Palačinka Fest Zagreb: late summer pancakes in Rougemarin Park

In late August, Rougemarin Park at Folnegovićeva 10 in Zagreb turns into a pancake festival. Palačinka Fest filled the park at the end of summer in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Chefs from the Rougemarin kitchen bake sweet and savoury palačinke from late afternoon into the evening. Children toss pancakes, decorate them and paint. In 2024 grandmothers raced each other at the pan. Each edition opened in the last third of August and closed in September.

Palačinke are thin Croatian pancakes, close to a French crêpe. At home they come sweet with jam, chocolate or walnuts, or savoury with cheese and ham, as the Zagreb magazine after5 lists them. The festival keeps those classics. It adds versions from other kitchens: fluffy American pancakes, French crêpes and layered pancake cakes.

Rougemarin is a Zagreb food company. Its website lists a bistro on Rooseveltov trg, the Santoku butcher's shop at Folnegovićeva 10 and a focacceria at Trg bana Jelačića 6. Rougemarin Park shares the Folnegovićeva address. It is a seasonal open-air garden with string lights, garden pavilions and terraced lounge zones, Index.hr reported in June 2024, when the park opened for its fourth summer. Chef Marin Medak runs the food in the park. Over the summer the park also hosts painting workshops, salsa evenings and cocktail workshops.

Three editions, all in late August

• 2024: from Tuesday 27 August to 8 September, opening at 17:00, according to Zagreb.info and DiVan.
• 2025: from Monday 25 August at 19:00 to 11 September, according to after5.
• 2026: from Thursday 20 August at 17:00 to 20 September, according to Index.hr.

The festival has grown longer each year. The 2024 edition lasted 13 days, the 2025 edition 18 days and the 2026 edition a month. The opening day moved a little earlier each time, from 27 to 25 to 20 August. All three editions took place in Rougemarin Park.

More than 30 pancakes on the 2025 menu

The 2025 menu had more than 30 combinations, Index.hr reported. Next to classic palačinke it listed American pancakes, French crêpes, pancake cakes and savoury versions. The pancake cakes came in layers with mascarpone, pistachio, forest fruit, caramel and chocolate. These dishes drew the most attention:

• Tiramisu pancakes with mascarpone and ladyfingers, and a dessert built on the Espresso Martini cocktail.
• Pancake spaghetti, pancakes in the shape of animals and a crispy pancake cone.
• American pancakes with carsko meso, smoked pork belly, and a pulled pork version.
• Pancakes with chicken in a Mexican style, and the ajvarčinka, a pancake with ajvar.
• Ice cream versions, and protein pancakes with bučnica, the pumpkin and cottage cheese pie of Zagorje.

Workshops, races and fire juggling

The programme changes each year. In 2024 three chefs, Marin Medak, Petra Jelenić and Robert Hromalić, showed their recipes: how to mix the dough, which fillings to choose and how to pair flavours. Visitors competed in baking pancakes and in tossing them high into the air. In the Super baka utrka, the super grandma race, grandmothers showed their pancake skills. The 2024 programme for children and evening guests included:

• Pancake art workshops, where pastry animators taught children to shape and decorate pancakes.
• Painting workshops, children's shows and games with animators.
• Face painting on weekdays from 17:00 to 19:00 and at weekends from 12:00 to 14:00, DiVan listed.
• Fire juggling and acrobatics with light-up hula hoops.

In 2025 the workshops went to named chefs. Petra Jelenić held a masterclass on the perfect pancake, with recipes for diabetics and pancakes for vegans. Mario Mihelj ran pancake art workshops for the youngest guests. Mate Janković taught a masterclass in flambéing pancakes.

Opening hours and getting there

Opening hours follow the park, and they have changed from year to year. In 2024 the park opened Monday to Thursday from 17:00 to 23:00, on Fridays from 17:00 to midnight, on Saturdays from 10:00 to midnight and on Sundays from 10:00 to 23:00, Zagreb.info reported. In 2025 after5 gave daily hours from 17:00 to 23:00. The 2026 edition opened at 17:00 on its first day. Hours for each edition appear with its announcement.

Folnegovićeva 10 lies in the Trnje district, in the Sigečica neighbourhood, about 3 km east of Ban Jelačić Square in a straight line. The nearest tram stop is Radnička, about 450 metres away. Heinzelova is about 600 metres away. Trams 2, 3 and 13 stop at both, according to OpenStreetMap.

Good to know

• Weekend mornings suit families: in 2024 the park opened at 10:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Weekday visits start in the late afternoon: on weekdays the park opened at 17:00 in 2024 and in 2025.
• The first weekend brings new dishes: in 2026 the organisers presented part of the menu on the opening weekend.
• The daily programme appears on the Instagram page of Rougemarin Park, Index.hr wrote in 2024.
• For a full day in the city, the upper town, the horseshoe of parks and Mirogoj are in our guide to what to see in Zagreb.

Palačinka Fest 2027

As of 20 October 2026, Rougemarin has announced no date for Palačinka Fest 2027. The events page on rougemarin.hr lists no pancake festival yet. The last three editions opened between 20 and 27 August and closed between 8 and 20 September. The dates reached Croatian media three to seven days before each start: on 23 August 2024, 18 August 2025 and 17 August 2026. Other dates already fixed for next year are in Croatia 2027: the festival dates that are already fixed.

Palačinka Fest 2026 in review

The 2026 edition opened on Thursday 20 August at 17:00 and was scheduled to run until 20 September, Index.hr reported. At a month, it was the longest of the three editions. The organisers announced sweet and savoury pancakes and new dishes by Rougemarin chefs. Part of the menu was planned for the first weekend. For the opening day the organisers promised surprises.

Five days after the scheduled close, the park moved on to burgers. Rougemarin lists Original Burgers Only in Rougemarin Park from 25 September to 4 October 2026.