Adventures in Croatia

Marko Pavela

Marko Pavela will share stories and adventures from his many travels to Croatia. The presentation will focus on active travel or adventure tourism opportunities in our beautiful homeland, with a focus on adventures available within the Cetina River valley, in the inland southern part of the country.  The presentation will include options for climbing, rafting, via ferrata, and more.

Awards Ceremony

Outstanding Croatian and Featured Young Croatian

Ken Malich will be presented the 2025 Outstanding Croatian Award and Ivana Prpić will received the Featured Young Croatian Award.  The awards will be presented by the Croatian Ambassador to the United States Pjer Šimunovć. 

Leaving=Arriving

Dalibor Martinis

Dalibor Martinis, a conceptual and media artist, will present his latest video project, “Leaving=Arriving”.

Dalibor was born and lives in Zagreb, Croatia. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, has been exhibiting since 1969, and has been working with video since 1973.  Leaving=Arriving is an art documentary film exploring the cyclical nature of migration through personal stories from the Croatian island of Vis.

Whether departing or arriving, each story carries echoes of resilience, loss, and quiet strength. The people of Vis, the returnees, and the newcomers are all part of a shared human story — one that speaks of risk, identity, and the search for belonging. The film was shot on Vis, in Edmonds and Everett Washington, and in San Pedro California.

Opening Ceremonies

Citizenship Swearing In

Welcoming remarks by CroatiaFest Coordinator Joanne Abdo, Honorary Croatian Consul to the State of Washington, Dr. Frank Brozovich, Croatian Ambassador to the United States of America, Pjer Šimunović, a representative of Seattle Center Festal and Croatian Consul General, Renee Pea , who will conduct the swearing in of new Croatian citizens.

Through The Lens

Martin Koenig

The work of renowned folklorist, ethnographer, and photographer Martin Koenig will also be featured in the gallery. Beginning in the 1960s, Koenig traveled extensively through Eastern Europe, documenting traditional music, dance, and daily life—much of it in rural communities untouched by modern change.

His striking black-and-white photographs capture moments of joy, resilience, and human connection: a village dance in full swing, farmers at work in the fields, children learning the steps of an ancient kolo. At CroatiaFest, visitors will have the rare opportunity to see Koenig’s images of Croatian communities alongside his broader body of work, offering a visual record of traditions that, in some cases, have all but disappeared.

In addition to the photo exhibit, Seattle Jr. Tamburitzans Artistic Director John Morovich will conduct a special interview with Martin Koenig at the festical, exploring his decades of experiences documenting Croatian folklore through photography, audio recordings, and film. This conversation will offer audiences a deeper understanding of Koenig’s fieldwork and the importance of preserving intangible cultural heritage for future generations.