Spit-roasted lamb, Croatian folk dance and a citizenship swearing-in ceremony fill the Seattle Center Armory on Sunday, Oct. 4, all free and open to the public.

CroatiaFest, now in its 22nd year, runs noon to 6 p.m. in the Armory Food & Event Hall at 305 Harrison St. The festival is part of Seattle Center's Festál series, a year-round lineup of 25 free cultural festivals that collectively draw about 400,000 visits a year.

"Festál thrives because it's rooted in community collaboration," Heidi Jackson, managing artistic director of cultural programs at Seattle Center, said in a January announcement of the 2026 season.

The opening program features the American, Canadian and Croatian national anthems performed by Maria Kesovija and John Morovich, followed by remarks from Croatian Ambassador to the United States Pjer Simunović and Consul General Renee Pea, according to the Seattle Center event listing. A swearing-in ceremony for new Croatian citizens rounds out the opening.

Six performing groups travel from as far as Cleveland and Chicago. The Tamburaški Orkestar Kardinal Stepinac, a 30-year-old dance and tambura orchestra from Vancouver, B.C., opens the music. The American Zagreb Jr. Tamburitzans, a youth ensemble from Cleveland, perform traditional kolo dance. Rakija Bend, a six-member tamburitza group from Chicago, plays both traditional and modern Croatian tunes.

Closer to home, the Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble brings 29 singers and dancers spanning four generations from Anacortes. The Seattle Junior Tamburitzans, a local youth folk ensemble, also take the stage.

At 4:30 p.m., the festival invites everyone onto the floor for a group kolo dance called Kolo Za Sve, with live music by Kišobran. The day closes with a joint performance of the "Ladarke" song cycle, a choral and tamburica piece rooted in the St. John's Day rituals of northwestern Croatia. Members of six ensembles perform together.

Outside the Armory, vendors serve spit-roasted lamb and grilled salmon prepared in honor of the Pacific Northwest's historical Croatian fishing community, according to Greater Seattle on the Cheap. Inside, the ACAP Gallery on the mezzanine level features watercolors by local artist Allie Woods and historical panels loaned by the Croatian Embassy honoring Croatian Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Craft demonstrations include Chrissie Kristl and Julie Mustach making Croatia's checkerboard cookie with free samples, and Sally Stefanich showing how to grow božićna pšenica, or Christmas wheat, with free wheat berries to take home.

A wine and rakija tasting area on the Konoba stage pours selections from Ancestry Cellars, Sunce Winery, Vinbero and the Balkan Store. Drink tokens are available at the door. Attendees must be 21 or older to enter the tasting area.

CroatiaFest also closes out the Association of Croatian American Professionals' 10th annual conference, which runs Oct. 1–4 in Seattle. ACAP, founded in 2014, has grown to more than 5,000 members and subscribers across more than 10 chapters in the U.S. and Croatia, according to Croatian public broadcaster HRT.

Seattle Center is reachable by Monorail from downtown or by King County Metro bus. Parking is available at the 5th Ave N Garage (516 Harrison St.), 1st Ave N Garage (220 1st Ave N.) and Mercer Street Garage (650 3rd Ave N.).