February is the shortest months of the year but there are still many activities and programs taking place in the city, for example the Mangalica Festival, the Winter Night of the Choirs and some fun carnival parties are among others. In this article we collected a bunch of events you may want to visit with your friends or family in February. Gastronomy Mangalica Festival at Szabadság Square Pork meat is one of the main ingredients of the Hungarian cuisine and Mangalica is a special Hungarian breed of the domestic pig. It grows long curly hair just like a sheep. This special breed of pigs has its own festival, where visitors can taste a variety of Mangalica products such as the paprika flavoured or the smoked ham of Mangalica. The festival will be held from 7th to 9th February at Szabadság Square close to the Parliament. Budapest Fish Festival For the 8th time the Budapest Fish Festival is waiting for the visitors in the Lágymányosi Campus of ELTE University located in the District XI. At the festival, you can enjoy the delicious Hungarian spicy fisherman soup and different varieties of seafood. Besides delicious food this gastro event will offer concerts, aquariums and a giant barbecue for the visitors. The event will be held between February 15th and 16th from 10am to 10pm and it is a great opportunity to taste some unique Hungarian fish dishes and of course seafood. Borjour Magnum – wine tasting program If you are fond of Hungarian wine, or you are keen to get to know more about it, one of the largest indoor tasting of Hungary, the Borjour Magnum will take place at Millenáris Park in the Buda side on February 15th. This event is the 11th edition of Borjour Magnum and there will be more than 220 local wineries present. Culture Budapest Dance Festival Every year the National Dance Theatre organises the Budapest Dance Festival and this time the event will go on for 13 days from 27th February onwards. You can enjoy performances of international and Hungarian companies’ from ballet through contemporary and modern to folk dance. This Festival will take place in the National Dance Theatre and the Palace of Arts. Finnish Film Days For those who love cinema we recommend visiting the Finish Film Days, that will be screening two collections of short films until Sunday February 9th in Toldi Cinema located in District V. The event will screen Finnish movies with English subtitles. Winter Night of Choirs On this special night 17 choirs will perform touching different types of music from folk through jazz to modern. You can enjoy various ensembles and the Singing Courtyard and if you feel like you can sign the closing song together with the choirs at the end of the program. The event will take place on the 15th February from 5pm to 11 pm at MagNet Community House on Andrassy Avenue. Dream Theatre Concert This Saturday, 8th February, the American band Dream Theatre will perform in Papp László Sport Arena in Budapest, where hundreds of fans will be singing their most successful songs such as Pull me under and Take the time. The progressive metal band is visiting Europe as part of their tours entitled An Evening with Dream Theatre and they aim to promote their new release Distance Over Time. Parties Budapest Carnival The carnival season (Farsang in Hungarian) is probably one of the most awaited celebration during this month. This colourful festivity is celebrated in many places with parties at bars and clubs around Budapest. We recommend you the ones below. Pompom Family Rave If you want to have fun with your kids, Pompom Superparty – Family Rave is waiting for you on February 9th from 4 pm at Aquarium Club at Deák Square. Dress up as a superhero and enjoy the beats of DJ Superman with your kids. Durer Carnival The venue Durer Kert will host a series of carnival parties such as the party of The Psychedelic Carnival on February 15th 9pm. Be prepared with your costume to say good bye to winter. Salsa Palace If you fancy Latin music, you can be part of the Salsa Party Carnival – “Amor en Carnaval” at Salsa Palace on February 15th from 9 pm to 3 am. Dress up like a Salsa queen or king and don’t forget to bring your best dancing shoes to enjoy the Latin rhythms. Photo: Pixabay