It's been a long, cold winter in Europe, but springtime is just around the corner, bringing with it a host of cultural festivals that herald the new season with music, theater, and celebrations of all kinds. Among the biggest and most diverse is the Budapest Spring Festival, which will be held March 20 - April 5, 2009. The arts on offer are as eclectic as Budapest itself, ranging from traditional opera, orchestral concerts, and folk music to cutting-edge dance, theater, and visual art. Among this year's highlights, the Palace of Arts will host An Evening with the Hungarian National Philharmonic on the Anniversary of Bartók's Birth, which pays tribute to the renowned Hungarian composer with performances of Rhapsody for Violin, Nos. 1 and 2 and Cantata Profana. The National Theatre provides an elegant setting for the Hungarian premiere of The Park, a play by German playwright Botho Strauss that provides a different take on A Midsummer Night's Dream. While the venues might be European, the art comes from around the world, and fans of African music won't want to miss Orchestra Baobab. The Senegalese group has been playing a mix of Afro-Cuban rhythms, Portuguese Creole melodies, and Congolese rumba since the 1970's, and will grace the stage at the Millenáris Teátrum on March 21 for a lively evening of uplifting sounds. The pounding drums form a stark counterpoint to the smooth strains of a symphony, but diversity leads to balance, and balance is good in culture and in life. The luxurious Le Mériden Budapest is just minutes from all the action.

[image via Budapest Spring Festival]