Vöröstó, tucked among the rolling hills of the Balaton Uplands near Nagyvázsony, turns into a luminous winter village from December 5–7, 2025. The traveling Kandela Festival returns with an immersive blaze of light and sound for Mikulás (St. Nicholas) weekend, transforming barns and streets into a living fairytale with Pajtakult concerts, magical projection mapping, the secret world of stone gnomes, fire jugglers, and crackling bonfires. Earlier editions at the skansens in Szentendre and Pityerszeg reimagined local celebrations; this time, Vöröstó takes center stage.
Friday: Opening Night of Lights and Music
The festival opens Friday afternoon with a ceremonial launch at the bus stop, where Kandela ignites the first candle’s glow and a photo exhibition by Janka Takács sets the scene. The Village House (Faluház) hosts the Csillagöböl creative nook led by Laura Mózes and Ildikó Károlyi. At the Calvary (Kálvária), light painting meets music, before evening projections sweep across the village’s iconic buildings. A tiny Liliput village tour by pony cart adds whimsy. In Petra Probstner’s barn, the Balogh Kálmán Trio plays with guest vocalist Krisztina Koszorus “Koszika.” Édenkert Porta becomes a dual venue: interior light art and the Vöröstó Art Colony exhibition, plus DJ Tze-tze’s night set. A meadow bonfire warms the frosty air until the 22:30 curfew.
Saturday: Brass, Stone Gnomes, and Dance
Saturday resumes with candlelit ambiance and Takács’s photos. At Attila Kolontári’s yard, model trains roll into view. Brass students of Tibor Takács parade through the streets while projections continue village-wide, and pony cart rides return. In master stone sculptor Laci Szabó’s garden, luminous art reveals the realm of the “kőmanók” (stone gnomes), with fire jugglers flickering alongside. Night falls into a Dűvő concert and dance party in Petra Probstner’s barn, with singer Júlia Kubinyi, guest star Norbert “Cimbi” Kovács, and members of the Csenderes Folk Dance Group. Édenkert’s meadow bonfire and DJ Tze-tze carry the vibe to the 22:30 close.
Sunday: Books, Bites, and Builders
Sunday at the Village House (Faluház) brings Noémi Kocsis presenting Legendary Hungary and Legendary Bites (Legendás Magyarország; Legendás harapnivalók), followed by a gastro segment with Pajtakult creators and architects. Vöröstó signs off glowing.
