The Eighth Tribe, 1978 (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1978-11-01 / 11. szám
Page 6 THE EIGHTH TRIBE November, 1978 LIVING HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ANNUAL HUNGARIAN FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 9, 1978 GARDEN STATE ARTS CENTER, HOLMDEL, NEW JERSEY This on-the-spot experience will attempt to set down glimpses of the Hungarian-American happenings at these particular festivities held throughout the day, at which some 4000-5000 visitors participated. People were there from as far away as Australia, Austria, Hungary, Transylvania, North Carolina, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, among other places, plus the resident state as well. Quite a number of Magyar-outfitted women and men circulated amidst the crowded exhibit area or park environment, with many partaking of the succulent food specialties, such as langos (sometimes called “Hungarian pizza”), pecsenye (pork steak), debreceni (sausage and sauerkraut), rétes (filled roll cakes), together with the usually-offered refreshments which were prepared by church women and others for this occasion. Sections around the booths were bustling with people interested in hooks, records, embroidered articles as well as varied craft items. Valorie Goodall, leading lyric soprano, appeared in the operetta, “Csardas Princess.” She and Reverend Imre Bertalan, festival committee chairman, view the poster announcing the event held Sept. 9 at the Garden State Arts Center. Plaza activities: Hungarian Folk Costumes. Plaza activities began at 11 a.m., which included introduction of dignitaries, soccer game and trophy award, registry of clan-gathering, forum of Hungarian writers and poets — music for dancing and listening was interspersed conveniently at times. One of the highlights which were most enjoyable and educational were the colorful folk costumes of Hungary that were made by the Perth Amboy (N.J.) Hungarian Folk Art Group, directed by Jolán Benga, assisted by Joseph Varga, Irma Varga, Anita Szalontai and Ilona Marton, with narration by Zsuzsa Kovács and modeled processional by children of various ages from the Magyar Reformed Church of New Brunswick, New Jersey. The stage program from 4-6 p.m. comprised a mini-version of the operetta, Csárdás Királynő (Csardas Princess) by Imre Kálmán; the ensemble included members of the Rutgers University Music Department of the School of Arts and Douglass Col-Plaza activities: Dancers and spectators at Telegraph Hill Park, Garden State Arts Center, 5th Annual Hungarian Festival.
