian Littoral Maritime and Historical Museum building on Saturday evening. The money raised at the ball will be used to purchase the necessary medical equipment for the Clinic for Paediatric Surgery of the Rijeka Clinical Hospital Centre, reports Novi List on March 3, 2019.

The ball featured musicians of the Novi Sad Big Band and SuperCover Band, dancers and singers of the Cabaret a la Carte group, as well as the artist Ana Perišić from the Traumatic Arts Association. The ball was attended by Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obersnel, President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, as well as many ambassadors from a number of countries.

The President arrived in a royal blue dress with airy hairstyle and in an excellent mood. During the ball opening, the introductory speech was first given by Mayor Obersnel, followed by the president who pointed out that she was particularly pleased that Rijeka was continuing the carnival tradition and invited everyone present to have fun during the ball and Sunday’s carnival procession.

All the ladies who were present at the ball were dressed in beautiful dresses befitting the ladies of a court. A unique dress with a message was worn by the Queen of Korzo Ivanka Pavičić, who impressed everyone with her military-style dress with gold accessories and an F-16 fighter jet on her chest. Men mostly opted for royal or church masks, but there was also a Count Dracula costume worn by a Rijeka lawyer.

The musical repertoire was apparently a hit since many guests spent the night on the dance floor, and some of them demonstrated great dancing skills.

The carnival charity ball was organised by the Town of Rijeka and the Rijeka Tourist Board, the Rotary Club Rijeka – St. Vid, in cooperation with the Maritime and Historical Museum of the Croatian Littoral. Sponsors of the ball were Jadrolinija Rijeka, the INA oil company, Zagrebačka Pivovara, Tia Partner and Lidl Croatia.

Translated from Novi List (reported by Šarlota Brnčić).

More news about carnival festivities in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, February 11, 2018 - The International Carnival Parade of the 35th annual Rijeka Carnival began in the northern Adriatic port at noon on Sunday, with 104 groups of over 10,000 masked participants and 71 allegorical floats passing through the city centre.

ZAGREB, February 8, 2018 - The main parade of the 35th edition of the Rijeka carnival will be held in the streets of that northern Adriatic city on Sunday, and the organisers have announced more than 10,000 masked revellers in 104 groups.

ZAGREB, February 6, 2018 - Three gay rights groups and a parenting association have filed a complaint against the organisers of a children's Carnival parade in Kaštela, near Split, because a picture book on same-sex families was burnt as the Carnival effigy in front of several hundred parents and children last Sunday.

A quite brilliant sketch to mark the Carnival in Jelsa on Hvar. A commentary through the eyes of a foreigner wading through Jelsa dialect.

Carnival season is upon us, and a political coup in Pula.