52 Weekends - December
Atelier 61, A Centre for Tapestry Art
Atelier 61, founded in 1961 as a Centre for Tapestry Art, is a unique cultural institution in relation to all museum and gallery institutions in the Western Balkans and the only one in Serbia with its own production (workshop, gallery, museum collection). It is one of only five similar cultural institutions in Europe.
The founders of Atelier 61 are textile designer Etelka Tobolka and the famous Serbian painter, tapestry artist and mosaicist Boško Petrović, with the support of the City of Novi Sad, which declared Atelier 61 an institution of culture of special social importance.
During the 60-year history of Atelier 61, in cooperation with over 300 artists, about 900 tapestries have been made. Atelier 61 also owns the National Tapestry Collection, which is considered one of the most extensive collections in this area.
Visitors to the Petrovaradin Fortress can visit Atelier 61, attend the process of creating tapestries, and see part of the National Tapestry Collection of Serbia every working day from 9 am to 2 pm. Announcement of group visits is mandatory (www.atelje61.org.rs).
Text: Teodora Ž. Janković
Winter fantasy in Novi Sad
Novi Sad is a city that, during the December and January holidays, resembles a snowy glass ball that evokes the memory of the winter joys of childhood. Like a festively decorated Christmas tree, Novi Sad’s Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings, the streets and squares become dazzling scenery of the magnificent winter scene where New Year’s programs, concerts, exhibitions, various artistic or fair events are arranged. One of the central city squares becomes a meeting place where holiday music is listened to within the Novi Sad’s Winterland, New Year’s gifts are bought, joy is shared with friends, and a handful of good wishes and toasts for New Year are raised with Fruška Gora wine and Vojvodinian delicacies.
The cycle of Christmas and New Year’s concerts marking the upcoming holidays brings together performers and audiences from the world and the region. At that time, artistic and spiritual music, French chansons, choirs, jazz and sevdah can be listened to in the Synagogue, the Gallery of Matica Srpska and other institutions and extraordinary spaces. Novi Sad is becoming music that is sung in the squares, listened to at concerts and unconventionally interpreted with voice and body in many cafes, restaurants, čarde, sometimes as a daily or pre-New Year’s party, and sometimes as a post-New Year’s relaxation and farewell session with meals and tamburica players, where promises are made for the next meeting at the same place next year.
For more information on what’s happening in December, check out our Events Calendar.
Text: Gordana Stojaković
Winter fantasy in Danube Park
Novi Sad’s December and January celebrations, in addition to the city’s central squares and streets, have another magical space known as the Ice Forest. The most romantic park in Novi Sad, the Danube Park, gets a new look during New Year’s and Christmas festivities and celebrations and becomes an unexpectedly lively and cheerful place that offers an abundance of winter amenities for children, young people and everyone who feels that way.
In the Ice Forest, in addition to the covered ice rink, there is a park footpath turned into an ice skating path that winds among the festively decorated, glittering park vegetation. On this state-of-the-art ice rink, skating is possible at higher temperatures up to as much as 15 degrees Celsius in several shifts throughout the day and evening. For all skaters, skate rental is provided, and for the youngest ones, there are skating aids that help them take their first steps on the ice.
On the glades there are cottages with a gastronomic offer and a winter bazaar – the Snowy City where you can buy handicrafts for every season, and the park gazebo and the central stage are places where programs for children and young people alternate. Numerous free programs are organized here, such as educational workshops, reading of stories and plays for children, exhibitions and much more.
For more information on what’s happening in December, check out our Events Calendar.
Text: Gordana Stojaković
Children’s winter magic
For many years, free programs for children during the winter holidays have been implemented. Their content encourages creativity, favors knowledge and affirms useful skills. By participating in these programs, children directly socialize, rejoice, work, actively participate in games, or rather deal with all those things that belong to the children’s natural activity.
Immediately at the beginning of December, in celebration of our most famous children poet, Jovan Jovanović Zmaj, and on the occasion of the day of his birth, the December Days of Zmaj are organized. These are multimedia programs for children and young people, and the central part of the program is the Monodrama Festival for Children, traditionally held at the Youth Theatre.
At the beginning of each winter break in Novi Sad, there is an event called Dissolution by the Novi Sad Children’s Cultural Center, which cultivates interesting topics and skills such as, for example, a quick reading and wise learning workshop, circus skills workshops, clay, Lego cubes and many others. There are also various programs of the Novi Sad Children’s Winter Games, organized by the Children’s Cultural Center Novi Sad, where there are usually a handful of programs for children and young people in various parts of the city. Whichever program you choose, you will support those who dedicate their love to children, but most of all it will be a sign of love for your own child.
For more information on what’s happening in December, check out our Events Calendar.
Text: Slavica Lončar
Day parties in Anticipation of the New Year
In recent years, day parties just before New Year’s Eve have been very popular in Novi Sad. Almost all caterers in the city center offer newly arrived guests interesting programs with obligatory food and drink.
Novi Sad residents, on the other hand, have their own places to visit before they sit down at family, holiday tables in time. One of them is the Riblja Pijaca and its multitude of interesting bars. For many locals, Riblja Pijaca is the Bermuda Triangle, where they get easily lost, sharing coffees and drinks with friends. Day parties are organized by other caterers in the city center, but also on its outskirts. From the end of December, the city of Novi Sad provides unique entertainment whose focal points are venues with various gigs.
You may find company at one of these day parties that will take you to other interesting places, and New Year’s Eve can be an uninterrupted series of day and night parties for you.
Text: Gordana Stojaković