The Christmas markets in downtown Budapest are waiting for those interested until Vízkreszt
The V. district municipality is taking a number of measures with due care to ensure that this year’s Advent period is more carefree and festive: decorative lighting, nativity scenes, Christmas trees, and Christmas fairs await those interested in Szent István and Vörösmarty tér.
With free community programs for downtown residents – an Advent candle-lighting ceremony, an Advent concert, a St. Nicholas Day event, charitable Christmas gifts and hospitality for children – they provide an opportunity for a meaningful pastime full of experiences.
In order to reduce the seasonal expenses of the population, they provide the most extensive and full heating subsidy nationwide, organize a discounted pine tree fair with gift candy, and send eligible families a HUF ten thousand Christmas period subsidy.
It was announced that the district, coordinating the aspects arising from the energy saving and the world heritage status of the district, can only implement the decorative lighting to a significant extent in the locations related to previous years.
From the first Sunday of Advent to Epiphany, the axis known as the main street, the public areas directly connected to the Christmas markets, the squares decorated with Christmas trees and nativity scenes – Egyeteme tér, Ferenciek tere, Szabadság tér, Olimpia park – and a few other streets are dressed in festive lights.
As it was written, the downtown municipality was also forced to take over the lighting of Váci Street, which falls under the jurisdiction of the capital municipality.
In addition to these, there will also be Christmas lighting on Vörösmarty Square, the cost of which will be borne by the organizer of the Christmas fair held here.
This year, in addition to the Szent István Square Fair, the organizers of the Advent Basilica, twice awarded the title of “Europe’s Best Christmas Fair”, received public space use consent for the Vörösmarty Square Fair.
After Budapest Brand, the company of the capital’s local government, withdrew from the organization of the Vörösmarty Square fair, the V. district together with a partner with whom it holds the municipal responsibility for the high-quality, careful operation of Vörösmarty Square and, above all, serving the needs of the population, and the use of public space that harmonizes with it in addition to its implementation, as well as having sufficient professional experience and local knowledge – it can be read.
As it was written, the district council, which felt responsible for the operation of the spaces, did not follow the practice of the capital, in which the public space was given free of charge to Budapest Brand, the organizer of the fair, and none of the profits from the event were spent on the operation of the public spaces.
With this service, the V. District made Szent István Square available for use at an 85 percent discount and Vörösty Square at a 90 percent discount, for a fee of nearly HUF 20 million.
The district municipality intends to use the revenues from the utilization for the maintenance of public areas: public area cleaning, green space maintenance and public road management tasks.