Event: Croatia - Rijeka

International Carnival of Rijeka

When:	18 Jan - 3 Feb 2008 (annual)
Where:	Rijeka
Costs:	Free
Opening Hours:	All day

The International Carnival of Rijeka is an annual event that has a 100-year-old tradition and attracts carnival groups, spectators and the media, as well as guests from around the country and abroad.

Carnival happenings in the city are a mixture of the bourgeois carnival and the ancient Slavs' folklore elements and mythology. Carnival customs include the making of "ugly masks", which scare away evil forces, calling the spring and celebrating the birth of new life. The Zvoncari, or local bell ringers, are identical to those who centuries ago protected their land from Turkish invasion.

The event starts with the Carnival Queen Contest and the Opening Ceremony, where the Mayor delivers the keys of the city to the Master of the Carnival. Concerts, exhibitions, parties, performances and other festivities fill the days that precede the major event - the International Carnival Parade. Hundreds of floats, thousands of masks and streets crowded with spectators are the result of a competitive spirit built on originality, inventiveness and wittiness.