Festival Honors Francis II Rákóczi, Iconic Figure of Hungarian History

Bust of Francis II Rákóczi at his birthplace.

On September 8, the Rákóczi Festival will be held for the third time in Borša Castle (Borsi, Slovakia) the birthplace of Francis II Rákóczi, reports Magyar Nemzet. The event will feature children’s programs from 10 a.m. and concerts and performances from 2 p.m.

The festival will feature performances by:

István Pál “Szalonna” and His Band
Harghita National Szekler Folk Ensemble
Ferenczi György és az 1-ső pesti Rackák

In addition to the musical program, the organizers are preparing gastronomic adventures:

a selection of Polish, French, Ruthenian, Hungarian, Transylvanian and Turkish dishes, and the wine producers of the Bodrog region will be presented.

A cooking competition is announced from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In the afternoon, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., musical performances – classics, folk music arrangements – will take center stage, with Lajos Pál (accordion), Péter Berec (accordion), Anita Szatmári (vocals) and Viktor Pirigyi (guitar).

As part of the evening program, participants will have the opportunity to watch the musical play A padlás (The Attic) by Gábor Presser and Dusán Sztevanovity, performed by the Thália Theater from Košice (Kassa, Slovakia).

The festival is free of charge.

The Rákóczi Castle in Borša, 5 minutes from Sátoraljaújhely, on the Slovak side of the border, was completely renovated in 2019 with the support of the Hungarian government. The castle has a hotel, restaurant, interactive exhibition, recreation room, water camp for paddlers on the Bodrog river and bicycle rental.

Photo via Facebook/Borsi Rákóczi-kastély

Fact

Francis II Rákóczi (1676-1735), was a Hungarian nobleman, leader of the War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. Furthermore, as an exile, he is one of the best-known heroes of Hungarian history. He was also the Prince of Transylvania, an imperial prince and a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. If nothing else, his portrait is well known from 500-forint banknotes.