Leave the champagne to cool, and warm up for New Year's Eve with one of the attractive daytime parties taking place all over Croatia
We're sure most of you have your New Year's Eve all planned out, but seeing that it's Sunday and the forecast calls for outstandingly poor weather conditions later in the evening, here's an idea on how to make the most out of the last day of the year.
In recent years, we've been all about daytime parties on December 31, the so-called doček u podne. New Year's Noon? New Year's Midday? However you look at it, it's a great way to bid farewell to 2017 in a casual way, especially for families with young kids who will surely enjoy a low-key celebration suitable for all generations. Oh, and it's a great excuse to have your first glass of champagne kind of... early in the day.
The picturesque town of Fužine, located in Gorski Kotar, has been organising daytime festivities on December 31 since 2000. The event has quickly become popular and nowadays attracts thousands of visitors, leading to all accommodation facilities in the area being booked out weeks in advance. Not a reason to worry, though; even if you're not planning to spend the night, Fužine is easy to get to - it's a 30 minute drive from Rijeka and an hour drive from Zagreb. Take the motorway and you'll be there in no time, and still make it back to wherever you were planning to go in the evening. There are also bus lines and trains from Rijeka and Zagreb that operate multiple times a day.
This year, the celebrations in Fužine will take place from 10 in the morning to early afternoon, with bands Insula and Ausswinkl muzikanti warming up the crowd. Visitors can buy helium balloons and scribble some good wishes for the upcoming year - when the clock strikes noon, thousands of balloons will make their way up to the sky. Looking forward to the photos!
Multiple cities in Istria have prepared midday programmes, mostly aimed at the youngest visitors:
The ice skating rink at Veruda in Pula will host a New Year's party for kids at noon, followed by a concert of Gelato Sisters band. Pula seems to be big on midday party spirit this year, as two more shows will take place in the city: the 3 Stupid Dogs band will perform in the Rock Bar Mimoza, and the Actors Studio will see a show by the Cherrybombz band.
Visiting Poreč? Take the kids to to Matija Gubec Park to see a performance of Naranča Theatre and celebrate at noon. You can also head to the main square in Medulin for a daytime party for the whole family, with plenty of games and entertaining activities prepared for the youngsters and numerous gastro booths with delicious local specialties for the parents.
Marija Bistrica
Back to continental Croatia with two more ideas:
The town of Marija Bistrica in Krapina-Zagorje County, a short drive north of Zagreb, has been known for their New Year's celebrations at noon for years now. Starting from 10:15, the main square will host a gig of the Ex Band, followed by a concert of Marko Vukes and his band Share Love with Others. The town has prepared a big Christmas raffle with a new car as the grand prize, the Winegrowers' Association Marija Bistrica will provide mulled wine for free, and the Association Hrvatska žena Marija Bistrica will be offering delicious desserts and donate part of the revenue to charity. The nearby town Stubičke Toplice is also hosting a party suitable for kids and young adults from 10 to 13.
Pick a destination, take some friends along, and go!
Sources: Glas Istre, Putovnica.net, Zagorje International
