Osijek Events, Things to Do and Festivals 2014 / 2015
(Osijek, Slavonia, Croatia)
Catholic Croatia undergoes mainly religious holidays and national events, which take place most months. The majority of attractions and shops, restaurants and banks are closed when these festivals take place and also during Croatian public holidays.
There are plenty of things to do and enjoy for tourists on holiday during Osijek festivals. Some of the better known offerings include the Croatian Tambura Music Festival in May, Osijek Summer Nights between the months of June and August, and Autumn in Tvrdja during the middle of October. In August, fans of extreme sports should look out for the annual Pannonian Challenge, while the following month of September sees the Beer Fest roll into town.
Osijek Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015
January
- New Year's Day (Nova Godina) - January 1st, although freezing, there are several events in the city to mark the first day of the year
- Old Christmas / Epiphany (Bogojavljenje) - January 6th, Eastern Orthodox Christians observe the Julian calendar
February
- Carnival Festivals - mid-February, this fun time is celebrated throughout the country and includes dressing up and parading, along with music, food and drink
March
- Spring Jazz - a springtime extravaganza of jazz and blues, based at the Old Bridge Pub, within the historical Tvrda citadel / fortress
April
- Easter (Uskrs) - although celebrations are not as serious in Slavonia as in Dalmatia, for example, Easter is nevertheless a special time here, beginning on Palm Sunday and carrying on all through Holy Week
May
- International Workers' Day / Labour Day (Medunarodni Praznik Rada) - May 1st, a national Croatian holiday
- Croatian Tambura Music Festival - one of the main events in the city is this fine cultural spectacle featuring tambura orchestras. The well-established Tambura Music Fest has been running since the 1970s
- Kristfest - mid-May, another popular religious festivity held each May in order to promote Christian culture
June
- Osijek Summer Nights - June, July and August, this long-running annual event has a series of cultural activities, fun entertainment, fairs and food galore, along with drama held at various venues in the centre
- Urban Fest Osijek (UFO) - mid- to late-June, a four-day (and night) music event in the city, with dozens of artistes and bands blasting out pop, rock and dance, among other genres
- Anti-Fascist Struggle Day (Dan Antifasisticke Borbe) - June 22nd, a national Croatian holiday
- Statehood Day (Dan Drzavnosti) - June 25th, remembering this day in 1990, when independence from Yugoslavia was declared. This is now a national Croatian holiday, with processions and live music galore
July
- SLUK - July 22nd, a cultural highlight with a variety of activities involving Croatian puppeteers
August
- Autumn Sculpture Festival - one especially for tourists, seeing numerous sculptors carving figures out of large blocks of wood and then displaying them on the roadside to Ernestinovo
- Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day - August 5th, a poignant day for every native Croat, remembering when Croatia was liberated from the Serbs
- Pannonian Challenge - mid-August, lasting five days and suiting lovers of extreme sports. This is an international event and reliably attracts big names in the world of skateboarding, BMX stunt-riding, mountain biking and inline-skating. Visitors can expect some impressive shows and demonstrations at the Pannonian Challenge, by both professionals and enthusiastic, talented amateurs
- Assumption of Mary (Velika Gospa) - a national Croatian holiday
September
- Homage Concerts in Osijek - marking the brilliance of pianist Darko Lukic and violinist Franjo Krezma, with concerts in each discipline involving young musicians
- Osijek Beer Festival - late September, a fun four-day event for tourists to get involved with, where an assortment of Croatian beer is put through its paces
October
- Autumn in Tvrdja - mid-October, featuring a wine growing fair at the Holy Trinity Square, along with food and tamburitza concerts
- Independence Day (Dan Neovisnosti) - October 8th, expect vigorous flag-waving as Croats mark the day Croatia gained independence from Yugoslavia
November
- All Saints Day (Dan Svih Svetih) - November 1st, with the honouring of departed family and friends by Christians in the city, with candlelit processions and grave-cleaning
December
- Days of Miroslav Krleza - each year in December, this long-running cultural event has lectures and drama performances at the beautiful Croatian National Theatre in the city centre
- Christmas (Bozic) - December 25th, this public holiday sees the culmination of weeks of Yuletide activities over Christmas in December
- St. Stephen's Day (Sveti Stjepan) - December 26th, a national Croatian holiday