October Festivals Paradise in Budapest
October festivals in Budapest centre around food, wine and culture. The best festivals of the month in Budapest are perhaps the Budapest Octoberfest and the World Press Photo Exhibition. But there are many more exciting events to enjoy in the fall.
We put together a list of our favourite festivals in Budapest in October to help you plan your Hungarian trip.
Oktoberfest Budapest
Every year, between 29 September and 2 October, the city gets its own Oktoberfest. The best craft breweries from Hungary, Bavaria and other countries will be tasted and celebrated on the three-day event offering a choice of more than 100 beers. During the festival there will be several programs apart from drinking and eating, including multiple concerts and handcraft markets.
Chimney Cake Festival
The fall’s most aromatic food festival honors Hungary’s traditional sugar-dusted pastry, chimney cake, mid-October (dates change slightly – please check out the event’s official website before planning your trip). Everyone with a sweet tooth in the country and abroad gather together to celebrate their passion for everything sweet. Here, you can sample countless chimney cake variations, enjoy concerts and take part in fun quizzes during the three-day fest.
The festival brings innovative solutions to visitors every year, improving overall experience. After ordering a chimney cake you can spend time relaxing on a cozy bean bag instead of queuing. How about a game of chess, board game or soccer and darts, until you get a message informing you of your cake is ready for collection. The Relax Island is a great relaxation zone at the festival allowing for some breathing room for all the sweet loving participants.
Budapest National Gallop
The National Gallop is a celebration of Hungarian traditions and the countryside including traditional Hungarian horseback riding and hussar culture. In fact, a symbol of Hungary are elegantly garbed hussars, light cavalrymen whose history dates back six centuries. Back in the 14th century, Hungarian politician and military man János Hunyadi created the country’s first mounted units, inspired by the Ottomans. The hussar regiments became prominent under the reign of his son, Matthias Corvinus, who developed them into large-scale formations for the so- called Black Army of Hungary.
Apart from the horse race, the National Gallop is a large-scale cultural festival that enriches the colourful event palette of Budapest.
October Bath Parties in Budapest
The most popular thermal bath in Budapest, Szechenyi Spa & Baths is famous for its summer night spa parties, which extend well into the fall. Sparties may be a new addition to the Budapest’s nightlife scene, but Hungary’s bath culture has roots in antiquity.
Szechenyi Baths, built in 1913, is the most visited and much praised attraction in Budapest: relaxing, fun, affordable and, at night, romantic. In addition to the marvelous medicinal natural hot spring waters in the 18 pools, there are 10 saunas or steam cabins, several massage therapies, facial treatments, and more.
Relaxation by day and spartying by night, Budapest is bringing an exciting hybrid of entertainment to the Hungarians and travelers.
World Press Photo Exhibition Budapest
Visit the World Press Photo Exhibition on its world-wide tour showcasing the stories that matter with photography from the 62nd annual World Press Photo contest. The winners were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed more than 78,801 photographs entered by 4,738 photographers from 129 countries.
In 1955 a group of Dutch photographers organized an international contest to expose their work to a global audience. Since then, the contest has grown into the world’s most prestigious photography competition, and through a successful worldwide exhibition program, presents the winning stories to millions of people. This can be an emotional journey with so many strong captures and absolutely amazing experiences.
Budapest Design Week
As part of the program each year the Design Week showcases the works of designers participating in the Hungarian Design Awards. Several exhibitions, conferences and fashion shows are on the schedule by a wide range of Hungarian and international designers. A series of presentations, round-table discussions, workshops and exhibitions run citywide at such locations as the MOME University of Art and Design, the contemporary Bálna Budapest and Hungexpo Budapest Fair Center. Many events are English-friendly, but some presentations run in Hungarian only. Many prominent speakers and educators join the festival to share their expertise. Then there are workshops, where participants can learn how to make leather bracelets, cushion covers, even sophisticated cutting boards.
This exciting Week features design and technology, figurative sense exhibition, cart jewelry exhibition, design and technology in the kitchen and so much more.
Halloween in Budapest
Halloween in Budapest is a spooky entertainment like no other. There are various events you can join if you don’t want to dress up and wander around the city, for example, Halloween Nightmare Tour or Dracula in the Labyrinth or Pumpkin Lantern Charity Festival. However, Halloween themed face paint will definitely brighten up your dark October night in Budapest. Halloween Booze Cruise may also do the trick.
Halloween is becoming popular in Hungary; however it isn’t the traditional celebration. If you’d like to submerge into the local culture, join All Saint’s Day, otherwise known as Halottak Napja or the day of the dead or the day of remembrance, All Soul’s Day and All Saints’ Day are two of the more popular holidays in Hungary that people celebrate.
If you want help planning your Hungarian holidays, give our team a call on 1800 242 373.