In the past few weeks, HuGo, the app for All Things Hungarian in the US had the opportunity to be presented at three amazing Hungarian events: the Hungarian Heritage Festival in DC, followed by the Hungarian Summit on Daytona Beach, and finally the EU Open House Day at the Hungarian Embassy back in Washington D.C.
Hungarian Heritage Festival – McLean, VA
The Hungarian Heritage Festival, an annual event for the Hungarian community of the American East Coast, took place in McLean, VA on April 30, 2022. The event was organized by the Kossuth Foundation of Washington, DC in order to embrace the Hungarian culture and traditions, as well as to deepen the relationships between the members of the local Hungarian community. After two years of battling through a global pandemic, the organizers were successfully able to make this event an unforgettable spring day for all.
The festival started with different performances by Hungarian musicians and dance groups from all around the region. The attendees of the event were welcome to participate in various traditional Hungarian activities while they had the chance to try traditional Hungarian food and beverages. Because of the good weather, welcoming atmosphere, and amazing food, the number of people that came out in support of this event exceeded expectations.
The Hungarian Heritage Festival was the first official in-person debut of HuGo. The event was a great success, with many people registering and leaving positive feedback on behalf of the HuGo application. Guests even had the chance to win their very own HuGo hat by participating in different programs!
Hungarian Summit – Daytona Beach, FL
Hungary Foundation intern Imre Andrikó represented HuGo at the Hungarian Summit, held in Daytona Beach, FL between May 12 and 14. The event was organized by HungarianHub and spearheaded by Piros Pazaurek, Honorary Consul of Hungary in Florida. The explicit purpose of the Summit was to provide opportunities for the American Hungarian entrepreneurs, businessmen, and the community itself to get together and share their experiences and foster their relationships. Although the event had to be postponed twice due to the ongoing pandemic, the organizers really did their best to make the first summit unforgettable for every attendee.
Held in a beautiful gallery filled with the State’s major artworks, the Summit provided a key opportunity to foster long-lasting partnerships within the community. Some of the speakers were invited from Hungary; among those, many have vital roles in the country’s public administration. Katalin Szili and Szabolcs Takács, the Hungarian prime ministerial commissioner and Ambassador of Hungary for Washington DC respectively, send their regards.
The first day was filled with different lectures and workshops held in three different sections, namely business, community, and education. The attendees could engage in seminars about human rights, enterprises in the USA, and the differences between the educational systems of Hungary and the United States. The day closed with a wine tasting event, with the treasures of Villany in the spotlight. The second day continued with workshops ranging in topics from family values to useful business ideas for attendees.
The Summit was another good place for the Hungary Foundation to introduce HuGo to its audience, a broader segment of the American-Hungarian community. The presentation included sweepstakes for the attendees, with possible prizes containing a round-trip ticket to visit Hungary. The community was quite interested in the mobile application, and many of them gave warm feedback about the project. The two days HuGo spent in Daytona Beach presented a good opportunity to show the app to guests of the Summit and help spread all things Hungarian in Florida as well.
EU Open House Day – Hungarian Embassy, Washington D.C.
Each May, the embassies of the American capital city open their gates to the general public to show important aspects of European culture. For this event, embassies around DC prepare the best music, food, and community events that their countries offer.
The Hungarian Embassy in Washington DC was a true highlight of the day for many visitors. The program included Hungarian food, wine, and folk music for more than 2500 guests who were interested in the open house event. The organizers even invited dog owners to present different traditional Hungarian breeds to the American public. Those who wanted to stay longer were welcome to visit the Hungarian Picnic at the garden of the Embassy after 4 PM.
HuGo made an appearance as one of the invited representatives of the US-Hungarian community. The ongoing sweepstakes for airline tickets continued and amassed over one hundred new entries towards the contest.
The Open House at the Embassy was a great opportunity to help locals – Americans and Hungarians alike – be introduced to all things Hungarian nation-wide.
