Every country has its own festivals to commemorate certain occasions in the year or to simply have fun. The Czech Republic has a Landscape Festival for residential and urbanscapes; whereas, Mohács in Hungary has the Busójárás to celebrate the Šokci. The World Architecture Festival happens in Barcelona and the Baby Jumping Festival is in El Colacho, Spain.
Festivals in the United States are as varied as those celebrated overseas—perhaps with a little less baby jumping or architect parties. Some of the following may even be new events you’ve never heard of and you might be interested in seeing them first-hand after reading this.
Quincy
Quincy, Washington has a number of unique festivals that people can’t get enough of. The ever-popular Sasquatch! Music Festival is perhaps its most famous mass gathering. Held at the Gorge Amphitheatre, the first festival took place in 2002 and now runs during the Memorial Day weekend for three to four days.
Close to its heels is the Watershed Music Festival. If Sasquatch! has indie music and hip-hop, Watershed is all about country music. The first event was held in 2012 and has consistently run in the first week of August since then.
Another unique festival is the Celebration of Cultures. An all-ages celebration, the festival aims to bring together all nationalities now residing in the town of Quincy. The Harvest Festival is another family-friendly event that aims to revisit the vintage way of living.
Bellevue
Fellow Washington town Bellevue has no shortage of festivals itself. Fruit-picking festivals are plenty during the summer and complement the al fresco dining experiences and farmers’ markets prevalent during the season.
The Arts Festival Weekend, Bellevue July 4th Fireworks, and the Bellevue Chow Downtown complement the mass outdoor activities for summer. Nature tours and beach trips fill the schedule until the beginning of fall, heralded by Bellevue Fashion Week. These are the busy weeks for commercial and residential landscape architects, as well as other service providers, in the area.
Miami
Miami may seem aloof, but it’s a party town full of fun festivals. The American Black Film Festival celebrates the artistic excellence of movies created by black filmmakers. Calle Ocho invites every person over every spring for the biggest block party in the world in Little Havana. The weeklong Miami Book Fair is more attuned towards people who prefer a little downtime to get some reading done.
The South Beach Seafood Festival gets down to the culinary excellence that can only come from living near the sea. A little closer to the ground is the Seed Food and Wine Week, featuring plant-based food and all the wine you could drink.
Austin
The thriving city of Austin has no end of festivals for people to indulge in. Music festivals seemingly comprise half the festivals every year, though other celebrations fill the calendar all year round. For starters, the Austin Marathon draws an international pool of runners, and the Austin Food + Wine Festival is a host of foodies across the globe.
Pop culture is well represented in Fantastic Fest, SXSW, and RTX. Austin City Limits Music Festival, Old Settler’s Music Festival, and Austin Urban Music Festival are just some of the festive events Austin hosts every year.
If you do plan to hop around the states, make sure your home is secure and your travel options are attuned to your needs. Nothing would kill the buzz of being at a music festival more than an accident at your house or an RV breaking down in the middle of a highway. You’re on vacation, but your security and safety should still be the priority.
