When I hear Summer Festival, I think about good food, drinks & live music. Add to that some donkeys, a competitive tug of war match, and a big ham hanging 20 feet in the air and you’ll be on your way to understanding the Jelsa Wine Festival in Hvar Island, Croatia!
Our apartment accommodation in Jelsa was a twenty minute climb halfway up the mountain. Oblivious to the knowledge that our visit would overlap with one of the town’s largest festivals of the year, Jim and I were enjoying a peaceful night outside on our balcony when the sound of guitars and drums surprised us, echoing from somewhere within the town below.
For the next two nights, the quiet, peaceful port town would transform into a lively, fun festival to celebrate the end of the summer season, where it appeared the whole community was coming together to socialize and celebrate! Jim and I walked down into the town, purchased two plastic cups filled with very good Croatian wine and watched the crowd around us to see what would happen next.
A Ham and a Rope
I was immediately intrigued when we spotted a ham tied up 20+ feet in the air next to a rope. It reminded of the rope I used to have to climb in as a child in my school gym class to test us on our physical strength.
The objective of the game is simple. The competitor who manages to climb the rope and touch the ham at the top – in the least amount of time – is the winner. Contestants jump in the water one by one and wait at the bottom of the rope until a whistle blows and they’re off! Onlookers cheer and clap for them as the men use their arms to physically pull themselves up to the top.
Man (on left) participating in “climbing the rope to touch the ham” contest
Tug of war
As a child, I loved the tug of war. Once I figured out my arm muscles were bigger than my childhood friend’s muscles next door (who was a boy), I was a little cocky. The tug of war was the perfect game to show off that muscle strength, and an obvious reason that men registered for the Jelsa festival event, as the winners would claim the image as the strongest men in their community. There were a number of tug of war games. Each game involved about 10 men(5 -6 on each side), who battled it out in the middle of the town streets while festival goers around cheered on their family members and their favorite team.
Tug of war at the Jelsa Wine Festival
Donkey races
The donkeys seemed slightly out place in the middle of a crowded port town. In the middle of rows of vendor tables where food, wine and souvenirs were being sold, kids rode on the donkeys while other kids ran behind and hit the donkey’s ass to keep it moving. I couldn’t stop laughing – a very amusing event! Hopefully this video will help you to visualize what it was like:
An unforgettable festival – what an awesome night in Croatia!
(Throughout the next few weeks my blog will focus on great travel memories and stories that took place within the last year and a half prior to the creation of my blog. Croatia travel was in August 2012)
September 9, 2013
Croatia, Travel