(Photo: Tourist Board Čakovec)
A very colourful continental August festival in Medjimurje.
In August Čakovec always gets restless. Unlike many Croatian continental towns and cities, the crowds buzz into Medjimurje’s largest town to celebrate the festivities of Porcijunkolovo.
For over a century now, the locals have celebrated the festivities of Our Lady of the Angels in Čakovec. The tradition, now knowns as “Porcijunkolovo”, was created by the Franciscan monastery priests who have been living here for almost 800 years.
Next week we will see the start of the 51st, modern edition, Porcijunkolovo and the Tourist board has prepared quite a few surprises and installations. This year’s event is named “5+1” which will mark its 51st edition and it’s 5+1 days of duration.
The inner city walkway will again be covered with multicoloured umbrellas, as it was last year. What seemed like a cheap trick became a popular local tradition and a widespread landmark. The photos of the umbrella installation went all over the world and many TV news reports were indeed made right under them.
The Tourist board went a mile further this year announcing over 2200 umbrellas to be hanged over the walkways and the Licitar hearts over the smaller Strossmeyer street. What makes the colourful instalation special will be the addition of the “Wall of Umbrellas.” The Čakovec Tourist board called all interested parties and individuals to pick up the umbrellas from the office and paint them with their own ideas.
The festival wouldn’t be a proper fiesta without the music. The only potential negative point could be that all five headliner for the five days of the Porcijunkolovo are from Balkan. The thriving multinational festival that draws over 200 000 visitors during its 5(+1) days of festivities could benefit from a more diverse line-up.
But, as there are many other stages, we are sure there will be interesting things to see, hear and participate in for every visitor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzz9GN873Yk
