After a year of omission, this year the Debrecen Winter Fair will open its doors again!
Nearly 100 caterers and craft ware vendors are preparing for Debrecen’s Christmas Winter Fair from 26th of November to 23rd of December 2021 with handcrafted products and heartwarming delicacies.
What’s more, this year the Winter Fair will take place in an even larger area: in addition to the usual Kossuth square, the Fair will be expanded with several new locations, including Rózsa street, Csapó street, Dósa nádor square and the space in front of Piac street 1-3.
If the event follows the previous years’ model and schedules, the lineup will include.
30th November: Bethlehem in the Old Town Hall
From November 30th, the Old Town Hall will open its gate. In its inner courtyard, figures of Bethlehem can be seen together with biblical animals thanks to the help of the Debrecen Zoo and Botanical Garden. In addition to those images, the wilderness of Hortobágy will be also displayed. In addition to the permanent programs, there are other nature-based attractions on the weekends, i.e. Természettár (Association of Nature) shows what we can do for animals, especially for the birds and other wildlife species, in winter.
Opening hours of the Old Town Hall: Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m until 9 p.m., weekdays 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
1st December: The first candle lightning and the Giant Christmas Calendar
The candle lighting begins on December 1st. On this day, the shepherds of Hortobágy arrive in Debrecen at 10 a.m. to light the first candle of the Advent wreath at the worship service of the Small Church. At around 5 pm on Kossuth Square, with the participation of the participants singing together to celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and listen to the thoughts of our Mayor László Papp and the honourable bishops, with a backdrop of the festive Christmas lights.
The program is accompanied by the performance of the Street Theater, Artist’s House “Kuckó Művésztanya”, Debrecen Folk Ensemble, and the Lautitia Chorus Family. Special guests are Francesca Provvisionato, Botond Gulyás and Fruzsina Erdős.
You can also see a Giant Advent Calendar placed next to the main stage which windows are progressively opened daily at 6 p.m to deliver important messages throughout the Advent celebration period.
5th December: Santa is Coming to Town
Santa Claus, Juolupukki, arrives from Rovaniemi to the city during the evening of 5th December and welcomes children in his house that day. Santa’s home away from home will be an Advent Hut, he will be available from December 9th, and children can participate in a range of craft activities, please note that you can also submit your donations for people in need as well.
8th, 15th, 22nd December: The second, third, and the last candle lightning
A representative of the mayoral office will give a welcome speech and light up the second candle during the early evening. on 8th December, and again, light the third candle on the 15th of December at the Kossuth square. You could also enjoy the various performances before and after (details pending).
The fourth candle of the Advent wreath will be lit at around 5 p.m. on the 22nd of December. The candlelight on Kossuth Square is preceded by a singing march from the Old Town Hall.
Opening hours:
– on weekdays from 12 a.m. to 8 p.m.,
– on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
According to the current vaccination regulations, the Winter Fair can be visited without a vaccination certificate. Watch this space for updates to the schedule!
