Announcing a special weekend celebration of Croatian traditions, cultural displays, music, dance, and community bonds.
Prepared by: Suzana Fantov
Photos: HKF Association, Facebook Canadian Croatian Folklore Festival 51
After 50 years of continuous Canadian-Croatian folklore festivals (1975-2024), this year’s Folklore Festival will be held from 17th to 18th May, continuing the tradition of presenting authentic Croatian folkloric heritage to younger generations.
This festival’s history began with the arrival of Croatians in Canada at the start of the 20th century. Love for tamburica and folklore led to various ensembles, though most disappeared due to assimilation and migration patterns across Canada.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new generation of immigrants established additional Croatian folklore groups, determined to preserve Croatian identity when Croatians in their homeland weren’t completely free to do so.
The Federation’s founders created an organisation to preserve authentic Croatian folklore heritage and language. The successful Sudbury “Folk Dance Festival” in 1973 provided momentum for establishing the Federation. A key decision was holding the folklore celebration each year on Victoria Day weekend, a tradition that continues today.
The first Federation-organised festival in 1975 in Sudbury marked the beginning of membership growth and laid the foundation for future festivals in Hamilton, Toronto, and Ottawa.
Most goals set before the Federation have been achieved. The first folklore seminars began in 1975 and continue today. The first folklore manual was published in 1977. The Western Canadian section was established in 1978, with its first Folklore Festival held in Edmonton on 20-21 May 1978.
Three joint festivals were held for eastern and western Canada: in Sudbury (1983), Winnipeg (1987), and Calgary (2000). Additionally, three festivals were organised in Croatia: Zagreb (1991 and 1997) and Split (2004).
The publication of festival commemorative books is significant, containing information about participants and their activities throughout the year, as well as the history of host ensembles. More than 80 books have been published, contributing greatly to Croatian collective memory.
Ante Beljo suggests the Federation should consider publishing a monograph about past decades of its existence. He also recommends that those who were in folklore ensembles in the 1970s and 1980s organise sections for members of mature age, noting that the Croatian Fraternal Union in the USA already has such ensembles.
THIS YEAR’S 51ST CANADIAN-CROATIAN FOLKLORE FESTIVAL WILL BE HELD FROM 17-18 MAY IN LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA for more information visit www.hkfsavez.com