His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II officially opened the 41st Serbian National Folklore Festival today in Topola. Beside Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine, the traditional event in Topola was also attended by HE Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic – Dejanovic, Minister of Health, HE Mr Velimir Ilic, Minister of Construction and urban planning, members of diplomatic corps and numerous citizens.
HRH Crown Prince Alexander II welcomed participants together with Mr. Dragan Jovanovic, Mayor of Topola in front of the Royal Winery, founded in 1931 by his grandfather, HM King Alexander I and then joined them in a procession of old fiacres through the streets of Topola.
In his speech during the official opening, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander emphasized: “It is a great pleasure and honour to be here with you today for this important traditional event. The National Folklore Festival of Serbia is the crown and true image of our folklore arts, a testimony of vitality and achievements of our National spirit. There is also the Oplenac grape picking festival held at the same time and it is a symbol of tradition, fertility of our land and yield. I am very happy that the best folklore ensembles and singing orchestras from all over Serbia are gathered here”.
The grape picking festival in Oplenac has been held traditionally since 1962. Patrons of these events are the Municipality of Topola, Amateur Association and Touristic Organization of Topola. The people of Sumadija call this event simply a “Topola Fair”, having been organized since the times of Prince Alexander.
During this week in October, Topola becomes a place that attracts a great number of people, who celebrate grape picking, taste wine and have a good time enjoying their favourite music. The organizers make special effort to organize numerous cultural events such as exhibitions, concerts, and the presentation of old crafts.