‘Fešta’ (pronounced "Feshta"), is a broad term, which generally describes events such as festivals, celebrations or parties - basically, it's the Croatian way to describe ‘a good time’.
Fešta - The Croatian Food & Wine Festival is an annual one-day outdoor event held each November. 2011 will be the 8th consecutive year. The festival’s location is The Croatian Sports Centre SA Inc, Gepps Cross, Adelaide, South Australia.
Fešta has always been a relaxed and casual family day out with a strong emphasis on delicious food and great entertainment. The availability of various regional Croatian cuisines, all cooked to authentic home-style recipes and techniques is what sets Fešta apart from other food & wine festivals. It makes Fesšta unique in a state famous for it's food & wine festivals.
Fešta is organised by The Croatian Food & Wine Festival Committee, The Croatian Sports Centre SA Inc. and numerous volunteers from a range of South Australian Croatian organisations.
Each year Fešta as an event gets bigger and better. Attendance figures are steadily increasing year after year. Recognition of the event by the non-Croatian population is also improving each year and this has been reflected in the attendance figures.
Fešta is run exclusively by volunteers, and continues to be the biggest event on the calendar for the Croatian community of South Australia due to it's committed volunteers, loyal community and the generous support of its sponsors.
We look forward to your support and another highly successful Fešta.
Yours Sincerely,
Co-Directors
Zeljko Kuzman and Ema Matulic
After months of meetings, planning and organisation - FEŠTA - The Croatian Food & Wine Festival held in Adelaide was finally here. Saturday 27th November was the day, but in reality it kicked off on Friday night with a live, on location broadcast of the channel 7 weather report from the Croatian Sports Centre - home of the Fešta. What a fantastic way to build up and expose the event to the general population of Adelaide.
Despite the rough start to the day, the skies cleared and the people kept coming. With over 5,000 people in attendance throughout the course of the day, the car park both in and around the Croatian Sports Centre filled quickly. It was fantastic to see the wide range of visitors including Croats from around the country, particularly Victoria, and also people from the wider South Australian community. The Fešta has truly established itself as one of South Australia's premier ethnic/multicultural festivals.
Fešta was full of cultural displays with Hrvatska Zora from Melbourne joining us again and continuing to impress everyone who watched their folkloric dancing. The Croatian Sports Centre's own HKUD Pleter performed in the afternoon - after many of the performers had already worked all day as volunteers - which was a fantastic effort and their performance was beautiful to watch.
To enhance the Croatian cultural aspect of the festival this year, a number of additional displays were introduced: an artistic display and a traditional cooking display. The art display featured art by Croatian artists or art inspired by Croatia. The traditional cooking display involved a group of ladies preparing and cooking various dishes using traditional techniques from the Herceg-Bosno region. Both the artistic and traditional cooking displays provided many new comers to the festival an opportunity to learn more about the diversity of our wonderful Croatian culture. It is expected that both displays will be featured again for 2011 with new artists exhibiting their work and a different region of Croatian showing off it's culinary delights.
There was an endless amount of activities for young children including free magic shows, free face painting, free gingerbread heart decorating, wrestling display featuring Croatian wrestler `John-E-Radic', huge bouncy castle and slippery dip, and various other amusement rides and side shows. Many kids travelled with their families from Victoria to participate in the Junior Soccer Friendlies between St Albans Dinamo, Melbourne Knights and Adelaide Croatia Raiders.
The 2010 Fešta Lottery was also very popular with the $3000 first prize travel voucher going to Gabi Prpic Mitchell - congratulations Gabi! With the day quickly passing, "Zlatne Strune" handed over to DJ Damo and Steve Reece for the kick off of the after-party. Thanks to DJ Damo for joining us from Melbourne, it was great to see everyone partied late in to the night and I think it is fair to say that fun was had by all!
Huge thanks must be extended to the organising committee, many volunteers and sponsors who helped make the day possible. Fešta is not Fešta without you!
Ema Matulic
Co-Director
