HUNGARIAN FESTIVAL AND MARKET IN A NEW ZEALAND VOLCANIC CRATER

The 2025 Hungarian Festival and Market took place on February 15, 2025, in the Onepoto volcanic crater, which today is a vast and lush green park.

Preparations began as early as 8 a.m., with stalls, tents, and the stage being set up, and of course, the unpacking of goods brought by local Hungarian producers. As the setup continued, the scent of sizzling sausages and bubbling Hungarian goulash wafted through the air.

A large number of multigenerational Hungarians attended the 2025 Hungarian Festival and Market, as the Auckland Hungarian Club had prepared a wide variety of exciting programs for guests. I had the honour of being one of the event’s hosts, introducing the programs to the audience both in Hungarian and in English.

The Kengugró Hungarian Folk Dance Ensemble, who flew in all the way from Sydney, performed four times and invited the audience to join them for a traditional folk dance session.

For the first time in the festival’s history, a vizsla dog show was held, which became a huge hit with the audience. The Rubik's Cube speed-solving competition, the raffle draw, the wine tasting, and the locally grown Hungarian hot pepper eating contest were also extremely popular. I myself took part in the latter – and was thoroughly defeated. I’ve never drunk that much milk at once in my life!

On this sunny Saturday, local Hungarian vendors and producers satisfied the hunger and thirst of the visitors. There was a lángos stall, a tent selling imported Hungarian goods, a wine and spritzer terrace, a sausage booth, a chimney cake stand, and counters filled with pastries and cheese.

The festival was a great success, and amidst the all-day buzz, there were countless opportunities to meet Hungarians living here in New Zealand who deeply value their Hungarian identity, mother tongue, culture, and traditions. Their stories deserve a separate article.

– Áron Darvasi

In February, the Auckland Hungarian Festival and Market was held once again – an event that continues to attract great interest year after year. This festival is not only a celebration of Hungarian traditions but also a wonderful opportunity for the local Hungarian community to connect, build relationships, and celebrate their culture together.

The festival showcased the richness of Hungarian culture through colourful programs, mouth-watering food, craft activities, and fun competitions. Visitors had the chance to taste traditional goulash soup, lángos, chimney cake, as well as a selection of Hungarian meats, salamis, and cheeses. Wines from Hungarian wine regions were also featured, and, of course, no Hungarian food stall was complete without Erős Pista, mayonnaise horseradish, and goulash paste.

Throughout the day, the stage hosted a variety of performances. One of the festival highlights was the folk dance group from Sydney, who not only performed but also invited the audience to join them for a communal dance. Alongside traditional music and cultural showcases, the hot pepper eating contest was another crowd favourite – brave contestants, eyes watering, stood their ground with pride.

Among the festival's unique attractions were the raffle draw, the vizsla dog meet-up, and whip-cracking demonstrations, which added a truly special atmosphere to the event. Children were engaged with craft activities, where they could make puli dogs out of yarn and try their hand at solving the Rubik's Cube.

During the event, I had the chance to talk with many Hungarians living here, learning about their migration stories, how they maintain ties with Hungary, and their favourite Hungarian foods. These conversations revealed that for many, the absence of Túró Rudi leaves a real gap in their lives.

It was a positive surprise to see how well the Hungarian language is spoken by most of the Hungarian community here – fluently, without dialects, and with correct grammar. It was particularly heartwarming to see teenagers speaking Hungarian with each other, which is a strong sign of how the community is preserving its cultural identity.

After the festival, we celebrated the successful day with the performers and organizers in a nearby garden bar. The cheerful atmosphere reached its peak when the musicians broke into song, and we ended the night dancing to traditional folk music together.

– Fanni Csényi