Hungarian Heritage Foundation of the San Francisco Bay Area (HHF)
Grant Application to the Hungary Initiatives Foundation, 2014 (Excerpt)

Saint Stephen’s Day Celebration Project
The Bay Area Hungarian community celebrates Saint Stephen’s Day in Golden Gate Park with a cultural program including Hungarian folk dances, singing, music, and a parade of Hungarian Hussars. The Hungarian Heritage Foundation would like to revitalize this celebration by inviting some new performers, increasing the visibility of the event, and adding a children’s program and evening táncház (dance party).

Executive Summary (Excerpt)

Every year since 1961, the Hungarian-American community, with the support of all Hungarian churches and organizations in the Bay Area, has celebrated Saint Stephen’s Day at the Spreckles Temple of Music on the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park. Saint Stephen was king of Hungary in the eleventh century and is regarded as Hungary’s first and greatest king. In Hungary, St. Stephen’s Day is observed on August 20 and celebrates the foundation of the Hungarian state.

The annual celebrations are held with the cooperation of the Golden Gate Park Band, which is employed by the Park and celebrates its 132nd season this year. The program typically consists of Hungarian folk dances, singing, music, a parade of the Hungarian Hussars, and performances by the Golden Gate Park Band. The program is free and open to all. It is attended by members of the Hungarian community, people who attend the band’s weekly concerts, as well as the general Sunday crowds in Golden Gate Park.

Attendance at the celebration has gradually decreased from a high of 300 people to fewer than 100 people. As the program has been similar for a while, with the same performers each year, many Hungarians have stopped attending. There are no signs at the event, so people walking by don’t know what the event is and may not realize that they are welcome. Even within the community, many people are unaware of the celebration.

The Hungarian Heritage Foundation has been the main fiscal sponsor of Saint Stephen’s Day, which has been organized for many years by the Hungarian Freedom Fighters. This is the first year that the two organizations are working together to organize the event, and HHF will eventually take on full responsibility. We would like to revitalize this celebration of Hungary’s greatest national holiday to attract a wider audience and to encourage more of the Hungarian-American community to attend and participate. These goals reflect the commitment of the Hungary Initiatives Foundation to foster understanding of the Hungarian culture in the United States and strengthen Hungarian identity.

For this year’s celebration, the HHF plans to invite some new performers, increase the visibility of the event, and add a children’s program and evening táncház (Hungarian dance party) the day before the usual event. We also intend to pay our usual performers their standard fees, which they have often waived for this event.

The objectives of the Saint Stephen’s Day Celebration Project for 2014 are:
• To celebrate Saint Stephen’s Day in the San Francisco Bay Area with events on Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17, 2014
• To keep the celebrations free and open to the public
• To continue the tradition of celebrating Saint Stephen’s Day in Golden Gate Park in conjunction with the Golden Gate Park Band, and to increase attendance
• To add a program for children to introduce them to Saint Stephen and to the celebration of Hungary’s greatest national holiday
• To add a táncház for all ages to enjoy Hungarian music, dancing, and company
• To invite a folk band from Hungary to provide music for the táncház and to perform in Golden Gate Park
• To invite two young violinists from Hungary to perform in Golden Gate Park
• To support local Hungarian artists and allow them to continue their crafts by paying our regular performers their standard fees instead of the reduced rate
• To welcome the First California Hussar Regiment to Golden Gate Park, and to fund the cost of transporting their horses

We will know that the Saint Stephen’s Day Celebration project was successful if the above events are well attended and if the feedback we receive is positive. Specifically, we will measure attendance against the following goals:
• 150 children at Saturday afternoon’s children’s program
• 400 people at Saturday evening’s táncház
• 300-400 people at Sunday afternoon’s program in Golden Gate Park

The HHF has a committee who is already working on planning the Saint Stephen’s Day Celebration. In April, they scheduled the date with the Golden Gate Park Band. They are currently communicating with the performers to confirm the program and are researching locations for the new programs. By the end of June, they will reserve the space, sign contracts with the performers, recruit volunteers, and mail the invitations. In July, they will focus on advertising and printing tasks. In August, they will send reminders, shop for supplies, and then set up, execute, and clean up the events.

In May of this year, the HHF, with the support of the Hungarian Initiatives Foundation, sponsored the Hungarian Heritage Festival. It was a very successful event, attended by 3,300 people, an increase of 32% over the previous year’s attendance. The St. Stephen’s Day Celebration will be a less complex undertaking, but will be handled with the same organization, commitment, and professionalism that made the festival a success.