Onsten was first held in 1895 as a small gathering of local mine workers to celebrate the fact that the town hadn't had a city fire since 1884. At noon there were only about ten people together to celebrate it, but at midnight almost the entire town had arrived. The following years, the feast was to be held again each year. Onsten has not been held in 2008, because of the declaration of independence of the Free Republic of Hurbanova on 30 March by Oos Wes Ilava and Alexandru Latin.