February 9th, 2022 - Two second-hand markets have been announced in Rijeka this month, one doubling as a dance party and the other for a noble cause

Fans of second-hand shopping in Rijeka can look forward to two pop-up flea markets in February where clothes and accessories will be sold.

First up, Mama’s Closet: a vintage/SH market taking place at The Beertija, a popular bar in the Trsat neighbourhood. (Among other things, they have 250 brews on their beer list - just in case you need a reason other than a love of vintage clothing to make the hike to Trsat.)

Mama’s Closet will have second-hand fashion take over a full two floors of The Beertija, one floor each for women’s and men’s apparel. The event is known as a dancing swap meet, as the market gradually turns into a dance party as the evening draws near. Browse the racks in the afternoon and get your boogie on after dark - it’s Saturday after all!

Applications are still being accepted if you want to sign up as a vendor, and there's even an option to share a stand with a friend. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or shoot them a DM on Facebook or Instagram if you're interested.

The event is scheduled for February 12th, 2022 from 3pm to 8pm. More info available here (in Croatian).

A week later, another fabulous bar, another second-hand market, this time for a good cause. The Cukarikafe bar nestled in the Old town will host a charity swap meet named The closet of love (Ormar ljubavi).

The event is organised by the Croatian Medical Student International Committee - CroMSIC Rijeka. The funds raised will be donated to the Pediatric Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, namely the Department of hematology, oncology and clinical genetics.

Unlike other local second-hand markets, this pop-up market won’t feature private sellers, but is donation-based instead. As stated by CroMSIC:

'We invite you to go through your closets these days and donate clothes you haven’t worn in a year, clothes that remind you of your ex, clothes you’ve outgrown, or simply clothes that don’t match your personal style anymore.'

Donations can be dropped off at the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka in the week leading up to the event, or directly at Cukarikafe on February 17th in the afternoon.

Nothing of note to donate? Not a problem - you can simply visit the market at Cukarikafe and pick up a nice thing or two to support the brave little fighters in the pediatric ward.

The Closet of Love is taking place on Friday, February 18th at Cukarikafe from 12 pm to 6pm.

November 22, 2018 - Ready to give the gift of your smile for the smile of others?

Smiješak! is an all-day humanitarian event that is held annually every December at the Cukarikafe Bar in Rijeka, and offers all people of good will a chance to be photographed together with their family, friends, and pets in exchange for a symbolic donation, each year for a different cause.

Ever since it first took place in 2010, Smiješak! has been repeatedly supported by countless citizens of Rijeka and its surrounding area, as well as a number of other intentional and accidental visitors.

So who are the people behind the project?

The Smiješak! team includes a number of incredibly enthusiastic volunteers and talented professional photographers. More precisely, they currently count 12 photographers and 4 "print Fräuleins," as the rest of the team endearingly calls them, so in total, that's 16 active members. Sometimes that number changes a little, depending on who is available for participation.

At the 2018 edition of Smiješak! you will be greeted by: Dalibora Bijelić, Vladimir Mudrovčić, Viktor Pravdica, Karlo Čargonja, Ivan Vranjić, Aleksandra Đorđić, Ivana Kutni Mihić, Damir Plavotić, Davor Pavlović, Mateo Udovičić, Tomislav Rašetina, Tanja Kanazir, Martina Perković, Sanda Hunjak, Mateo Antić, Jana Rajnović, and Nataša Slavić.

 Year after year, these guys are so invested and driven by the desire to help others and raise not only money but also awareness for different charitable causes, inspiring everyone around them with their amazing positivity. Investing wholeheartedly their time, skills, and energy, so far they have managed to raise quite a significant amount of funds for the Ivana Brlić Mažuranić children's home and various other non-profit organizations like Rijeka 21 Down's Syndrome Association, Šarolija, Koga Briga, Lovran's Lunjo & Maza and Rijeka's Animal Protection Association, and Kitten Safe House, among others.

With the 8th edition of Smiješak! coming up, we'd like to remind everyone not to miss this year's event. Photos are usually developed and printed on the spot, though additional copies can be ordered post-event, and all you have to do is arm yourself with a smile and come make memories with the Smiješak! crew in downtown Rijeka.

More details are yet to be announced so to keep informed about all the upcoming events, you can follow Smiješak! on Facebook and Instagram, where you can also check out photo galleries from past years.

And make sure you stay tuned for more heart-warming stories like this by following our dedicated lifestyle page.