September 3, 2021 - There is only one week left until the beginning of the 56th Vinkovci Autumns, which will shine with their old splendor this year. Once again, for ten days, the Vinkovci Autumn will bring a handful of events and show why it is the biggest manifestation of traditional culture in this part of Europe.

Yesterday, the Organizing Committee of Vinkovci Autumns officially presented the program of this year's event, reports HrTurizam. Unlike last year’s which were organized for the first time in special circumstances, the 56th edition takes on a look that everyone is already used to.

It all starts on September 10th with Folklore Evenings that will last until September 15th. 46 societies from Vukovar-Srijem County have registered, 43 will perform at the Folklore Evenings, while three societies will host the State Folklore Festival on September 18th and 19th. The first weekend is reserved for the youngest guardians of traditional culture and the Inter-County Festival of Children's Folklore Groups. 12 counties and the City of Zagreb will participate, and in the Children's Parade on Sunday, September 12, we will be able to see a total of 47 groups.

Slavonski sokak opens its doors on the first day, and as it has always been there, with the support of tamburitza players, you will find a rich offer of domestic and indigenous products of 51 exhibitors. Six winemakers this year will be at the Wine Alley where you will be able to from Monday, September 13, while the next day the main stars will be members of the Folklore Ensemble Lisinski who are celebrating 70 years of existence.

The highlight of the event begins with the grand opening on Friday, September 17th. Saturday is reserved for the National Folklore Festival, and on Sunday we traditionally go to the festive Parade in the city center. The parade of the 56th Vinkovci Autumns will be enriched by 42 local folklore societies and 28 invited societies, which are the highest ever.

Vinkovci is the oldest town in Europe, and it is located 21 km west of Vukovar, 39 km east of Đakovo, and 43 km south of Osijek.

"Thank you to everyone who contributes to Vinkovci Autumns being the biggest event in Croatia and beyond. I hope that we will all adhere to epidemiological measures and try not to endanger anyone. I think we’ve learned to live with that already. A lot is waiting for us, we had to leave something out, but everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy the rich content for all ages", said the President of the Organizing Committee, Mayor Ivan Bosančić. He stressed that there will be no tents this year and everything will take place in the open, more precisely on the stage in the city center.

For more information, visit the Vinkovci Autumns official website, or their official Facebook page.

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ZAGREB, September 20, 2020 - The 55th Vinkovacke Jeseni (Autumn in Vinkovci) folklore festival, held this year in line with measures introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, ended on Sunday in that eastern Croatian town with a parade of participants and horse-drawn carriages.

Members of 31 folklore troupes from Vukovar County and 25 horse-drawn carriages and 30 horse riders walked through the city centre.

There were no visiting folklore troupes from other parts of the country and the Croatian diaspora this year due to the coronavirus pandemic but their previously filmed performances were shown on a video wall.

The parade of folklore troupes was followed by numerous visitors.

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September 17, 2020 – Beginning today, one of the country's largest and oldest annual folklore events - Vinkovačke Jeseni – finds new ways to continue the music, dancing and preservation of Croatian culture

Of all events requiring a serious rethink because of epidemiological guidelines, folklore is perhaps the most problematic. The traditional folk dancing of Croatia requires participants to be in close proximity. Often, groups are joined by the hand – and hundreds can join in. But, not this year.

Being one of the largest traditional folklore events in the country, Vinkovačke Jeseni (Vinkovci autumn) has had a lot of thinking to do. Having been enjoyed by inhabitants of the eastern Slavonia town every year continuously for over half a century, not to mention many thrilled visitors, cancellation was a last resort. And it's one they have thankfully not reached.

The 55th Vinkovačke Jeseni is going to look very different to previous editions,. But its colourful costumes, wonderful dancing, great music and preservation of Croatian culture can still be enjoyed by all. Only this year, you'll be enjoying it on TV.

Instead of inviting visits by hundreds of folklore societies (KUDs) from across Croatia, for the 55th Vinkovačke Jeseni, the event has visited them. From August 27 to September 4, a special film crew visited all of the counties in the country and made short films with local KUDs about the traditions, culture and customs of each region. These will be shown as video postcards at the ceremonial parade. Made by Plave Vinkovačke televizije (Blue Vinkovci Television), they will also be available for anyone to watch internationally until September 20.

The physical event in Vinkovci will still have its traditional parade of participants, and horse-drawn carriages will still parade through the town, although this year there will only be around 30 KUDs from the wider Vukovar-Srijem County in attendance. The opening event will take place on the main square and this year there will be no large tent for nighttime revelry.



All photos from previous editions of Vinkovci Autumns © Vinkovačke Jeseni

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This past weekend was one of the best annual events for Vinkovci, being the 54th anniversary of Vinkovci Autumn, which showcases some of the best Slavonia has to offer. This past weekend Total Croatia News' James MacDonald was there and had a chance to see behind the scenes and find some of the hot spots to eat in Vinkovci.

The fact that Vinkovci is commonly referred to as the “oldest town in Europe” really took on its significance over these past ten days as the community pulled together putting on the incredible event. It has been a fantastic week for the annual event as thousands of people were drawn out to the festivities. This event is said to have boasted more than 8,000 performers who took part in its 54th anniversary. To see it in person for many was a spectacular event  - witnessing Croatian tradition come to life.

The feeling of autumn was definitely in the air with the yellow and orange leaves falling. The bright colours of autumn filled the streets with pastel orange and yellow under the blue Croatian sky. There was the midway of carnival rides, plenty of shopping, arts and crafts, gastronomy and beverages, marathons, concerts, musical performances, plays, parades, and much more. It is almost impossible to write everything and see everything that happened during this magical festival.

There’s always room for more great Slavonian dishes to try...

When attending such an event it is near impossible to resist the smell of freshly cooked Čobanac, fish paprikaš and more. The sight of fish cooking over the open wood fire pits and the black kettles is just one sign that you know you’re in Slavonia. The region is known for cooking with paprika, a rich crimson red spice that is put into most of the gastronomic dishes and is to be savoured. It was a great way to experience some dishes you may have not tried before.

Music could be found playing everywhere in Vinkovci as night fell.

There was plenty of entertainment throughout the city as tamburitza bands sang and performed walking the streets playing their beloved songs. In the café bars were thousands of people soaking up the sounds of continental Croatia while gathered with friends and family. There was that ambient feeling of nostalgia as if time had stopped and our everyday problems disappeared amongst the people.

A chance to see how Croats get ready for this big cultural event.

The event really helped celebrate the rich history, culture and tradition for many Croats. It was also a great opportunity to share and introduce Croatian culture to younger generations who got to experience and be part of their family’s rich cultural heritage. Vinkovci was definitely the place to be if you wanted to see many different Croatian customs all in one place. Each region has its own specific style and clothing that represents generations upon generations, continuing its rich cultural legacy.

The autumn festival brought together some of the most elegant Croatian clothing to be seen. The bright glittering golden “dukats” were adorned by the ladies that had been passed down through many generations in the same family for years. The ''dukats'' are more than just decoration, but are symbols of wealth and prosperity (and the history of that in itself would be a completely different article).

Each region has its own style of embroidered clothing and choice of colours to represent the area as well as their family heritage. In some garments, the patterns are very sophisticated with great attention paid to the details.  

The men also took part in the tradition of wearing clothing which dated back to their grandfathers and now deceased relatives. The men’s attire was paired to the women’s clothing in terms of style associated with the region they were from. The men were adorned with different tailored jackets, trousers and hats that took many visitors back to their very own ancestors.

It was also a chance to see how the crew gets ready for their big TV performance...

With the sun setting during the golden hour, the streets became more alive, drawing more and more crowds to the centre stage. The dress rehearsals slowly began and one could feel the energy of excitement in Vinkovci. To be there and watch the piece together was one of those precious moments in life as the performers set about their final preparations for the evening show. The side streets were full of performers wearing all sorts of bright coloured clothing as they waited patiently to be called to the stage.

Watching the pre-show, one could see how the performers were hooked up to wireless microphones, then the difficult part of having the performers know their mark on the stage for camera shoots, while the traditional dancers paraded around the stage. It was truly a rare opportunity to see the piece come together for those that attended the event.

The organisers waved their hands in the air like conductors to direct the crew and stagehands to engage in last-minute adjustments. The director carefully prepared for hours in making sure that the presentation of the event would go smoothly for the live broadcast on Croatian TV. Everything went perfectly when adjusting everything from floodlighting and stage direction.

It's necessary to give a special thanks to everyone who took the time to make the annual Vinkovci Autumn such a memorable event that draws thousands of people back to Vinkovci every year. Without their tireless efforts, the festival would not be the success that it has become known as in the usually overlooked Eastern Croatian region of Slavonia.

Much appreciation goes out to the many volunteers, organisers, and sponsors and of course to the Municipality of Vinkovci. Congratulations to another successful year thas brought people together in this one of a kind place known as Vinkovci - The oldest town in Europe.

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As part of the 54th Vinkovci Autumn, a new gastronomic delicacy of the Vukovar-Srijem County was presented - meet the Black Sandwich, made with a black bun and the specialty black Slavonian ham. 

HRTurizam reports that with already well known Slavonian specialties like kulen, ham, sausage, cracklings, bacon was somehow always pushed to the background. However, with this project, the goal is to popularize bacon through a new product - the Black Sandwich.

Namely, a black bun is served with fried black Slavonian bacon, which has been found to have a more specific taste and flavor than the bacon of other pigs. It's even been shown to have good cholesterol, too. The goal is to introduce this new sandwich as a recognizable part of the gastronomy offer of Vukovar-Srijem County.

“Black Slavonian pigs are organically fed and produce organic, quality meat. Today's promotion of the Black Sandwich shows that we in Slavonia have excellent and quality products, and the Black Slavonian pig, or as we say the 'fajferica', is certainly one of the better ones,” said Bozo Galic of Vukovar-Srijem County.

Vegetarians, look away - the BlackSandwich consists of bacon made from black Slavonian pigs, a black burger bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and a fried egg.

The plan is to begin seriously promoting this new Slavonian treat to ensure that the 'Black Sandwich' is in the hands of customers as soon as possible. The visual identity of the Black Sandwich was made by the famous Croatian comic author Dubravko Matakovic. 

According to the announcements from Vukovar-Srijem County, the caterer's interest in the Black Sandwich is high, especially since sufficient quantities of bacon are secured through the Agroklaster VSŽ. Thus, the Black Sandwich should be widely available from next year.

The Vinkovci Autumn was held from September 13 to 22, offering the best display of Slavonian customs in an effort to preserve them. This famous and well-known folklore, tourist, economic, and cultural event attracted around 100,000 visitors.

In addition to the vibrant traditional and cultural program, that is the foundation of the event, the enticing gastronomy and entertainment program included the best Slavonian specialties to souvenirs, a variety of accompanying programs, a wine town, craft beer festival, conferences and various concerts every day.

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September 14, 2019 - For the 54th year, the Vinkovci Autumn event will proudly preserve and nurture the customs and cultural heritage of Croatia.

Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam writes that from September 13 to 22, Vinkovci Autumn will offer the best display of Slavonian customs in an effort to preserve them - and this renowned and well-known folklore, tourist, economic and cultural event will attract around 100,000 visitors.

In addition to the vibrant traditional and cultural program that is the foundation of the event, there is also an enticing gastronomy and entertainment program: from the best Slavonian specialties to souvenirs, a variety of accompanying programs, a wine town, craft beer festival, conferences and various concerts every day.

Since 1970, as part of Vinkovci Autumn, young folklore groups also have their place in cultural and artistic societies, and by learning from their elders, they nurture and preserve the tradition and heritage of their towns. 

In order to show what they learned and rehearsed during the year, and as worthy heirs to the older guardians of traditional heritage, children's folklore groups from all counties of Croatia, as well as the diaspora, will arrive in Vinkovci, where two days are dedicated only to them. 

Thus, the Children’s Vinkovci Autumn, as this two-day event of children’s folklore groups is called, takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 14th and 15th, featuring the most festive of folk costumes and customs. Rihelj adds that the Children's Vinkovci Autumn guarantees the survival of this event as a whole, and that this year, the Children's Vinkovci Autumn will feature 3,000 small participants, with over 60 children's folklore groups.

Vinkovačke jeseni Facebook

Vinkovci Autumn offers one of the biggest stages of original traditional Croatian folklore, with about 8000 participants in total. The theme of this year's event is "Three dear words", in regards to Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem.

The most spectacular event will take place on the last day, when 75 KUDs and folklore groups from the country and the diaspora, 30 horse-drawn carriages and about 50 riders, or almost 4,500 participants, will parade the streets of the city in a ceremonial march. 

Find out more about Vinkovci Autumn here.

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