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Harvest fun all over the country

VillányPécs region

Although summer is over, there is no shortage of great things to do this autumn. There are harvest parties and wine festivals aplenty, where in addition to excellent Hungarian wines, you can also celebrate delicious food and take part in fun events. Mark the dates in your calendar!

Wine is a prominent part of Hungarian food and culture. Our wine regions have contributed many noble drinks for the culinary pleasure of Hungary and the world. No wonder that the harvest is traditionally the highlight of the autumn, when the drinks poured into your glasses get their due recognition, but there’s plenty of fun to be had in the meantime.

 

Traditionally, harvests had their own ceremonial schedule, from making noise and clatter before the start of the harvest to the harvest parades and cheerful parties held after the grapes had been picked. Today's harvest entertainments also recall these ceremonies, while also abounding in modern activities. Let's see the best of them!

Balaton Wine Festival

The harvest fun events start in Balatonszárszó on 10 September. The traditional event begins at 2 p.m. at the Music Pavilion, where the horse-and-dance parade kicks off. Dancers dressed in folk costume and fancy dress march through the streets of the town with coaches and carriages. The ball starts, along with the cultural events and a show of harvest traditions.

 

Another village by the Balaton, Balatonvilágos, continues the event on 24 September with its own harvest celebrations and a St. Michael's Day fair. In addition to the delicious food, tasty wines and the music and dance that put everyone into a good mood, you can also find the finest authentic handicrafts on the fair’s stalls.

Red and white

The traditional harvest festival is held in two of our famous wine regions between 30 September and 2 October. Not only wine lovers but also music lovers will find something to tickle their fancy at the Red Wine Festival in Villány. The red wines of Villány deserve all the respect they get but the festival is also about showcasing culinary delicacies too. In addition to the harvest parade, you can also learn about the tricks and gimmicks of grape processing and winemaking. On the music stages you can see popular performers such as Bálint Gájer and the stars of Rudan Joe Band, Bohemian Brass Band and Neoton Família. There are also several wine-themed guided tours and a wine tour around Szársomlyó.

 

However, white wines play the main role on the Tokaj-hegyalja Harvest Days. The harvest festival, which has been organised in our world heritage wine region since 1932, is a way to fill your glass and your soul with the motto "white wines, colourful culture". Since Tokaj wine has played a major role in our national identity for centuries, the main goal of the event is to nurture local gastronomic and cultural traditions and to present the diverse community values of the world heritage site. In addition to the spectacular harvest parade, there is also a grape collection ceremony, where the mayors of the wine region ceremoniously put some of their harvest together. Visitors are welcomed by BORTÉR with the excellent wines of Tokaj-Hegyalja, with unforgettable flavours on the gastronomic promenade and with quality products at the craft fair. The Bagossy Brothers Company, Budapest Bar, Lóci Játszik and Kiscsillag and others will perform. If you are coming with your family you should join the children's street theatre events and handicraft sessions.

The traditions of Hollókő

Hollókő, another of Hungary’s world heritage sites, also celebrates the harvest and wines on 8 October. Although most locals have given up viticulture, the village traditionalists never forget that their wines were once famous. The cellars also contain some of the noble drink, which is offered to the guests. The young people of the village parade through the streets dressed in traditional costumes, praising the grapes and wine, and jokingly recounting the notable stories of the year in rhymes. You can also learn about grape pressing techniques, and anyone can taste the fresh must. The wonderful event is completed by stage shows, craft activities and a flea market. 

MOVE AROUND LIKE A HUNGARIAN