August 15 - 21, 2007



One of Hungary's best known and Debrecen's most significant festival, the Debrecen Flower Festival is a one-week fiesta, and it reaches its peak with the colorful parade of flower carts on August 20, the largest public holiday in Hungary.


The elaborate compositions on the flower carts can take even three million flowers to make. The color-burst and the scent of the millions of flowers are accompanied by Hungarian and foreign artistic groups, dance companies, bands, and cheerleader groups offering spectacular performances.



During its 100-year history, the Flower Festival displaying the largest flower compositions in Europe has introduced 100 million flowers, 600 flower carts, and tens of thousands of parade participants to the millions of visitors who spent August 20, the day of St. Stephen and the celebration of the New Bread (uj kenyer) in Debrecen.



Highlights of the 2007 Debrecen Flower Festival


August 15, Wednesday


8:00 PM.: Katica Illenyi Concert (vocalist and violinist; classical music, dixiland, jazz, swing) - Kossuth Square

As a performer, Katica Illenyi has a ‘joie de vivre’ that is simply contagious, and she is said, to bring her audience “where only the spirit can get, and we can't even realize whether she is playing the violin, singing or dancing to us: we understand all her words”. (http://www.operafesztival.hu/e06illenyikaticaen.php)

If you can’t make it to the Flower Festival to see her perform live, make sure you watch her concert videos here: http://www.illenyikatica.hu/


August 16, Thursday


09:00 AM - 12:00 noon: Creative playhouse - Kossuth Square

5:00 PM: Afternoon Bustle - Kossuth Square

8:00 PM: Bergendy Szalonzenekar (Bergendy Concert, Dance, Jazz, and Salon Orchestra) - Kossuth Square


August 17, Friday


9:00 AM – 12:00 noon: Creative playhouse - Kossuth Square

5:00 PM: Afternoon bustle - Kossuth Square

8:00 PM: Marot Viki and the Nova Kultur (Retro party - concert) - Kossuth Square


August 18, Saturday


09:00 AM - 12:00 noon: Creative playhouse - Kossuth Square

5:00 PM: Afternoon bustle - Kossuth Square

8:00 PM: European Dance Caravan - Kossuth Square


August 19, Sunday


09:00 AM - 12:00 noon: Creative playhouse - Kossuth Square

5:00 PM: Afternoon bustle - Kossuth Square

8:00 PM: Ricchi e Poveri Concert (The Rich and the Poor, Italian band; light, dance oriented music) - Kossuth Square


August 20, Monday


8:00 AM: Carnival running race

8:00 AM - 12:00 noon: Carnival - The procession of flower carts and artistic groups on the streets of Debrecen

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Carnival Show - Nagyerdei Stadium

2:00 PM: Who is the strongest? (competition) - Nagyerdei Stadium

2:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Flower carts in close-up - Nagyerdei Stadium

3:30 PM: Folklore Show - dance group performances - Nagyerdei Stadium

4:00 PM: Flower design - creating and displaying flower compositions - The yard of Old City Hall

8:00 PM:

• Night carnival in the downtown area of Debrecen
• Fireworks - Kossuth Square
• The Concert of Brillantin Band - Kossuth Square
  

Accompanying events of the Flower Festival


August 15-19, Kossuth Square: Street of Flowers

• Flower market
• Photo gallery of the previous year’s Flower Festival

August 15-19, Piac Street: Craftsmen’s market


August 15-20, Kolcsey Convention Center:

• Display and market of cacti and succulents
• Decorating flower carts

August 17-19, Kossuth Square: Flower carts in close-up

August 21, Kossuth Square: Open-air flower display


Ticket prices for the August 20 events


North gate:

• 600 HUF
• Student and pensioner: 500 HUF

South gate:

• 600 HUF
• Student and pensioner: 500 HUF

Sectors A and B: 1500 HUF
Sector C: 1100 HUF

Grandstand on Simonffy Street in the morning: 2300 HUF
Grandstand on Rozsa Street in the morning: 2300 HUF

Grandstand on Simonffy Street in the evening: 2000 HUF
Grandstand on Rozsa Street in the evening: 2000 HUF

Grandstand on Egyetem Avenue: 1600 HUF
Grandstand in front of Kolcsey Convention Center: 1600 HUF

Display of flower carts and folklore show:

• 800 HUF
• Student and pensioner: 600 HUF

Terrace ticket: 2000 HUF


Ticket offices


Kolcsey Convention Center (Hunyadi St. 1-3, Debrecen)
Apollo Cinema (Miklos St. 28, Debrecen)
Tourinform Office (Piac St. 20, Debrecen)



Links:

Festival photographs from Fonix Info’s Gallery

Katica Illeny’s Home Page – English, German, Hungarian

Bergendy Orchestra’s Home Page – English, German, Hungarian (languages may not work properly)



Between August 18 and 21, 2007, Civis Grand Hotel Aranybika**** welcomes guests from the price of