Best of Budapest & Hungary

This year the Hollókő Easter Festival will be a four-day event, with programs starting on Friday in the Nógrád County World Heritage village, the executive director of the Hollókő World Heritage Management Nonprofit Ltd., said Boglárka Bakos on Monday.

    She stressed that visitors are expected with a rich folklore program, Palóc gastronomy, folk customs, caroling, concerts, but family and children's programs have also been organized in Hollókő, N Hungary.

    On the free day on Friday, there will be a craft fair on Petőfi Street, egg painting in several places, a screening of archive photos and old Hollókő films in the Visitor's House, and a revival of Lenten customs before the Good Friday liturgy.

   On Saturday, gastronomic and traditional programs will be held in the courtyards of the Old Village: a traditional folk dance, a demonstration of folk life, dance lessons with the Nógrád Dance Association, a caricature and costume show with the Hollókő Folk Dance Association, and plum dumpling making with the Kétbodony Traditional Guards.

   In the evening, the Keleti Szél band will give a concert on the main stage.

   Sunday begins with Easter mass and a procession of the Resurrection, followed by watering at the church and the lower fountain.

  On the stage, the Hollókő Dance Ensemble and the Hollókő zither artists will open the Easter program with an Easter show, while the Fonó Folk Dance Ensemble, the Nógrád Dance Ensemble, the Pásztó Folk Band and the Dűvő Band will perform folk music.

   On Easter Monday, another mass is celebrated, traditional water sprinkling, a number of folklore programs will take place and guests can listen to the tales of János Bukovics, a Palóc storyteller.

    Among others, the Muzsla Folk Dance Ensemble and the Hungarian Band with singers Bori Hegedűs and Izabella Causanella will perform.