The event took place at Waterfront Park, featuring traditional klapa and tamburitza performances, along with Croatian food and wine. A large crowd attended, many wearing Croatia shirts, enjoying the atmosphere along the Potomac River.
What began as an informal conversation about a sporting event and the World Cup turned into a partnership focused on cultural exchange, economic development and opportunities that will go far beyond one event or one summer, said James Parajon, a city official.
Croatian Ambassador to the United States Pjer Šimunović also addressed the audience, expressing pride that the national team had chosen Alexandria as its base and highlighting the growing friendship between the city and Croatia.
The festival is the latest in a series of cultural exchanges between Alexandria and Croatia, which began in May with the “Philately in Croatia” exhibition at the Torpedo Factory, the first time the collection had been shown outside Croatia.
Alexandria Mayor AlyiaGaskins said the success of the initiative would be measured by whether the Croatian team felt “like family” rather than visitors in the city.
The philately exhibition, a joint project by Croatian Post and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, showcased rare stamps and Croatian heritage, including themes such as statehood, history, nature, the Adriatic, and notable issues with motifs like Luka Modrić and the Croatian tie.
The exhibition is held at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, named after a former US torpedo and munitions facility converted into an arts centre in 1974.
The torpedo is regarded as a Croatian invention, developed in the mid-19th century in Rijeka by Austro-Hungarian naval officer Ivan Lupis-Vukić and later refined into a self-propelled weapon by British engineer Robert Whitehead
A special attraction is a DASH city bus decorated in a red-and-white checkerboard design reading “Alexandria welcomes the Croatian national team”, alongside a World Cup media centre providing visitor information and event details.