During our trip to Budapest in August 2010, we did the typical tourist activities, including exploring the Castle District. While there, we stumbled upon the Festival of Folk Arts, which takes place annually for four days in August around St. Stephen’s Day on the 20th. This holiday celebrates the founding of Hungary over a thousand years ago.

To reach the Buda Palace and the Hungarian National Gallery, you can cross the Chain Bridge and either hike up the steep hill or take the Buda Castle Funicular. We took a different route, climbing the cobbled streets behind Art’otel, where we were staying. We enjoyed the views from the Fisherman’s Bastion and the colorful Mátyás Church before walking along the hilltop street overlooking the Danube.

As we approached the festival, we passed a few stalls before reaching the main entrance, where we paid the fee to get in. The festival showcased top-notch Hungarian crafts, including beautifully embroidered textiles, painted eggs, and country-style pottery. There were also intricate dough shapes, though not meant for eating, unlike the delicious Kürtős Kalács—a sweet dough wrapped around a metal cylinder, roasted over a fire, and rolled in sugar and cinnamon.

The festival featured a stage with continuous performances by folk groups, singers, and traditional Hungarian dancers. The dancers, especially the men, were impressive with their leaping and boot slapping, while the women danced gracefully in their floral printed dresses and velvet jackets.

The festival’s location was perfect, winding through the beautiful old palace buildings that now house the Hungarian National Gallery, with stunning views of the Danube. Although we admired many ceramics and handicrafts, we only bought a few postcards and small food items, mindful of our carry-on luggage weight limits.

If you visit Budapest outside of August, you can still find excellent Hungarian souvenirs, like painted eggs and embroidered textiles, on the top floor of the Central Market. The market also has a food section where we enjoyed an inexpensive snack lunch, trying Langos—a puffy pancake topped with sour cream and cheese.

The Festival of Folk Arts is a great family outing, with numerous craft demonstrations and children’s entertainment. The cost was 1500HUF for adults and 500HUF for children under 14, with kids under 4 free. We hope you enjoy the boot slapping, skirt twirling, and mournful gypsy violins as much as we did.

During our visit to Budapest, we stayed at Art’Otel Budapest.