Samoborski fašnik (Samobor Carnival), the biggest event in Samobor, a charming town located 25 km away from Zagreb, officially kicked off on Friday, 17 February.
The 191st edition of this famous event started with a concert by Rockefeleri, a band from Samobor, which was followed by high school students’ parade and best mask contest, and ended with a big concert by Colonia, a famous band from Croatia.
The official opening ceremony took place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, 18 February, when Samobor’s mayor gave the keys to the city to Princ Fašnik (Prince Carnival), the new ruler for the following 10 days. He will later be accused of all the bad things that happened during 2016 and he will be burnt in effigy on Shrove Tuesday (February 28), symbolizing the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent.
The town will be known as the Republic of Fašnik for the following ten days, and masked groups are going to parade through the city day and night. Day events include workshops, plays, and screening of Lego Movie, mostly reserved for children, and nights are reserved for wild parties and concerts. These Carnival festivities are traditionally connected with chasing away evil spirits and winter and welcoming spring.
Saturday events included Quidditch, a dance show by Bailatino Dance Studio, stand-up comedy show, and best mask contest, and there are still plenty of things left to do today.
If you’re going to Samobor, have a delicious kremšnita to boost your energy levels so you can dance the night away to the sounds of Psihomodo pop.
You can see the full program on the Carnival’s website, http://www.fasnik.com/, and on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SamoborskiFasnik/.
