The best festivals and top events in Syrmia (Srijem)

This is a list of The best festivals and top events in Syrmia (Srijem). Most of all events are related to traditional customs and traditions in that part of Croatia. As the biggest event, I would point out Vinkovci Autumns. Also, I would like to mention that the list “The best festivals and top events in Syrmia (Srijem)” refers only to the western part of Srijem – today’s Vukovar-Srijem County in Croatia.

January – Carnival riding

• Carnival riding festivals – traditionally begin after the Feast of the Three Kings and last until Holy Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Carnival riding is a custom that dates back to the time of the Military Frontier. At that time, the border guards on the Sava River guarded the border against the Turks. Carnival riding is organized in a large number of villages throughout Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem.
• Winter dressing (Croatian: Zimsko spremanje) – In recent years, this has become an unavoidable event for all lovers of tradition. Every year, girls, daughters-in-law, and boys dress in traditional costumes and compete in fashion shows. The expert commission is composed of top experts in the field of ethnology. Since this is a festival with only winter traditional clothes, this event is the only one of its kind in Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem.
• Meeting of drama amateurs (Croatian: Susret dramskih amatera)

February – Šokačko sijelo

• Šokačko sijelo – It is a cultural and entertainment event founded in 1968. It is traditionally held every year in Županja. It is thematically focused on nurturing the rich culture and tradition of Slavonia. The program of the manifestation includes evenings of folklore, various exhibitions, nativity plays, the most beautiful girl in a native costume pageant (“Šokački cvit” – “Šokac Flower”), festivals as well as the other performances. Most visitors come to the carnival procession, which has lots of participants and is a real tourist attraction in the open space.
  MORE INFORMATION – Županja Tourist Board
• Vinkovci Carnival – events consist of a children’s carnival promenade, the election of the carnival mayor, a masquerade, a carnival procession and the burning of Bušar
• Youth and beauty of Slavonia (Croatian: Mladost i ljepota Slavonije) is a fashion show of girls, daughters-in-law, and boys in traditional costumes from all parts of Slavonia (all its counties). The event is also of a competitive nature, so the most beautiful girls and daughters-in-law and the most beautiful guy are awarded. The event has been held in Stari Mikanovci since 1968 with the aim of preserving, nurturing, and prolonging the rich traditional heritage of the region (Slavonia).
• Zimski šokački divani – an event that has been traditionally held since 1994. The most beautiful girl is chosen among 12 girls in Slavonian traditional costumes.

March – DORF film festival

• DORF film festival (Croatian: Festival dokumentarnog rock filma) – is a film festival featuring music documentary films. The festival was started in 2007 and was organized by the Association of movie fans “RARE” in Vinkovci. Movies of all formats are selected in three categories—regional, international, and out of the competition. DORF largely concentrates on covering regional documentary production, and after several years of activity, it opened to international works and became a member of the Association of music film festivals.
  MORE INFORMATION – Wikipedia
• Puppet spring (Croatian: Lutkarsko proljeće) – presents meetings of foreign and Croatian puppet theaters that stage numerous plays, organize puppet workshops, exhibitions, and promotions.

April – Flower Fair

• Vukovar Flower Festival (Croatian: Sajam cvijeća) – This festival brings together local and regional plant growers, florists, arrangers, and other related craftsmen and lovers of flowers and ornamental plants. The fair is of exhibition and sales character.
• Vinkovci Health Fair (Croatian: Sajam zdravlja) – The fair promotes healthy living habits, connects the health and non-health sectors, and allows all visitors to participate in seminars, forums, workshops, sports, and other activities. Also, there is an exhibition and sale of domestic food and useful products

May – Roman Days

• Roman Days (Croatian: Rimski dani) -This is a historical, tourist, and educational event. It consists of various workshops for children, a small gladiator school, pottery making, gladiator fights, legionnaires’ formations, storytelling, historical battles, fire juggling games, Roman jewelry making, etc.
  MORE INFORMATION – Vinkovci Toursit Board
• Actor Festial (Croatian: Festival Glumca) – The only festival in Croatia where the actor is in the center. It is held every year in another city of Vukovar-Srijem county since 1994.
• Ethno-weekend in ethno-city (Croatian: Etno vikend u etno gradu) – Competitions in making ethno hairstyles and ethno creations, as well as hairstyles and creations inspired by tradition.
• Otok spring (Croatian: Otočko proljeće) – This is a cultural, economic and sports event, with the aim of preserving the cultural heritage of Šokac and Slavonia.
• Bonofest Vukovar – It is a festival of spiritual music that has been held since 2006. The founder of the festival is Fr. Ivica Jagodić, pastor of the parish of St. Filip i Jakov in Vukovar with active young people gathered in the parish community. The wish of the festival organizers that through the song young people preserve and strengthen their faith. The goal of the festival is for young people to preserve and strengthen their faith through song.
• Sijelo pučkih pisaca – The event is traditionally held in Đeletovci during the manifestation “Divan je kićeni Srijem”. This event brings together poets from Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, with the aim of preserving pronunciations and dialects in this area.
• Vukovar City Day – The celebration of the city day consists of various exhibitions, performances by cultural and artistic societies, concerts, book promotions, etc.
• The sky over Vukovar (Croatian: Nebo nad Vukovarom) – Anniversary of the return of the Vukovar City Museum to the restored Eltz Castle

June – Konji bijelci

• Konji bijelci – This event on the streets of Babine Greda performs the most beautiful Šokac wedding carriages. The event then continues at the Babina Greda Hippodrome. The event then continues at the Babina Greda Hippodrome with competition in traditional disciplines that you will not find at the Olympics or cable television.
• Divan je kićeni Srijem – It is a central event that connects Srijem Croats on both sides of the border. Specifically, it is an event that nurtures traditional culture, folklore heritage, and the identity of western Srijem. It is held every year in the small village of Nijemci.
• Vukovar Festival of Chamber Music (Croatian: Vukovarski festival komorne glazbe) – The festival was launched in 1998 and festival nights are held at the Vukovar Municipal Museum, Croatian Hall Vukovar and Saint Philip and Jacob Church. Guest performers include soloists and chamber ensembles from Croatia and Europe.
• International Danube Day – It is held every year in Vukovar. Visitors can taste traditional fish specialties such as fish stew, roasted carp and forked carp, with free drinks and tamburitza music.
• I’m waiting for you on the Vukovar promenade (Croatian: Čekam te na vukovarskom korzu) – The aim of the event is to revive the legend of the Vukovar promenade and encourage citizens and visitors to walk through the pedestrian zone to get acquainted with the local offer of handicrafts at the stands.
• Kod konjarskih vatri – Experience the raising of a fire alarm at the Military Border on the Sava River in the town of Županja. Also, the festival consists of a review of historical units from all parts of Croatia, ethno-fair, tamburitza concerts, etc.

July – Harvesting and trashing in the past

• Our daily brad – harvesting and trashing in the past (Croatian: Kruh naš svagdašnji – žetva i vršidba u prošlosti) – After Šokački sijelo, the second-largest event in Županja. Apart from the most important work in the field, the harvest has been a symbol of prosperity for Slavonians for centuries. In addition to working in the field, visitors can ride in carriages, enjoy the sounds of local music, see old machines, taste the rich Slavonian gastronomic offer and unforgettable plum brandy, participate in games such as shooting zucchini and throwing horseshoes, buy some Slavonian souvenirs, handicrafts, and enjoy a display of old crafts.
  MORE INFORMATION – Županja Tourist Board
• Blackout hip hop festival – It is held in Vukovar and presents hip hop performers and demo performers from Osijek, Vinkovci and Vukovar. The aim of the festival is to encourage the development of the urban culture of young people.
• Vinkovci City Day – The celebration of the city day consists of various exhibitions, performances by cultural and artistic societies, concerts, book promotions, etc.
• Danube Tourist Regatta (Croatian: Međunarodna dunavska regata) – It is a kayak regatta. The length of the regatta is 2516 kilometers or 1564 miles. It begins in Ingolstadt, Germany, and ends in Sant Gheorghe, Romania, passing through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, all the way to the Black Sea. There are two stations in Croatia – in Aljmaš, and on the Vukovar Island of Sports.

August – Vukovar film festival

• Vukovar Film Festival – was launched in 2007 and is unique in many ways. It is the only film festival that is literally held on the Danube itself, thus providing a unique experience. The festival was created to promote and expand the creative work of filmmakers from the Danube region. Over four to six festival days, many attractive, award-winning, high-quality films are screened, intended for an audience hungry for true cinema. 
  MORE INFORMATION – Vukovar Tourist Board
• The Pannonian zone folklore seminar (Croatian: Seminari folklora panonske zone) – It is held in Vinkovci and the aim of the seminar is to revive and preserve the dance, song and music characteristic of this part of Croatia through education
• Festival of fruit brandies, liqueurs, jams, pumpkins, and zucchini – Demonstration of roasting brandy and cooking jam and exhibition of handicrafts. The International Pumpkin and Zucchini Exhibition are being held as part of the Festival. It is held in the small village of Tovarnik.
• Stanarski susreti – The goal of the event is to see how our grandparents lived. A time when stress was an unknown thing, money a relative term, and a watch an unnecessary thing. The event consists of competitions in several disciplines.

September – Vinkovci Autumn 

• Vinkovci Autumn (Croatian:Vinkovačke jeseni) – It is the greatest folklore event in this part of Europe. It represents the popular-scholarly gathering of original national culture and stimulates the preservation of cultural heritage through song and the playing of instruments, and contributes greatly towards preventing many customs from falling into oblivion. The biggest event on the list “The best festivals and top events in Syrmia (Srijem)“.
  MORE INFORMATION – Vinkovci Tourist Board
• Ethno fashion show (Croatian: Etno revija Vinkovačkih jeseni) – a fashion show presentation of the creations inspired by the tradition, held during the Vinkovačke jeseni event. Organized by Kulturni centar „Gatalinka“ Vinkovci
• Ethno Hairstyles of the World (Croatian: Etno frizure svijeta) – The event is held every year as part of national folklore festival Vinkovci Autumn. There used to be a very complicated method of braiding hair in Croatia, where many small stands, by interbreeding, created a flat strip of hair, which was raised from the back of the head to the top of the head or placed on the forehead. This kind of combing style can be closely compared with the female portraits of the late Roman Empire for the mid-third to late fifth century BC.
  MORE INFORMATION – Gatalinka Vinkovci
• National competition of the makers of kulen (Croatian: Nacionalno ocjenjivanje slavonskog kulena) – event dedicated to the gastronomic specialties of this area – Kulen. It is held as part of the “Vinkovci Autumns”.
• I love Vinkovci (Croatian: Volim Vinkovce) – The goal is to encourage citizens to decorate the city’s residential and business offices as nicely as possible.
• Rowing marathon Vukovar – Ilok (Croatian: Veslački Maraton Vukovar – Ilok) – It has been held since 2004 in memory of the founding of the legendary 204th Brigade of the Croatian Army (September 23, 1991). As many as 32 members lost their lives in the Homeland War or are still listed as missing, so this event is also a memory of them.

October – Vukovar Ethnic Fair

• Vukovar Ethnic Fair – Traditional craftsmen and artisans producing handicrafts and antiques, food, and beverages from all over Croatia exhibit their products at this fair, which is accompanied by a cornucopia of performing arts and culture. In 2018, the Ethnic Fair received special acknowledgment for its promotion of traditional products, awarded as part of the Sunflowers of Rural Tourism award.
  MORE INFORMATIONS – Vukovar Touirt Board
• Josip and Ivan Kozarac days – it is a literary-scholarly event that has been held since 1995. It consists of a literary evening “Living Capitals”, the Slavonian author’s book of the year award, and the “Poetry morning” etc.

November – Vukovar Remembrance Day

• Vukovar Remembrance Day – The Croatian Parliament has declared 18 November to be the “Remembrance Day of the Sacrifice of Vukovar in 1991”, when “all those who participated in the defence of the city of Vukovar – the symbol of Croatian freedom – are appropriately honoured with dignity.” As a symbol of Croatia’s national identity, Vukovar has become a place of pilgrimage for people from across Croatia who seek to evoke feelings of “vicarious insideness”, as Kardov describes them, in the suffering endured during the country’s war of independence. 
  MORE INFORMATION – Wikipedia
• The Šokci word (Croatian: Šokačka rič) – a scholarly gathering whose purpose is to study and nurture the linguistic heritage of Slavonia
• Centuries of Croatian language (Croatian: Stoljeća hrvatskog jezika) – a scholarly event whose goal is to preserve the values of Croatian language as the important feature of the Republic of Croatia’s identity in the European Union. It is held in remembrance of the legalization of the Croatian language in the Croatian Parliament in 1861.
• Katarinian Party (Croatain: Katarinska zabava) – is the successor of Katarinske večeri (the Katarinian Evenings) of the “Veseli pustinjak” (Happy Hermit) Society, which were held around the end of the 19th century.

December – Christmas markets

• Advent in Vinkovci, Vukovar, and Županja – Every year, citizens and all visitors can enjoy the numerous events organized as part of the Advent event in the cities of Vukovar-Srijem County, which begins with the lighting of the first Advent candle. With the celebration of the new year, we end with the list “The best festivals and top events in Syrmia (Srijem)“.

Explore Slavonia, Baranja and Syrmia

No matter your destination, our travel guides are your key to the best attractions.

• Vinkovci Travel Guide
• Osijek Travel Guide

Also, read the best articles related to the entire area of eastern Croatia – The best festivals and top events in Syrmia (Srijem)!

• Kopački rit nature park, one of the largest wetlands in Europe
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• Principovac Castle – one of the most glorious views in Slavonia
• Tvrđa Osijek, the historic architecture with amazing Water Gate
• Birth house of Ivan Kozarac, a museum of the famous Croatian writer
• Classic red British telephone box has become a symbol of Vinkovci
• Vinkovci railway station, the busiest station in Ex-Yugoslavia

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Source:
http://glas-slavonije.hr/412084/7/Vinkovci-i-Vukovar-s-Vucedolom—najstarije-europsko-naselje-i-temelj-europske-civilizacije (23.08.2020.)
https://www.htz.hr/sites/default/files/2012-05/HR-MANIFESTACIJE-2532.pdf (27.08.2020.)
http://www.tz-vinkovci.hr/en/discover-vinkovci/events/ (27.08.2020.)