Festival of Old Crafts

Friday, 07.06. - Sunday, 09.06.2024.

Join us at the Festival of Old Crafts, which will be held in the beautiful town of Bale from June 7 to 9, 2024.

This unique festival offers you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich history and tradition of Istria through various workshops, lectures, exhibitions, and interactive events.

Participate in multilingual storytelling, tastings, natural soap making, and many other activities for the whole family. Experience authentic Istrian heritage in the picturesque streets of Bale and enjoy concerts, theater performances, and medieval plays. Don't miss the opportunity to discover ancient crafts and enjoy cultural displays that bring the history of this magical place to life!

Festival Locations:

• Trg Tomaso Bembo
• Kaštel Soardo Bembo
• Castel Street
• Brdo Sv. Nikola – expert guidance
• Square at the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Porta No Street
• Sant Elena Street

Festival Program:

FRIDAY

Trg Tomaso Bembo

18:00 - 18:30
Opening of the festival – hosts Milan Medak (drama pedagogue), Sanja Latinčić (drama studio Ulix Rovinj – Rovinjo), Romina Kuharić (Historytelling).
Participants: Folklore group of the Italian Community from Bale; Italian and children's kindergartens and nurseries "Naridola"; Bale-Valle branch office; Croatian kindergarten "Neven" from Rovinj; Craftsmen

Kaštel Soardo - Bembo

19:00 - 20:00
Lecture and tasting of Vin de Rosa / Slow Food Presidium – led by the ISTARSKO Association – Ecomuseum from Vodnjan

Sant Elena Street

18:30 - 21:30
Bookmobile – traveling library for children – led by Maja Klarić

18:35 - 19:30
Multilingual interactive storytelling of the story about the Minaret's daughter and the curious pretzel – led by Milan Medak (drama pedagogue)

Porta No Street

20:00 - 20:30
Display of the multi-day process of applying fish skin for making useful items – led by Ivana Župančić

Trg Tomaso Bembo

21:30 - 24:00
Disco Fever by DJ Sword – Soardo bar

SATURDAY

Brdo Sv. Nikola

8:00 - 11:00
Expert guidance at the Neolithic site of St. Michael, interactive lecture, and impresso ceramics workshop – led by Monika Petrović and Romuald Zlatunić, Archaeological Museum of Istria

Sant Elena Street

17:00 - 17:45
Storytelling stage performance: "I Call You with a Story" – led by Margareta Peršić

Kaštel Soardo - Bembo

18:00 - 18:45
Historytelling "A Walk Through the History of Bale with Francesca and Tommaso Bembo" – interpretive guides: Romina Kuharić and Šandor Slacki Matteoni

Porta No Street

18:00 - 18:30
Children's workshop: making aromatic salt – led by the ISTARSKO Association – Ecomuseum from Vodnjan

18:30 - 19:00
Book promotion on Old Slavic tattooing

19:00 - 19:30
Lecture on medicinal herbs – led by Isidora Ralić

Sant Elena Street

18:30 - 19:30/20:00
Display of medieval plays (interactive workshop) – Medieval Association Barbarska Kula

Kaštel Soardo - Bembo

20:00 - 21:00
Lecture "Women on the Margins of Society – Istrian Women in the Whirlwind of Pula Prostitution (18+)" – led by Zvjezdan Strahinja

Trg Tomaso Bembo

21:30 - 24:00
Concert SviVan and Veja

SUNDAY

Kaštel Soardo - Bembo

18:00 - 18:45
Lecture "About Food and Drink in the Istrian Area Throughout History" – lecturer doc.dr.sc. Danijela Doblanović Šuran

Porta No Street

18:00 - 18:30
Workshop on making natural soaps for laundry – led by Ivana Haban

Sant Elena Street

18:30 - 19:30/20:00
Display of medieval plays (interactive workshop) – Medieval Association Barbarska Kula

Kaštel Soardo - Bembo

19:30 - 20:30
Lecture "Ecomuseum – Ecomuseo Batana" and workshop on weaving a fishing net – led by Ecomuseum – Ecomuseo Batana

Porta No Street

21:30 - 22:30
Closing of the festival Fireshow – Denis Dejanović

Permanent display during the three days of the festival from 18:00 to 23:00:

• Display of traditional craft skills – Old Crafts Association
• Craftsmen sellers – crafts and small businesses (beekeeping, coffee, painting, ceramics, jewelry, leatherworking, etc.)
• Exhibition: Traditional Knowledge and Skills: Intangible Culture of Istria on National and UNESCO Lists – Ethnographic Museum of Istria
• Exhibition Gente di Valle D’ Istria – Italian Community of Valle, Photographs by Gigiole Cnapich
• Exhibition: Display of Istrian People
• Exhibition of children's embroidery works from the Modnica workshop – led by Staša Randall Doblanović and the Studio More Association
• Exhibition Word – Margareta Peršić
• Display of traditional Istrian fuži with Bale monicas, cooking with sauce, and tasting – Pensioners' Association Bale
• Traditional games – briškula, marbles, hopscotch, bow and arrow, medieval carousel

Entrance: free