The history of Radvaň fair dates back to 1655 when the Hungarian king Leopold I Habsburg granted the town of Radvaň the privilege of holding a fair. He did it after the request by Michal Bory made on behalf of a minor landlord of the town of Radvaň, Juraj Radvanský. The first Radvaň fair took place in 1657. It gradually became one of the most popular fairs across the whole Hungary at that time. The fair always began on 8 September on the Nativity of Mary. It was visited by merchants, sellers, buyers from far surroundings. At the fair, everyone could find and buy what he or she needed and have fun on top of that. This year, we commemorate its 360th anniversary (1657 – 2017).
The significance of the fair was already highlighted in 1737 by Matej Bel in his work Notitia and later in 1870 by Gustáv K. Zechenter – Laskomerský who wrote about the Radvaň fair that: „Kiachta, Novgorod, Leipzig and Radvaň are world known fairs. If a Slovak visits Pest, Vienna and any large city for the first time, he pauses when he looks upon a crowd and exclaims in surprise: God, it is the Radvaň fair! “The fair was described in a similar way by Jozef Gregor-Tajovský in 1887: “Although the Radvaň fair is planned only for three calendar days, in fact, it used to last for a week in those days. At the Radvaň fair, all buyers can speak Slovak whether they are from Pest or Debrecin. The Devil knows how it is!”
The fair also kept its significance throughout the 20th century. After Radvaň joined Banská Bystrica in 1966, it became an integral part of the traditions of Banská Bystrica. Nowadays, the Radvaň fair takes place on the Banská Bystrica main square and it is a component of the intangible cultural heritage of the Slovak Republic. The Radvaň fair is our heritage which has to be protected as well as further developed. It has undergone its own historical development, having always been connected with the people living there and the people who visit it. The Radvaň fair is our national treasure, our symbol and contribution to the European history of culture.
 
Vladimír Sklenka