If you have Hungarian heritage but live outside of Hungary, there are some things you may have missed out on even with parents and grandparents who were active in sharing their heritage.
Our Hungarian Heritage Expo will help fill some of those gaps and encourage you to see all the ways you can make a deeper connection with your heritage!
At the Hungarian Heritage Expo you’ll …
Learn a variety of perspectives on topics relating to Hungarian heritage!
Discover creative ways to pass on the rich Hungarian culture to the next generation!
Meet others who are passionate about their Hungarian heritage and hear their stories, and share yours!
Learn more about Hungarian history!
Discover ways you can connect with your heritage and family story!
People allaround the world are cooking heritage foods, learning about folk art and folk music, studying the Hungarian language, planning trips to see their ancestral villages, and learning all they can about Hungarian history.
The sessions in the Hungarian Heritage Expo are designed to help you learn more about those things that interest you most and introduce you to some things you might not be aware of!
Meet Your Host
Hi, I’m Liz (Szabó) Vos!
All of my great grandparents emigrated from Hungary 100 years ago or more. Between 1880-1924 my ancestors came to the United States and spent time building their lives and families in Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio and McAdoo and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
From generation to generation the love for our Hungarian heritage has been passed down in a variety of ways and it continues to be. Little by little, things add up. I am sure my great grandparents would be tickled to know that even their great, great, great grandchildren know a few Hungarian words.
Sharing our heritage is something that is best done in community! So let’s work together!
Grab your ticket and join me and 20+ other speakers for a one-of-a-kind event that will help you take a deep dive into your Hungarian heritage. All presentations are in English!
The HUNGARIAN HERITAGE EXPO has over 25 pre-recorded presentations to choose from. Each day there will be 6 or more presentations available to you. This event is FREE and entirely ONLINE so you’ll be able to attend from anywhere in the world with internet access, even in your jammies from home!
All free tickets have access to attend the free pre-recorded presentations from our lineup covering topics about Hungarian history, culture, foods, folk music, genealogy, and more!
There are several Live with Liz opportunities during the Expo. These sessions are free to everyone who has signed up for their free ticket.
Our All Access Pass includes four months of additional access to the pre-recorded presentations as well as three Live Workshops!
Attend any and all of the special LIVE WORKSHOPS if you have purchased the All Access Pass. This special pass also includes four months of additional access to the pre-recorded presentations.
Check out the incredible lineup of presenters you’ll learn from at the Hungarian Heritage Expo!
Peter Ujvagi
Cultural ConnectionsThe Hungarian American Community in the Birmingham Neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio 1890’s - 2025+
Peter Sandor Ujvagi immigrated to America with his parents and three siblings, on June 4, 1957 after escaping Hungary in late December 1956 following the collapse of the Hungarian Revolution. The family made their home in Toledo, Ohio. His father, Edward Bela, owned a small precision instrument company in Hungary, which was takenover by the communist government. Within nine months of arriving in the US, the family began again with a small lathe in the basement of their home. That business has evolved into E & C Manufacturing Co. LLC. Peter and his wife Elizabeth (Zarecky) have four children and continue to live in the Birmingham ethnic neighborhood in Toledo where the family originally settled in 1957.
Food & WineThe colorful wines of the 22 Hungarian wine regions
Ágnes Németh has been in the wine trade for more than 20 years. She used to be the editor-in-chief of the Hungarian edition of Decanter and then another printed wine magazine called Vince, altogether for 12 years. She launched the first large scale professional wine show in Hungary with prestigious speakers like Jancis Robinson MW, Marchese Piero Antinori, Regis Camus and many others. Since 2016 she has been running Hungarianwines.eu, the most visited English language online publication about Hungarian wines. She is a regular judge at wine contests and organizes events like Hungarian Gettogether, contests like WebWineWriting and many other things.
Michael is a second generation Hungarian American. His Scottish mother learned their Csabai family recipes from his great grandmother & grandmother. He cooked Gulyas at his furniture showrooms across the US, especially in High Point NC. In Kilgore, TX they opened Brigitta's Hungarian Restaurant 8 years ago. Michael did all the cooking and loved it.
Cultural ConnectionsThe Role of the Consul General of Hungary in Chicago
Balazs Martonffy assumed his role as the Consul General of Hungary in Chicago in September 2024. He served before in various capacities with the Hungarian foreign and defense ministries, including as deputy security policy director, and has taught at the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy, George Washington University, and Eotvos Lorand University. He also holds an MA from the University of Denver, an AB from Washington University in St. Louis, and is a recipient of numerous academic fellowships, scholarships, and grants.
Katlan - six young folk musicians who strive for a youthful, playful, authentic, and traditional formulation of music, while trying to use and live their culture accordingly. Hungarian folk music from the Carpathian Basin and hints American bluegrass music also appear in their repertoire. The love and interest for these two musical genres is thematic within their concerts.
Band Members:
Dezső Attila – violin, mandolin, viola
Szabó Bence – violin, viola
Miklósi Hunor – violin
Vincze Balázs – viola, accordion, guitar
Réman Gergő - cimbalom, drums, accordion
Mohácsy Lőrinc Ágoston – double bass
Cultural ConnectionsDayton, Ohio Hungarians: Then and Now
Éva M Lazear (Sziklás) was born in Australia of Hungarian immigrants. She moved with her brothers and sisters to America with their mother to join her father's family in California. After serving 2 years in the United States Marine Corps, she went to college--the first in her immediate family to do so. After earning a Master's in Education, she became a high school English teacher for 35 years. Currently she is retired and works diligently with several service organizations. She is also President of both Kiwanis of Springfield and the Magyar Club of Dayton and SW Ohio. She lives in Springfield, Ohio and has raised 7 children with 12 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
Cultural ConnectionsGet HYPE-d with HAC! A program for young Hungarian-American professionals
Luca Mórocz, Senior Fellow at the Hungarian American Coalition, is currently pursuing her Masters in International Relations at American University. In 2024, she spearheaded the creation of HYPE - the Hungarian Youth Professional Engagement Network - to involve young professionals in the community. She received the Coalition’s inaugural LTP Alumni Award in 2022, just as she completed a two-year assignment as a Working Group Liaison Officer for the Coalition to Defeat ISIS at the State Department.
GenealogyBuilding a deeper understanding of ourselves through research and family stories
Zsanett Borsos has been deeply engaged in Hungarian genealogy research for over a decade. What began as a hobby soon evolved into a passionate pursuit. Originally from Hungary, Zsanett has an international academic background, having completed her studies in Maryland, USA, and Exeter, UK.
Food & WineHungarian Eruption: Volcanic wines of Tokaj and Somló
Originally from Boston, Massachusettes, Kathryn received her Level 3 certificate from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in 2014 and promptly moved to California for hands-on experience making wine. She worked multiple harvests throughout California and New Zealand including an extended stay at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Through the Sonoma-Tokaj Sister City Committee, Kathryn had the opportunity to travel to Hungary working for Tokaj-Hétszőlő Organic Vineyards, where she worked three harvests in the cellar and poured thousands of glasses of wine for curious tourists in the famous Rákóczi Pince. Eventually, she relocated to Somló, where she became the owner of the Somló Wine Shop, continuing her advocacy for Hungarian wines to both local enthusiasts and international wine lovers alike.
Cultural ConnectionsThe Hungarian Folklife Association
Anna De Cheke Qualls is one of the Executive Directors of the Hungarian Folklife Association. Born in Hungary, she came to the United States with her parents to join the rest of the Demeter family - her two 1956-er uncles and grandmother. She brings her expertise in project management, communications, marketing and technology to the Association. She currently woks as a Senior Director at Howard University’s Graduate School. She folk dances with the Csürdöngölö Ensemble in New Jersey.
Cultural ConnectionsCulture, Language, Community in Arizona
Reka Vicsacsan is a Transylvania-born Hungarian. She has lived in Arizona with her family since 2014 where she works as an instructor at Grand Canyon University. In 2017 she became one of the founders of a non-profit organization to preserve Hungarian culture in the Valley of the Sun. The Hungarian Cultural Association of Phoenix offers social gatherings, commemorations, language learning opportunities both online and through its weekend based Napocska heritage language school. When she is not working, she loves to spend time with her family, travel, and bake. She developed a hobby in cake decorating.
GenealogyBuilding a deeper understanding of ourselves through research and family stories
Chessie's family was at one time a well known Jewish industrialist family named Kohner. Working together, Zsanett helped Chessie confirm family stories, learn some surprising new information and get a better understanding of her family's role in history. Listen to them talk about how you can learn about a variety of research resources that you can use on your own, or how you can work with a genealogist from The Hungarian Store. Mostly importantly, hear how learning more about your own family can help you better understand yourself and where you came from.
LanguageSpeaking Hungarian in the US: American Hungarian bilingualism and language use
Anna Fenyvesi is Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of English and American Studies, University of Szeged, Hungary. She lived in Pittsburgh from 1991 to 1996, working towards her PhD in linguistics at Pitt (which she received in 1998). She is a sociolinguist with an interest in the Hungarian language use of American Hungarians, bilingualism, and digital language use. She is co-author of Hungarian (Descriptive Grammars series, Routledge, 1998), editor of Hungarian Language Contact Outside Hungary: Studies on Hungarian as a Minority Language (Benjamins, 2005), and co-editor of Hungarian Roots and American Dreams: Tracing Personal History (Americana eBooks, 2024). She has recently completed a 5-month stint as a Fulbright Scholar at the Department of History, West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, doing research into the linguistic heritage of American Hungarians in Appalachia. As of January 1, 2025, she has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of “Hungarian Cultural Studies”, the e-journal of the American Hungarian Educators Association.
Educational OpportunitiesOpportunities to study in Hungary
John Fogarasi has over 30 years experience in diplomacy and international trade serving at U.S. Embassies in Germany, South Korea, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Canada. John has continued to utilize his diplomatic experience and academic background to develop foreign policy programs at the University of Michigan, and since 2022 serves as Professor of Political Science, McDaniel College (European Campus, Budapest). He is married with three children. John and his wife take advantage of travel opportunities through their home base in Dearborn, Michigan.
Cultural HeritageTransylvanian Living by an American Family in Gyergyószentmiklós
Karina lives in Gyergyószentmiklós in the heart of Hungarian-speaking Romania with her husband and two young children. She was born in Budapest to Hungarian parents, but grew up in the U.S. Karina started to be drawn to reconnect with her Hungarian roots in her late 20s, which led her to work at a school in Budapest, and eventually meeting her American husband in Budapest while he was on a layover. Long story short, her husband fell in love with her as well as Hungarian culture. Karina had also been traveling to Transylvania during school breaks, making many friends there. That led them to make the crazy decision to get married in Gyergyószentmiklós and raise their children there. Karina is looking forward to sharing about what it's like living in Transylvania, with as many bear stories as time allows!
Elizabeth is a life-long learner who enjoys biking around her Indianapolis neighborhood, drinking strong coffee, and connecting with her Hungarian heritage. She'll try almost any hobby, but you can most often find her solving a sudoku, reading a book, or contemplating the depth of her love for her nieces and nephew.
Cultural ConnectionsNationality and Heritage Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh: 100 Years of Sharing Stories of Regional Ethnic Communities Through Spaces that Inspire and Create Cultural Connections – With a Special View on the Hungarian Room
Michael Walter is the Manager of Education Programs in the NRIEP, previously having been the Tour Coordinator for 17 years. He conducts training for undergraduate students who become guides of the Nationality & Heritage Rooms, develops thematic tour experiences for outreach and in-person touring, and interacts with many contributing entities across the University and wider community to share the knowledge about the NRIEP. His professional training is in studio arts and instruction and he teaches at a collegiate level and exhibits frequently.
GenealogyGet Inspired to Write Your Family History: Break Myths and Overcome Excuses and Take the First Steps Today, Turn Your Passion into Progress: Tools and Tips to Stay Accountable and Advance Your Family History Writing, Hungarian Roots & American Dreams - Community, Chronicles and Books
Based in Hungary, Réka Bakos is the co-editor of Hungarian Roots & American Dreams: Tracing Personal History, a collection of stories celebrating Hungarian-American heritage. As the leader of the broader Hungarian Roots & American Dreams initiative, she fosters storytelling and community building. Inspired by her great-grandparents, who emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s, she also founded rootStories to help individuals explore and document their family histories.
Cultural ConnectionsNationality and Heritage Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh: 100 Years of Sharing Stories of Regional Ethnic Communities Through Spaces that Inspire and Create Cultural Connections – With a Special View on the Hungarian Room
Kati R. Csoman was appointed the third director of the Nationality Rooms & Intercultural Exchange Programs in August 2021. Upon receiving a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a certificate in Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Kati began her career as a Fascell Fellow for the United States Department of State, assigned to the American Embassy in Budapest, Hungary. Kati returned to the University of Pittsburgh to earn an MPA with a concentration in nonprofit organization management from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. During her graduate studies, Kati worked in the University Center for International Studies at Pitt in various capacities. Kati’s career in international education administration spans over thirty years, including serving as an assistant teaching professor & associate director in Global Engineering Engagement at Penn State and as dean of international education at Juniata College. Kati has led numerous faculty delegations and student learning experiences in many locations abroad, including to Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North and West Africa. She was a recipient of the Fulbright International Education Administrators Grant to Taiwan in 2017. Kati’s co-authored publications include, “Reimagining Risk Management: Decolonizing Crisis Response Through Holistic Partnership Building in Education Abroad,” in Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad and “Language in Motion: A Model Programme of Partnerships on Campus in the Community for International Learning,” in Internationalization of Higher Education: Policy and Practice.
HistoryPart 1: The Mangalitsa and its Origin, Part 2: The Mangalitsa and its Meat & Fat, Part 3: The US imports and Mangalitsa Husbandry 101
Barbara Meyer zu Altenschildesche is of German origin, has lived in the the Netherlands for many years, and currently lives in the USA. She loves to spend time in Europe with family and often visits Mangalitsa breeders wherever she travels. You can learn more about her work at https://www.royal-mangalitsa.com/
Cultural ConnectionsGet HYPE-d with HAC!: A program for young Hungarian-American professionals, Festivals, Apps and Museums…Oh my!: Getting connected to the community
Andrea Lauer Rice is President of the Hungarian American Coalition, the community’s largest umbrella organization. She is co-founder of Memory Project, a collection of video-based life histories of Hungarians who immigrated to the US, especially in 1956. She is the proud daughter and granddaughter of 56-ers and has created numerous projects to teach the next generation about the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Hungarian heritage. She lives with her husband and children in GA.
Author TalkFamily Declassified: Uncovering my Grandfather's Journey from Spy to Children's Book Author
Katherine Fennelly is an emeritus professor of public policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs of the University of Minnesota with a Ph.D. from Columbia University. She is known for the breadth and quality of her social science research and numerous academic publications on adolescent childbearing and immigration. In Family Declassified Katherine applied her training as a researcher to an examination of the lives of her Hungarian ancestors. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she enjoys working as a volunteer with immigrants and spending time with her children and grandchildren
Réka Pigniczky is a Hungarian-American journalist and award-winning documentary filmmaker currently living in Budapest. She founded 56Films in 2005 with her first feature documentary "Journey Home." (www.56films.hu) She co-founded the Memory Project Visual History Archive of Hungarian Emigration in 2015 with Andrea Lauer Rice (www.memoryproject.online).
Andrea lives in Gödöllő, Hungary with her husband. She has been a tour operator for over 30 years and is passionate to include hidden treasures of Hungary in her tour programs. She loves exploring Hungary and spending time with her four young granddaughters.
GenealogyA short introduction of Hungaricana and Arcanum Digetheca
Krisztián Skoumal lives in Budapest, Hungary and has been working on family research projects for 27 years. He has had clients from 30 countries and enjoys genealogy, travelling and photography in his free time.
LanguageLive Workshop: Let's Learn and Translate the National Song - Nemzeti dal
Anna Hamp was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. She got her teaching degree from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. After immigrating to the United States, she taught English as a Second Language at various colleges and universities in California and Colorado. During the pandemic, she started teaching Hungarian online to students from all over the U.S. and Canada. She truly enjoys it when her students suddenly understand some aspect of this unusual language and maybe even learn something new about their own language in the process.
Ádám has spent 20 years in tourism all over in Europe. He has run a hotel in Italy and Austria, as well as Hungary. He is a passionate eater and believes the best way to have a superb dish is to make himself.
GenealogyFamily Treasures: Little clues that can help you piece together your story
Liz is loves to discover, celebrate, and share her Hungarian heritage and encourages others to do the same, particularly within their family. Her mother, Elizabeth A. Szabo, serves as her inspiration. Liz lives in southern Indiana with her husband, Don. She frequently travels to Hungary and loves when she gets an opportunity to visit with her relatives there.
Szilvia Bartha is teacher trained but preserving Hungarian culture became her life in 2016 when she was introduced to horse archery in Hungary. She wanted to pass on her knowledge and started to teach leather crafting workshops, private lessons and Summer camps in 2018.
Folk MusicHow You Can Listen to and Learn to Sing Beautiful Traditional Hungarian Folk Songs, Whether or Not You Speak Hungarian
Zina Bozzay is an active performer, researcher, arranger, and teacher of traditional Hungarian village folk songs around the world. Born in San Francisco as the daughter of a Hungarian immigrant and trained by master folk singers in Hungary, she collects songs from the last living village singers who learned in the oral tradition. Zina founded the Hungarian Folk Singing Circle (Népdalkör) in 2010 with a focus on serving Hungarian-Americans and non-Hungarian speakers, and since then has taught folk songs to thousands of people from over 50 countries, currently teaching at several institutions in Budapest as well as in her popular international online classes. She is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, holds a Masters degree in Music Composition, and has the highest level of accreditation as an Advanced Hungarian Folk Singing Educator through the Hungarian government. www.zinabozzay.com.
LanguageBody-mind-soul connection in the language: Ancient Hungarian Wisdom
Zsófi is a native Hungarian from beautiful Transylvania, the Hungarian area of Romania. Her mission is to show to the world how rich, descriptive and truly beautifully unique the Hungarian language and culture is. She has lived in 4 different countries, learned 6 different languages but her heart was always pulling her back home where her family is, where she can practice my own traditions and mother tongue and where her roots are. She started learning languages more then 25 years ago and her approach to language teaching is holistic, unique and effective.
As you can see from these amazing value-packed presentations, this is an event you do not want to miss. Grab your ticket and join us for the Hungarian Heritage Expo!
If you’re curious about Hungarian things, this event is for you! We’ll be specifically talking to those with Hungarian heritage (no matter the percentage) and focusing on learning more to be able to pass it on to the next generation, but anyone else who wants to learn more about Hungarian heritage and culture is welcome to join us. All sessions are in English.
While most of the presentations for the Expo are pre-recorded, there are a few live elements. The pre-recorded presentations are only available for 24 hours with your free ticket. So, we encourage you to attend Live with Liz sessions if you can! Set aside some time during the expo week to attend the live sessions, watch the pre-recorded presentations, and participate with others who are learning more about their heritage.
However, if you’re not able to attend any sessions live and you have limited availability during the Expo week, go ahead and grab your free ticket and watch what you can. You’ll have the opportunity to upgrade to the All Access Pass which will give you 4 additional months of access to the videos.
Your free ticket includes 24 hour access to each of the pre-recorded presentations. If you need more time, you can always upgrade your ticket to the All Access Pass after registering, which will give you four months of access to the presentations and three Live Workshops!!
To avoid tech glitches, give you the best possible experience, and keep things easy for the speakers, the presentations are pre-recorded. There will be some live opportunities – some available to all Expo attendees. Others are available only to those who have purchased the All Access Pass.
No, we will not share your email address. Each presenter has the option of sharing their social media information or their email address. You can decide who you want to stay in contact with.
If you still have questions, we encourage you to go ahead and sign up. We will have two pre-Expo live sessions on Wednesday, March 12th where you can learn about how the Expo works.
However, if you need to ask us a question before registering, feel free to contact us.
