Škrapna on Sunday brings together guardians of old-style singing, dancing, speech and home cooking
The Festival of old-style singing, playing, dancing, speech and cuisine “Bilo (j’) vavek veselo” will be held on Sunday, 14 June 2026, at Škrapna in Zvoneća. It is an event that, according to the announcement by the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji, brings together music, local speech, traditional performances and local flavours in a space that itself relies on the memory of the place. The programme begins at 6 p.m., when a gathering with delicacies from local producers and providers has been announced, while the main evening performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. at Vela šterna. The festival is being held as part of the broader summer programme of Matulji Summer Evenings, which the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji presents under the title “Tramontana će vas ofriškat”. For visitors coming from outside the narrower area of Zvoneća, traffic organisation is especially important: parking is planned in Zvoneća near the sawmill and the school, and free transport will run to Škrapna.
An event that connects song, speech and togetherness
“Bilo (j’) vavek veselo” is thematically focused on elements of everyday life that in the past shaped the social life of the place: singing, playing, dancing, speech and cuisine. In its description of the event, the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji states that the festival is dedicated to preserving and promoting old-style singing, traditional music, authentic cuisine and local speech as important parts of the cultural identity of this area. Such a concept gives the programme a broader meaning than an ordinary evening event, because performance, socialising, memory and the passing on of local habits to younger generations are connected in one place. At the centre of the event are not only well-known names on the stage, but also the community that takes part in preparing dishes, preserving the language, organising the gathering and creating the atmosphere of the place. That is why the festival can be viewed as a cultural event open to visitors, but also as a local reminder of the value of oral and musical heritage.
According to the available announcement, Škrapna will offer visitors a programme that develops gradually, from the early-evening gastronomic section to the performances at Vela šterna. From 6 p.m. onwards, a tasting of delicacies prepared by Briške žene iz dekleta, OPG Ružić Jarbola, Pčelarstvo Kos, Vina Kapić and Antack Food Truck has been announced. Such a schedule gives the event a fair-like and sociable character, because before the main programme the audience can gather, taste homemade products and become acquainted with the offer of local producers. In the context of the festival, cuisine is not merely accompanying content, but part of the story about a way of life and hospitality. In the announcements by the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji, it is particularly emphasised that old-style cuisine, traditional recipes and the participation of local producers contribute to the completeness of the event.
A lecture on Ljubica Hospital opens the historical layer of the programme
At 6 p.m., a lecture by Alfred Šaina entitled “Ljubica Hospital” has been announced. This part of the programme opens the historical layer of Škrapna and its surroundings, because the title of the lecture refers to the partisan hospital Ljubica, whose location is connected with this area. The Association of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-Fascists of Liburnia stated in an earlier announcement that the place where the hospital operated had an important role in caring for wounded and sick partisans of Istria under the conditions of Nazi-fascist occupation. The lecture in the festival programme therefore does not stand outside the basic theme, but expands the conversation about heritage to include historical responsibility, local solidarity and remembrance of the wartime period.
According to public announcements of the Matulji Summer Evenings programme, some announcements list 7 p.m. as the time of the lecture, while the festival announcement points to a start at 6 p.m. Since the schedules of events are sometimes adjusted shortly before they are held, it is reasonable for visitors to plan an earlier arrival in Škrapna and to follow the latest notices from the organisers. This note is especially important because of the organised transport, since the free departures towards Škrapna take place within a limited time range. For those who want to listen to the lecture, get to know the location and join the gastro part of the programme without rushing, arriving before 6 p.m. will be the most practical choice. This also avoids unnecessary pressure on the narrow local access roads immediately before the main evening performance.
Musicians, actors and guardians of the local scene perform at Vela šterna
The central performance part of the programme has been announced for 8 p.m. at Vela šterna. According to the festival announcement, Elvis Stanić, Mauro Staraj, Saša Valenčić, KUD Učka, Tarik Filipović, the drama section “Lisinski vetar” and the association Domoljub 1909 will perform. Public announcements of the Matulji Summer Evenings programme additionally mention Joža Vešmašinov in the list of performers, so an evening is expected in which musical, stage and spoken-word content will alternate. Such a choice of participants corresponds to the festival idea: old-style singing and playing are not presented as museum exhibits, but as a living performance in which professional artists, cultural-artistic societies, drama groups and local associations meet. The stage at the šterna carries strong symbolism as well, because in coastal and Istrian places a šterna was not only a place of water, but also of gathering, conversation and exchanging news.
In musical terms, an event like this relies on the wider cultural space of Istria, Kvarner and the Croatian Littoral. In its description of two-part singing in narrow intervals of Istria and the Croatian Littoral, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia states that it is a complex style of folk music that lives most compactly in this area. UNESCO included two-part singing and playing in the Istrian scale on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, highlighting strong, partly nasal singing, improvisation and endings in unison or octave. The festival at Škrapna is not exhausted only in that musical tradition, but it naturally fits into the same cultural landscape in which singing, playing and local speech are inseparable parts of identity. Precisely for that reason, a programme that combines singing, dancing and the dramatic word has an importance that goes beyond a one-day gathering.
Local speech as a bearer of identity
One of the important emphases of the festival is speech. In its description of the event, the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji emphasises that through drama performances, recitations, humorous dialogues and storytelling, local speech gains a place on the stage. In practice, this means that Chakavian idioms, local words and expressions are not used merely as decoration, but as equal content of the programme. The very title “Bilo (j’) vavek veselo” already points to belonging to a region in which dialect is part of everyday communication, humour and collective memory.
Local speech is especially important in conveying nuances that are difficult to replace with the standard language. Words such as kanta, tanca, šterne, kušinića or ponjavice do not convey only literal meaning, but also the social context in which they arose. When the organisers recommend that visitors bring with them a “kušinić, katridu al ponjavicu”, that sentence at the same time gives a practical instruction and preserves the tone of the place: it is necessary to bring a cushion, chair or blanket so that the audience can sit comfortably. Such formulations contribute to the recognisability of the festival because they do not sound like a generic announcement, but like an invitation from the community itself. This is also the special quality of Škrapna: the programme does not take place in a neutral space, but in an ambience that intensifies the meaning of the spoken word.
The gastro offer as part of the story of the area
The gastronomic part of the programme begins at 6 p.m. and is conceived as an introduction to the evening. The participation of Briške žene iz dekleta, OPG Ružić Jarbola, Pčelarstvo Kos, Vina Kapić and Antack Food Truck shows that the announcement includes not only performers, but also people who, through food, drink and local products, present the everyday culture of the area. According to the description of the event by the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji, old-style cuisine is an important part of the festival because traditional recipes and homemade flavours show the richness and simplicity of the food of earlier times. Such an approach makes the event accessible to a wider audience: even those who do not know all the musical or linguistic particularities of the area can experience them through food, conversation and socialising. At the same time, space is opened for local producers, giving the festival a small economic dimension as well.
Food at such events also has documentary value, especially when it is prepared according to recipes and customs that were passed down in families. In the public announcement, the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji mentions homemade maneštre, bread baked under the peka, desserts and other specialities as examples of old-style cuisine that accompanies the festival concept. Although the specific offer may differ from year to year, the gastronomic framework remains the same: the emphasis is on locality, seasonal flavours and simplicity. For visitors planning a longer stay in the Matulji area, it is useful to check in advance accommodation offers in the surroundings of Matulji and Zvoneća, especially because summer programmes often continue during the following weekends as well. Accommodation is mentioned in this context exclusively as practical information for visiting the event, and not as part of the official festival programme.
Free transport and recommendations for arrival
The organisers have announced free parking in Zvoneća near the sawmill and the school. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., free transport to Škrapna is planned, and return transport is provided from 10 p.m. Directing visitors to parking areas in Zvoneća and using transport to Škrapna reduces the burden on local roads and makes arrival easier for families, older people and visitors who do not know the terrain. Since the programme begins as early as 6 p.m., arrival in the earlier part of the announced transport period is recommended.
The practical recommendation to bring a cushion, chair or blanket is also not accidental. The programme at Vela šterna takes place in an ambience that is not a classic indoor stage with numbered seats, but a gathering space where the audience sits according to the possibilities. That is why additional equipment can significantly improve the experience of the evening, especially for those who plan to stay until the end of the programme and wait for the return transport after 10 p.m. Since the event takes place outdoors, it is also good to take into account the evening freshness, appropriate footwear and enough time to move between the parking area, transport and the event location. The official programme of Matulji Summer Evenings for 2026 states that the events are free, and in case of rain or bad weather an alternative staging of the programme in the school-sports hall is planned, so before departure it is worth checking any possible notices from the organisers.
Part of a broader summer programme in Matulji
The festival at Škrapna is part of the June series of events within Matulji Summer Evenings. The Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji states that the programme under the slogan “Tramontana će vas ofriškat” brings concerts, performances and gatherings under the stars, and the announcements from June 2026 include content for different age groups and interests. In the same programme, according to the published announcements, there are music concerts, children’s plays, local stories, e-bike tours and the final June performances at the Matulji Amphitheatre. In this way, “Bilo (j’) vavek veselo” is not separated from the summer cultural picture of the municipality, but complements it with a different ambience and emphasised heritage content. Unlike the programme in the centre of Matulji, Škrapna offers a more intimate space and a stronger contact with the local landscape.
Matulji Summer Evenings have a longer tradition. The Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji states that the event “Matuljske ljetne večeri – Tramontana će vas ofriškat” has been held since 1995, and that after the construction of the Amphitheatre in 2016, that space became an important place of cultural events. Within such a framework, the festival at Škrapna has the role of a reminder that a summer programme does not have to be tied only to central stages. The cultural life of the municipality is also made up of smaller localities, šterne, villages, associations and people who preserve content outside the main tourist flows. Precisely therein lies the value of the event at Škrapna: it invites visitors not only to a programme, but also to become acquainted with the place, speech and customs that are best understood when experienced where they originated.
What visitors can expect on Sunday
Sunday evening at Škrapna will be structured as a combination of socialising, lecture, gastronomy and performance. From 6 p.m., the arrival of local food and drink providers has been announced; in the same time slot, according to the submitted programme, Alfred Šaina’s lecture “Ljubica Hospital” is planned, and at 8 p.m. the main performance at Vela šterna begins. The audience can expect a programme that will not be aimed only at watching from a distance, but at participating in the atmosphere of the place. That is why details such as the recommendation to bring a seat or blanket, as well as organised transport from Zvoneća, are important. The festival is conceived as an evening in which old-style singing, local words and the flavours of the area are presented in a natural ambience, without turning tradition into scenery.
For the municipality of Matulji and the wider area of Liburnia, such events have additional importance because they connect cultural heritage with the current summer programme. According to the announcements by the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji, all events within this year’s programme of Matulji Summer Evenings are free, which makes the programme accessible to a wider audience. On 14 June 2026, Škrapna will offer exactly what the festival title announces: an evening in which, through song, playing, speech, food and communal gathering, it recalls a time when šterne, local conversations and neighbourly gatherings were the centre of social life. If weather conditions and organisational circumstances remain as announced, the programme should last until the late evening hours, with return transport from 10 p.m. In this way, the festival confirms itself as one of those events that fill the summer calendar not only with entertainment, but also with content that preserves local identity.
Sources:
– Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji – official announcement of the festival “Bilo (j’) vavek veselo” and description of the event (link)
– Tourist Board of the Municipality of Matulji – programme of Matulji Summer Evenings 2026 and general information on free events (link)
– ArtKvart – announcement of the June programme of Matulji Summer Evenings with the schedule of the festival at Škrapna (link)
– Fiuman.hr – announcement of the beginning of Matulji Summer Evenings and verification of the schedule of the programme at Škrapna (link)
– Association of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-Fascists of Liburnia – data on the location and historical role of the partisan hospital Ljubica (link)
– Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia – description of two-part singing in narrow intervals of Istria and the Croatian Littoral (link)
– UNESCO – data on two-part singing and playing in the Istrian scale on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (link)
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