When I found out I’d be arriving in Budapest in late August, just shy of summer music festival season, I thought I was missing out.
But then I found out that September is the host month of chocolate, food truck and five (!) wine festivals, so perhaps the timing was just right after all.
I traded a Saturday morning of sleep in order to travel to a quiet park on the outskirts of Budapest and be a part of the Vingardium Borliget festival. It was worth it.
I made my nest next to one of the stages–and not just because I was playing there with Budapest Open Mic! There was a drowsy calm in that corner as we nestled under the canopy of leaves, supported our musician friends, and sank into the (incredibly comfortable) beanbags.
The overcast weather couldn’t keep revelers at home from this family-friendly festival. When people weren’t refining their inner sommelier or digging into any of the traditional Hungarian food for sale (honestly don’t know how I managed not to get a lángos), there was plenty else to do.
Strolling down the lighted pathway I saw kids and their parents cracking up over wobbly progress on the slack lines, teenagers snagging a board game or two, or the occasional loner taking a nap in one of the many hammocks.
I always try to get to know a city through its food, and this lazy Saturday was the perfect way to draw closer to Hungary by sampling the fruits of its countryside. I’m no somm, but I can appreciate a good atmosphere when I’m in one. And with the live music, new friends, good wine, and plush beanbags, it was about as good as it could get!
The school year has just begun and everything else seems to be beginning, too! Cheers to the year ahead!
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