"Creski kaić"
“Creski Kaić – The Days of Cres Maritime Heritage and Tradition” is a seven-day cultural, sporting and entertainment event. The main goal of the event is to preserve and valorise the intangible cultural heritage of Cres related to maritime affairs and fisheries, but also to bring into focus the important role of maritime and fishing heritage in preserving the island's identity.
The programme is both entertaining and educational, taking us back to the times before the appearance of plastic boats and motor boats and reminding us how Cres lived by the sea and from the sea back then.
The waterfront is turned into a maritime-historical promenade with a series of exhibitions and workshops presenting the old techniques of building and maintenance of traditional boats of Cres, called the Cres "kaić".
Cres sailors and shipbuilders always spent their free time, especially on Sundays and holidays, gathering in taverns to play games and sing songs. Locals and visitors can take part in traditional games tournaments: bocce, briscola and tresette, mora cantada, chess, tug of war. Tournaments are also part of the event.
The culinary part of the programme gives visitors the chance to enjoy a variety of traditional Cres dishes: lamb dishes such as tripe, krijica, mozjini, and gista which are considered special delicacies of the island cuisine and a rarely seen treat in the modern Mediterranean cuisine. The main square becomes a stage for a cooking competition in preparing brudet (fish stew), the most popular local method of preparing fish. The fish used for the competition is the entire catch from angling and spearfishing contests held earlier that day.
Music performances by local musicians, klapas and bands take place every evening in the main square.
The central event of the week is the traditional wooden boats sailing regatta: traditional boat types - pasara, guc, gajeta, batana - gather in Cres bay to take part in the regatta. To complete the experience, a boat review called “The Play of Light and Sails” takes place in the evening that same day, in the historical port of Cres.
Program of events
2026.
29.5. – 1.6.2026.
Sailmaking Workshop
9.00-11.00 / 18.00- 21.00
City Loggia
Monday, 1/6/2026
17:30 Concert: Brass Band “Josip Kašman”, Riva and F. Petrić Square
18:00 Opening of the exhibition “Model ships”, Srđan Glavan, Lungomare Sv. Mikule 1
19:00 Opening of the exhibition “You may wander the world, but you always come back home”, Kindergarten Girice, Moise Palace
20:00 Arrival of the Venetian gondola, Daily rides available until Saturday, 6 June, Lungomare Sv. Mikule 1 / Cons
20:00 Tasting of traditional dishes prepared in a casserole, Frane Petrić Square
20:30 OPENING CEREMONY "CRESKI KAIĆ 2026"
Traditional launching of the restored boat into the sea
Opening of the Bocce tournament
Pišarjola (Frane Petrić Square)
21:00 Concert Klapa “Burin“, Pišarjola (Frane Petrić Square)
Tuesday, 2.6.2026.
10.00 Lungomare sv. Mikule 1 / Cons ∙ Free ride on the Venetian gondola for children (10.00-12.00) / (18.00-22.30)
16.00 Šetalište 20. travnja ∙ Workshop “The sean in a Bags”, Kindergarten Girice
17.00 Pišarjola ∙ Bocce tournament
18.00 Town loggia ∙ Opening of the "Briškul&Trešeta" card game tournament
18.00 Italian Community Cres ∙ Diving course by ŠRD Parangal
19.00 Andrija Linardić Museum, Martinšćica ∙ Opening of the exhibition and lecture "Shipbuilding and shipping in Martinšćica", Ivo Saganić
19.00 F. Petrić Square ∙ Creska butega - exhibition of local products
19.30 Square in front of the Cres museum ∙ presentation of the Value Plus project - promotion of the multimedia guide "Renaissance Cres"
19.30 Italian Community Cres ∙ Lecture and workshop: "Noise Clean Up" on underwater noise reduction, presented by Tihana Vučur Blazinić, Blue World Institute
19.30 F. Petrić Square ∙ Dance performance by the rhythmic group of the Frane Petrić Elementary School
20.00 F. Petrić Square ∙ Italian Community Cres prepares traditional meals (tasting)
20.00 Pišarjola ∙ Concert "Duo In Between"
Also visit interesting exhibitions:
Exhibition "Model ships" by Srđan Glavan, Lungomare sv. Mikule 1 1
The exhibition "You may wander the world, but you always come back home" by Kindergarten Girice, Palača Moise
Wednesday, 3/6/2026
9:00-11:00 / 17:00-22:30 Venetian gondola rides for singers, Lungomare Sv. Mikule 1
17:00 Bocce tournament, Pišarjola (Frane Petrić Square)
18:00 “Briškula&Trešeta” card game tournament , Town Loggia
19:00 Opening of the exhibition “Ancient Shipwrecks”, Cres Museum
20:00 Association Gušt prepares traditional Lošinj cuisine “Spaghetti with mussels in buzara sauce” (tasting), F. Petrić Square
20:00 Concert: klapa ”Teha“ and klapa “Čikat“, Pišarjola
Thursday, 4/6/2026
9:00 - 12:00 / 18:00 – 21:00 Interpretation Centre „Loger Nerezinac“, Sightseeing, Cons
17:00 – 22:30 Venetian gondola rides for couples, Lungomare Sv. Mikule 1 / Cons
17:00 “Briškula&Trešeta” card game tournament finale, Town Loggia
17:00 Bocce tournament finale, Pišarjola (Frane Petrić Square)
18:00 “Wool and the Sea”, a wool felting workshop for adults, advance registration is required: +385 98 313029, Vesna, Ruta Association’s courtyard (at Zazid 4a)
20:00 Concert “Trio Iman Acoustic”, Pišarjola
21:00 Preparation and Tasting of grilled fish Royal-Adriatic, F. Petrić Square
Friday, 5/6/2026
9:30 - 12:00 / 18:00 – 21:00 Interpretation Centre „Loger Nerezinac“, Sightseeing, Cons
16:30 Arrival and gathering of traditional boats Port of Cres
17:00 – 22:30 Venetian gondola rides for women, Lungomare Sv. Mikule 1
17:30 Open Cres championship in “Mora cantada“, Town Loggia
19:00 Chess tournament “Creski kaić”, Square in front of the Cres Museum
19:00 “Women Rowing Competition on Gajeta”, Port of Cres
19:45 Performance by “Lana” Dance Group and Dance Workshop by Kindergarten Girice Cres, F. Petrić Square
20:00 Gastro Murter – Kornati specialties (tasting), F. Petrić Square
21:00 Concert “Infinity Band” + DJ after party, Pišarjola
Saturday, 6/6/2026
9:00 Parangal Cup ∙ 2026 Spearfishing Championship and Boat Angling Competition (Adults), organized by ŠRD Parangal
9:30 Parangal Cup ∙ 2026 Children’s Angling Championship, organized by ŠRD Parangal
9:30 - 12:00 / 18:00 – 21:00 Interpretation Centre „Loger Nerezinac“, Sightseeing, Cons
11:30 Gathering of the traditional boats’ skippers, Restaurant “Nono Frane”
13:00 Start of the traditional boat regatta, The Old Mul
15:00 Closing of the Spearfishing and Angling Competitions and fish weighing, Pišarjola
15:00 Finish of the traditional boat regatta, followed by the traditional boats show, Port of Cres
15:30 Brass Band “Motta di Livenza”, F. Petrić Square
17:00 – 22:30 Venetian gondola rides, Lungomare Sv. Mikule 1 / Cons
17:00 “Brudetijada“, fish stew preparation competition, Frane Petrić Square
19:30 Election of the best Brudet and tasting, F. Petrić Square
20:00 Winners Announcement of the Traditional Regatta and Award Ceremony of the Tournaments, Pišarjola
21:00 Concert “Šajeta&band” + DJ after party, Pišarjola
21:30 “The Play of Sails & Lights”, a night sail of traditional sail boats, Port of Cres
Sunday, 7/6/2026
19:00 Gondola Fish Stew + DJ Bizare, Vina Miramar
The event is organized by the Reful Cres Sailing Club, the partners are the City of Cres and OTRA, the event is co-financed by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Program through the Vela Vrata Marine Protected Area Agency, and is held with the support of the Tourist Board of the City of Cres, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the Tourist Board of Kvarner, and in cooperation with numerous Cres clubs, associations, institutions and individuals.
The organizer reserves the right to change the program.