This paper analyses Špancirfest Festival. Špancirfest is one of the most important tourist events in Croatia and it is held every year in Varaždin, the capital of Varaždin County. Špancirfest is not held on a fixed date, as it is usually held every year at the end of August and lasts for 9 days, traditionally since 1999. Throughout the event, the streets and squares of the city are transformed into stages for a large number of performers, musicians and creative persons. The programme provides rich content and comprises of around 300 different sub-programs held on the streets and squares of Varaždin. Špancirfest serves as an example for event organisers who do not want tourism in Croatia to focus exclusively around the sea and the sun. It shows the path to follow for other continental cities that want to achieve a similar effect and attract a large number of visitors. Through its significant economic impact, Špancirfest Festival contributes to the promotion of the local community life by generating income and creating the potential for further development. Community members actively participate in organising and conducting the event. Events like Špancirfest can greatly contribute to a tourist destination, which in this case is the city of Varaždin, through an increase in the number of overnight stays, as well as by boosting both spending in the city and the economic growth of the entire country through tourism content-rich activities. Great festivals and special events are appealing in the sense that the basic wish of most visitors is to become involved in these events as participants or witnesses and thus become a part of history.