"Across Oceans, To Our Roots"

by Boris Vilic

The Domovina Birthright Program is an unforgettable experience for young adults of Croatian descent between the ages of 18 – 30 who want to learn about their Croatian heritage, explore the beauty and excitement of Croatia, connect with their Croatian identity, and meet other young Croatian adults. Domovina is a unique partnership between the people of Croatia through their government and the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP). 

Boris Vilic will present an introduction to a documentary film and will close with a question-and-answer session immediately following the presentation.

"Time Travel To Dalmatia"

By Brendan Weston

During his presentation, Brendan will share some of the most fascinating discoveries from his research and the stories behind the artwork, photographs and travelers who helped document Dalmatia more than a century ago.

Time Traveler’s Guide to Dalmatia pieces together these intimate observations to reveal a place that feels at once remarkably different and surprisingly familiar.

Awards Ceremony

Honoring 2026 Outstanding Croatian Maria Kesovija and Featured Young Croatian Alexis Natavidad.

Cooking Demonstration

Red and White Checkerboard Cookies

Chrissie Kristl and Julie Mustach will reveal the secret behind Croatia’s famous checkerboard cookie. We all love them, but how are they made? They will demonstrate the process and hand out delicious samples at the end.

Craft Demonstration

Božićna Pšenica (Christmas wheat)

Many Croatian families grow a small dish of bright green wheat grass during the Christmas season. At this year's CroatiaFest, you'll have the opportunity to learn about this beautiful tradition firsthand! Sally Stefanich will give a live demonstration showing how to grow božićna pšenica (Christmas wheat). Best of all, she will provide free wheat berries so you can take everything you need home and start your own Christmas wheat.

Don Markušić

Attorney at Law

Bring your questions or just take part and learn about the process of legal assistance in Croatia, specifically regarding property and real estate, foreign investments and cross-border transactions with Croatia, corporate and commercial law, and litigation and arbitration.

Refreshment Demonstration

Limoncello

Karen Zuvela will share a recipe from her “adopted cousin,” Mara, a VRBO host in Dubrovnik who treats her guests to homemade limoncello made using lemons from her garden. The entire process takes about 10 days, so Karen will get a new batch started and provide samples of the finished product.

Note: Because limoncello contains alcohol, this demonstration is only open to participants who are over 21. Samples cost $1 (state law prohibits us from giving away free samples).