To visit this weekend’s Vingardium wine festival, we have to leave the buzz of central Budapest for a bit, and make our way to the green area of District XVI. Here at Erzsébetliget, stands of various wine cellars will offer samples of their special libations in the shade of century-old trees, amid soothing tunes. Altogether 30 exhibitors will pop their corks to pour their refined potables from all over the country. The festival also entices everyone with bright sunshine, cool concerts, hammocks, cozy picnics amid green grass, and abundant activities for children.

It is worthwhile to visit Erzsébetliget during the first weekend of September, especially if you like Hungarian wines, street food, sitting on the grass, and listening to Magyar music by the speed-folk band Bohemian Betyars, and Hungarian singer Vera Tóth. These are the ingredients of Vingardium Borliget, organized to add new color to Budapest’s wine-loving community this weekend, but this definitely doesn’t mean that they are starting small; there will be 30 exhibitors from all over the country, so guests can sample special libations from the Tokaj, Balaton, and Villány wine regions. Besides well-known wine experts, smaller cellars are also represented at the festival, such as Frittmann,Gere Tamás és Zsolt, Kristinus, and Nobilis – to mention only a few.

Plenty of gastronomical and musical programs also await guests at Vingardium. Beloved street-food trucks will park at the festival, offering sausages, kenyérlángos (a Hungarian pizza-like dish), steamboos, and filled bagel rings. Besides the gastronomic journeys, guests can also enjoy various live concerts by popular Hungarian artists, such as the soul-funk singer Sena, Hungarian singer Orsi Sapszon, and the Bohemian Betyars, while on Saturday, the Acoustic Loops, Créme de la Pop, Márk Járai, and Vera Tóth will step on stage.

As we mentioned above, Vingardium is a family-friendly festival, and they take this very seriously. The event welcomes children with various special programs, such as the concert of Málna Zenekar, eco games, slack-lining, and seesawing on an interactive installation named HINTAYO. Guests can bring roller-skates and skateboards, because Erzsébetliget is a truly suitable spot for rolling around.

Entry to the festival is free, and there is no cashless payment, but for wine tasting and to visit certain programs, guests will have to purchase the festival’s own cup (1,600 HUF, and 1,300 HUF for the residents of the district, and this amount also includes two wine samplings). A free festival transfer heads to Erzsébetliget from Örs Vezér Square, offering a truly nostalgic trip on an old IKARUS bus.