Heading towards the first decade of the Sava Mrkalj Native Association, the organizers prepared an exhibition, a small retrospective of the previous nine festivals. They also made an exhibition of festival participants’ folk costumes.

Festival sponsors are the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, Public Information and Relations with Religious Communities, the City of Novi Sad, the Fund for Refugees and Displaced Persons and for Cooperation with Serbs in the Region, the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, and the Serbian National Theater in Novi Sad.

The Serbian National Theater in Novi Sad was packed again on this 1 December.

The President of the Sava Mrkalj Native Association, Zorica Vlajinić, said that they wanted to show their equal valuing of all elements of cultural heritage.

– I hope we are achieving that goal more and more each day. Thank you for coming in such large numbers. The audience is the one that encouraged and instigated this year’s Festival and did not allow us to give up. I am especially proud of you who follow us every year.

The Festival featured performances by Jana and Elena Crnomarković, Đurđina Vlajinić, Vuk Stefanović Karadžić Serbian Cultural Center from Bačka Topola, Veliko kolo Folklore Association from Veternik, Joco Savić Ilićka Cultural and Artistic Society from Brčko, Mladost Cultural Center’s Folk Dance and Song Ensemble from Futog, Semberija Serbian Cultural and Artistic Society from Bijeljina, Taban Cultural and Artistic Society from Budapest, Srpski vez Cultural and Artistic Society from Kumanovo, Stanko Paunović NIS RNP Cultural and Artistic Society Pančevo, Kosta Abrašević Traditional Culture and Art Center from Bačka Palanka.

Source and photo: Alliance of Serbs from the Region – Dragana Bokun