Bartulja, St. Bartholomew’s Fest, is the largest folk festival in Istria. The culmination of a whole week’s programme occurs on the last Saturday in August.

For over a hundred years, people gathered in Žminj to celebrate St. Bartholomew’s Day, which was once celebrated exclusively on the 24^th of August. St. Bartholomew’s Church is located at the western entrance to the town and it was built in the 16^th century. The main altar features a statue of St. Bartholomew, made in a Žminj’s old woodcarving workshop, and is a good example of rural baroque in Istria. After the mass, families used to gather in honour of the saint and the meals often included specialties made with cabbage. Afterwards they would visit the local fair, have fun and dance in one of Žminj’s taverns. Today’s Bartulja is a modern version of the old folk festivity, which still heavily relies on its century old tradition. The programme includes bike tour, running race, football and boules tournament, concerts, livestock fair, various performances, local produce fair and a car exhibition.