Pisana Loka Festival
Launched with urban reinvigoration plans in mind, Pisana Loka used to be just a series of music concerts in the city centre. In 2011, the festival organisation was handed over to Zavod O, a cultural association run by local youth, and its ambitions noticeably rose. The festival started to connect various local institutions, groups, and actors, from local skateboarders to the pensioners society, the Ivan Tavčar Public Library, scouts, student organisations, and various local cultural enthusiasts and associations. The festival locations are numerous, among them Sokolski dom Cultural Centre, Loka Castle, the summer garden of various local bars, and the main square of the old city centre (one of the best-preserved medieval squares in Slovenia).
Pisana Loka has hosted bands such as Laibach, Bakalina, Uršula Ramoveš in Fantje z Jazbecove grape, Katarina Juvančič & Dejan Lapanja, Vasko Atanasovski Trio, Dan D, Joe Cocker Tribute, Jan Plestenjak, Hamo & Tribute 2 Love – all in all, a varied line-up that joins alternative musicians with big pop acts. The festival has also collaborated with the Loka Blues Fest and the In Memoriam Prof. Peter Hafner Festival.
There are a series of public tribunes (with topics ranging from the cultural prospects of the town to youth employability), an open-air cinema, numerous theatre performances (hosting both the performances of the street theatre collective KUD Ljud as well as more traditional comedy shows), gallery exhibitions and other events that actively try to engage the local and regional population.