World’s Best Festivals – USI Affinity
October 14, 2015
The Best Festivals to Attend in the World
Festivals are an expressive way to celebrate heritage, culture, tradition, community, and so many other traditions. We look forward to them every year or look for new events to attend. They provide something for everyone and serve often times as “weekend fun.”
All festivals are cultural in one way or another. There are many types of cultural festivals such as National, Religious and Seasonal. They all serve the purpose of bringing happiness to our lives, and strengthen our sense of community.
With so many festivals around the world to choose from, we have selected a popular and diverse list of the world’s best and all they have to offer.
Austin City Limits Music Festival
Held in October over two weekends in Zilker Park, they call this festival the live music capital of the world. The ACL Festival offers a diverse lineup of acts every year with 8 stages and more than 130 bands. Since
You will never get hungry at this festival either with an impressive spread featuring Austin Eats Food Court which showcases Austin’s premier restaurants. From tacos, local brews, farmers markets, turkey legs, you name it – you can eat it here. Finally, a unique addition to this festival is the Art Market. With phone charging stations, a mini-fest for kids, photogenic spaces, and merchandise to bring home with you, there’s plenty to do for the entire family.
Bottle Rock Napa Valley
Held every year at the end of May, Bottle Rock Napa Valley is simply put: Music, Food, Wine, and Brew.
This festival has become the kick-off event to San Francisco’s Bay Area’s summer festivities. Held at the Napa Valley Expo, the festival brings together 100,000 attendees for a 3-day celebration of great music. The insider secret here is that Bottle Rock delivers all the creature comforts that make the Napa Valley a must visit destination—world class wines, excellent cuisine, and beautiful surroundings in the middle of a charming and walk-able town in Wine Country.
Headliners this year include No Doubt, Imagine Dragons, and Robert Plant. Beyond the headliners, Bottle Rock’s lineup is filled with 70+ great acts. With that many choices, it might be difficult to decide which of the 4 stages to stake out, but the simple layout of the festival at the Napa Valley Expo takes the stress of choosing one or the other out of the equation; the longest walk you’ll have to take between stages is about 5 minutes.
Scottsdale Culinary Festival
The longest running event of its type in the nation, this Festival has grown to a community favorite hosting over 35,000 guests, 20 events, 100 restaurants, dozens of top chefs and countless fine wine and spirit selections. The six day festival offers a diverse menu of luxurious dinners, themed cocktail parties and a signature event, the Great Arizona Picnic featuring 50 restaurants, chef demonstrations, live bands and specialty tasting venues.
Held every April, the festival is a non-profit, and has raised over $4 million for arts and arts education programs since 2001, which is pretty spectacular. The festival truly encompasses a wide range of activities for all ages and there is a family zone with tons for the kids to do. As a bonus, kids under 12 get in free.
St Patrick’s Festival
St. Patrick’s Festival was established by the Government of Ireland in November 1995. The principal of St. Patrick’s Festival, since its inauguration, was to develop a major annual international festival around the national holiday over which the ‘owners’ of the festival, the Irish people, would stand proud. It sets out to reflect the talents and achievements of Irish people on many national and world stages, and it acts as an exciting showcase for the skills of the people of Ireland, of every age and social background. Held every March in Dublin, Ireland thousands of people flock to event for the annual parade, food, and Guinness, Guinness, and more Guinness.
Oktoberfest
Sure there are plenty of places to celebrate Oktoberfest right in the U.S. but why not go to its home in Munich, Germany to experience the truest of its kind? Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest (beer festival) and is a 16 day festival running from mid or late September to the first weekend in October with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, and has been held since 1810. Beer connoisseurs are simply in heaven with authentic beer tents at every turn.
Drink beer by the liter (for the non-beer enthusiasts or children don't worry: sodas and water are also available) and eat traditional Bavarian food, such as pretzels with a diameter of 15 inches. Listen to live brass bands playing traditional Bavarian music as well as more up-to-date music, and enjoy yourself with hundreds of other people from all over the world, dancing and singing the hours away.
Other top festivals around the world include:
• Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California
• Burning Man in Nevada
• Glastonbury Festival
• London Fashion Week
• Toronto International Film Festival
Comments