One of the excuses I use to to pick my destinations is to see some special event or holdiay or festival. Especially the less visited ones by tourists. Running with the Bulls for instances, ain't never happening for me; but Ukrainian Independence Day or Busójárás in Mohacs or the Kazanlak Rose Festival, or the Hungarian State Opera Gala, or the Herceg Novi fishing competition, or the World Cup, or Eurovision, or .... ???
I am always looking for new ideas. Suggestions??
I planned a trip a couple of years ago around the Jane Austen Festival in Bath. What a hoot! There were hundreds of people dressed in Regency era costumes for the whole weekend. I loved looking at them in the setting of the Georgian buildings! I did some of the activities - went to a couple of programs and then the parade is free to watch. For me, it was well worth it.
It's definitely NOT everyone's cup of tea, though!
Come to Vienna and attend a ball.
My friends have been going to Carnival in Venice for a few years now. One is a great photographer. They started by going out at the crack of dawn when the professional photographers are out with the models. They began talking to them, admiring their costumes, then FB. Now when they go, they dress up and are photographed, invited to parties, etc. they have a blast. I know it’s not off the beaten track, but after their visits and sharing their adventures, it shed a whole new light in all those mask makers’s shops you see in Venice and never quite understood, at least I didn’t. Still trying to plan to tag along with them one year.
Also, the city of Rijeka does a huge Carnival parade in February, people from all over the country attend and participate. This is one city not on most people’s trip list.
"A holiday devoted to eating, drinking and dancing ..." is Swedish midsummer.
The video tutorial looks somehow funny but it is no fake :-)
Norway's Constitution Day on May 17 is also nice to see and experience.
What? I would be interested in seeing Hungarians at an event for Mohacs. The only "big" holidays (non-religious) I have seen in Europe are May Day (once) and what we call Bastille Day, 14 July.
That one time May Day was in 2014, I was in Berlin, very quiet, quieter than on a Sunday.
Now, 14 July is different. On that day I have been in Metz, Paris, Arras, when in France only.
St John's Eve (and day), in lots of places. Especially Alacant.
Attend a funeral in Ghana.
Liberation Day in Guernsey and next is the 75th anniversary!!! Big party😀
I really enjoyed attending the Festa dei Ceri, held every May 15 in Gubbio. Tall "candles" representing the town's 3 patron saints are raced through the streets with (spoiler alert) the candle representing the town's main patron saint winning each the last 700 or so years. There are many related events scattered throughout the town, and many restaurants offer special meals and take-away foods. This is definitely an event with few tourists attending. You can get a preview at www.ceri.it.
If you're in Florence on Easter, the Scoppio del Carro is well worth attending. It occurs around 11:00am in from of the Duomo, with a "dove" flying out at the end of mass to ignite the approx. 20 minute display. Plan to arrive by 9:30am to get a decent viewing spot. A lot of tourists attend, but the crowd has far more locals than tourists. There's probably a YouTube video that can give you an idea of the event, although it's much better in person than on video or TV (it's broadcast on regional TV).
Emily, the Balls have been getting so much bad press in recent years. I suspect some day they will all die, and that would be a huge shame. There have been attempts to overcome the __________ (I don’t even know how to define it), by finding ways to introduce a broader audience. In Budapest they set up huge TV screens outside and the next day they hold some sort of family or children's event. Then there are the 7.5 kilo travelers. They just can’t do both...
Emily, In an effort to limit beating one horse too much, as i really want ideas from others, I answer your post below up here. This sort of thing has been going on for years; and not just in Vienna: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/771574/Eat-the-rich-Elite-ball-attack-protestors-flares-Vienna-streets-Austria So to quell the opportunity for nutz to generate issues of "elitism" I suspect that many of the events have been broadened or dumbed down. This sort of attitude actually shut down the Budapest event for a few years.
A few years ago they converted the "Ball" into a "Gala" with Plácido Domingo being the "host". If there were 4 other non-Hungarians there I would be surprised. Everyone was whispering, "Who are the Americans" (actually the four of us represented 4 nations). We stood feet from the President, his daughter and had a brief conversation with Plácido himself. Great entertainer. Of course, we couldn’t do this with carry-on only. I love this photo from their marketing page because we are very conspicuous in it: http://static.origos.hu/s/img/i/1602/20160206magyar-allami-operahaz-shakespeare-estely46.jpg The Opera is under renovation and as far as I know they have no plans for a Ball or a Gala this year. But I suspect they will do something special in the 2020/2021 season (if they get it open in time).
The 25th independence day parade in Kyiv was equally as memorable and incrediably emotional; but totally different in every aspect. I almost forgot Orthodox Christmas service in a chapel on Red Square and Orthodox Christmas celebrations in Lviv. If I could have one experience like these in each trip travel would be perfect.
Fred, Mohacs is a blast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx17l_MUkks
What bad press? The Jägerball, the Kaffeesieder Ball and the IAEA Ball are great fun. There is also a really cool Refugee Ball, with a very diverse crowd with exciting music.
Las Fallas in Valencia, Spain, in March:
https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/events-valencia/festivities/the-fallas
I've been twice, including this year, and recommend it highly.
I compiled this list for another thread, but thought it might be good here too. I would love to have a post to go back to when trying to figure out where to go next:
Jewish Cultural Festival 1-8 September, multiple locations
I’ve done this a couple of times. Excellent. Concerts, theatre shows and cabaret performances highlight Jewish culture and traditions at this annual festival. Events organised by and for Budapest’s Jewish community take place across prominent locations, including the impressive Great Synagogue on Dohány utca.
Budapest Wine Festival 5-8 September, Buda Castle
Done this a couple of times, also excellent. Tour Hungary’s wine regions without leaving the city limits of Budapest, sampling excellent varieties from an impressive assortment of labels at this scenic wine festival at Buda Castle. Local culinary treats served on-site pair well with intoxicating reds, whites and rosés.
National Gallop 13-15 September, Heroes’ Square
Done this a couple of times. Really fun. Hungary’s young jockeys gallop around Heroes’ Square, transformed into a one-of-a-kind racecourse for the weekend. Horses and riders zoom around the iconic Budapest monument to compete for the grand prize and national glory.
Sweet Days Chocolate and Sweets Festival date to be announced, Szent István tér
Indulge in creamy chocolates, scrumptious cakes and refreshing ice creams at this high-carb outdoor gathering. Music, food and wine balance out the sugary treats.
Oktoberfest Budapest date to be announced, Kincsem Park
The world’s biggest beer festival comes to Budapest, where ale aficionados can get a taste of the atmosphere of Bavaria’s alcohol-fuelled fiesta.
Art Market Budapest 3-6 October, Millenáris Cultural Center
Done this. Also good. Set up across a maze of viewing spaces, a vast collection of contemporary paintings, sculptures, installations and photos entices art aficionados to browse, buy or just view pieces displayed by prominent local and international galleries.
Pig Slaughter and Sausage Festival 11-13 October, Hungarian Railway History Park
Havent yet, but on the bucket list. This peculiar Hungarian countryside tradition encourages a carnivorous urban crowd to make a pilgrimage to District XIV. While observing the tradition of pig-slaughtering, festival visitors can sample many varieties of pork-based dishes, including sausages and smoked hams. Varieties of Hungarian fruit spirit pálinka should help digest hefty meals.
Titanic International Film Festival 21-27 October, multiple location
Balancing arthouse and mainstream, this annual festival presents select motion pictures that are not distributed in Hungary or will not be available in the country for a fair while. The films screen with original audio and in most cases Hungarian subtitles.
Public Holiday – observance of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 23 October, honoured nationally
A great time to be in Hungary. Every October 23rd
Such a list I can compile with Berlin events only ... likely with lots of other European locations too.
The question is how tiny and how general do you want to be in the event, e.g. Jewish celebrations? In this case you can add the Ramadan celebrations at various European cities fo example.
I do not know what Americans have with Octoberfests? In most cases it is just a public fun festival, rarely really folk.
Here are a few I really have enjoyed over the years.
Barcelona Spain: La Merce
La Mercè is the annual festival of the city of Barcelona, Spain, since 1871. It observes the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy. While the actual feast day is 24 September, festivities begin days prior with parades, fireworks, music, and revelry.
London, England: Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event that has taken place in London since 1966 on the streets of the Notting Hill area of Kensington, each August over two days, typically last week in August.
Mark, just looking for excuses to visit a location. All excuses valid
Unification Day in Germany on 3 Oct. Most cities will have some sort of fest program. In Frankfurt, it is Jazz on the Römer.
Frankfurt also has its' own holiday, Wäldches Tag with a fest in the City Forest.
Every neighborhood has festivals, some of them going back 400-600 years. Pretty sure Frankfurt is not the only city that does this. My recommendation is if you are on FB, visit the FB pages of cities that you are going to visit. They will list lots of local events.
Sweet Days Chocolate and Sweets Festival date to be announced, Szent István tér
Indulge in creamy chocolates, scrumptious cakes and refreshing ice creams at this high-carb outdoor gathering. Music, food and wine balance out the sugary treats.
I want to go to there.
@ James...thanks for the info on Mohacs event... looks unique.
One very special event that I have enjoyed -- but it's not on an annual schedule -- is a total solar eclipse. Next one is Patagonia in 2020. Another "Great American Eclipse" in April 2024. Start booking at least 1 to 2 years on advance. Science museums, observatories often have package tours which include viewing sites and hotels plus guided sightseeing in the area. (For the 2017 eclipse we did a road trip to Oregon ... hotels within 50 miles of eclipse midline were sold out 7 months in advance.)
Easter is a big celebration in much of Europe. An interesting local event in Portugal is the Easter Sunday flower procession in Sao Bras de Alportel in an inland village on the Algarve.
Whit Friday in Saddleworth, between Manchester and Leeds is a unique traditional English celebration - the religious bit is in the morning - a procession of witness, followed by an evening of free, open air brass band contests, featuring anything from the local school band, a few foreign bands and all the top bands in the country such as Brighouse & Rastrick and Black Dyke. In the same area, the last weekend in August is Rushcart Weekend, where the local Morris Men build a
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe;
The Burning Man;
Arkhstoyanie ( https://porusski.me/2018/07/25/01-arkhstoianie/ for some photos)
Moscow, Rome Velonotte
World Cup was awesome, too - but not sure I will make to Quatar.
Santa Semana in Spain can be interesting.
I remember stumbling out of a tapas bar near Plaza Mayor in Madrid on either Maundy Thursday or Good Friday to be confronted by a parade of scary hooded white-cloaked people carrying huge wooden crosses - it freaked me out till I realised what it was. I thought I’d stumbled into a KKK rally.
Midsummer, the biggest holiday in Sweden after Christmas.
Other swedish celebrations and events you might want to experience is Valborg, Lucia or Gustav II Adolf-day. Or maybe some food-related traditions, like a crayfishparty or surströmmingparty.
Happened upon the Rosalia Festival in Budapest in City Park! So much fun, you buy a glass and then there's hundreds of booths with Hungarian wineries selling wine by the glass (and it's super cheap!). They have live music, food, and all sorts of other events.
Link for the festival website: https://www.rosalia.hu/en/home_1
Another one that happened in Budapest while I was there was the Gourmet Festival Budapest. We were definitely the only Americans there, but you got to sample Michelin star rated restaurants for a fraction of the price. They had hundreds of vendors and you could sample all different types of food.
I have to agree with Laura B. about the total eclipse - it happened in my back yard in 2017 and it was amazing and definitely a top ten lifetime experience. I no longer wonder why there are eclipse chasers and believe me, there's much to wonder about people who chase eclipses. I'm seriously considering going to Texas in 2024 (and that's saying something).
Among the more offbeat festivals in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, these are VERY unique experiences (combined with our world class beer/wine, even better!):
Interesting topic!
In Atlanta we just had the Peachtree Road Race on the 4th of July, this year was the 50th anniversary of the first one. 60,000 runners, some are timed. There are elite runners who run for a $50,000 prize and elite wheelchair runners. 4 people each won $50,000!
I'd say three good ones in Spain. Fire Festival in Valencia in March, Holy Week (Easter Week) in various places and April Fair in Seville both in April.
For Holy Week, I'd avoid Seville in favor of Zaragosa or Valladolid. Seville is world famous and draws a lot of tourists. I had maybe the best experience of my life on Holy Thursday in Zaragosa and I've heard Valladolid is another great choice. The April Fair is definitely crowded but not with tourists. It was a great local experience with many riding horseback or in carriages during the day. At night everyone is dressed up. Women wear flamenco type dresses, polka dots is traditional.
