Events

Hot Air Balloons Parade

The passengers or charge are being transported in a platform containing a heat source, namely a burner. The heated air is routed inside the balloon, making it rise, because its density is less than that of the air outside. Unlike the gas balloons, the hot air ones do not have to be airtight because the gas inside is not maintained under pressure but it has the same pressure as the outside air. Nowadays, the balloons are made of nylon and the mouth of the balloon (bottom side, closest to the heat source) is made of fireproof material.

The Hot Air Balloons Parade is held every year in September, at Câmpul Cetății and it is already known internationally. It lasts for three days, when there are also organized sports and entertainment programs. The participants have the opportunity to try flying with the balloons or to admire their parade, as they rise over the hills around, making a circle and descending at the place of the event.

For further details, please access www.paradabaloanelor.ro

Sarmale's Festival

It is held every year during the third weekend in September.

The Festival's history has its beginnings over 14 years ago, at an international symposium on the topic of rural tourism, held at Praid. During the debates of this symposium it was proposed that Romanians and Hungarians to put aside any misunderstandings and to emulate a culinary "war" on the land of sarmale, traditional dishes that boast both kitchens. "The challenge" was accepted and thus the first such festival was held in Pusztamérges - Hungary in 1994, and the following year in Praid - Romania. After a period of 4 years, when the festival was held alternately in Hungary (Pusztamérges) and Romania (Praid), since 1998, the resort in Harghita county became the permanent host of the festival each year. Since then, every edition attracts to Praid both the representatives of neighbouring towns and participants from almost all the national regions and from abroad, especially from Hungary.

The program includes performances by folklore ensembles of dancers, musicians, brass bands in the cities where competitors come from, all together showing the customs and cultural values of their regions. Every year, a concert is also held Saturday night with pop-rock bands from Romania and Hungary.

Also, the 3rd day of the festival includes a classical music concert in the salt mine, in the ecumenical chapel underground, and a reception with Swedish buffet and folklore program into the mine and the show continues at the surface with a day for children, where ancient folk customs and occupations are presented. Both children and adults paint furniture items, sculpt in wood, process tinder ... After lunch there are skills contests. The evening ends with a concert and laser show.

Besides the good mood it creates, the festival aims to strengthen the cultural relations between the participating regions and to preserve culinary traditions by promoting popular gourmet "miracles" - Sarmale, a dish that allows ingenuity, originality and diversity of varieties.

Source: www.kaposztafesztival.ro