SiobhanP

This is an idea I stole frome someone else. A friends pals were just married and for the 1st 2 years of their marriage they made a list of festivals around the world they would like to soee/visit from Carnivale in Rio to the opera ball in Vienna. It's something I aspire to do what are some of the more unusual ones worldwide i.e. tomatilla in Spain (Tomato throwing food fight!) I have been to the Edinburgh Festival and that's probably it.

Here are a fewwon my to do list:

Venice Carnival
Tomatilla
Rio Carnivale
Opera Ball in Vienna
Galway Oyster Festival
Christmas Market in Germany (Not a festival but its festive!)
Bastille Day in Paris

Whats on your list?

SiobhanP

Once again I posted by accident...sorry about the typos!

sheila

Dear Shiv<

Festivals of the world wouldn't be my way of doing it, so I don't have a list, BUT if you really want to, I suggest you add the Palio in Siena and the Shetland Folk Festival.

I also strongly urge you to avoid the Fete de Cochons in Trie sur Baise, the village near our shared French house Look it up if you want to see why

JJBhoy

Sheila,

I've read a few of your posts today & thought that you were being unusually enigmatic - not your usual plain speaking self.

Having looked up the Fete De Cochons, however, maybe it was for the best on this particular post! Can I take it you stay out of town on that day?

Now I think of it, isn't there somewhere in Scandinavia (Finland, I think) where they have an annual Wife-Carrying race? I could make a predictable joke here, but won't ('cause I know what's good for me).

Jim

cmt

La festa del maggio (festa di Sangiuliano) in Accettura, Basilicata

SiobhanP

OK a Spanish friend has told me of a wine throwing festival in Spain. Anyone know the name? Must be the rubbish stuff or else everone should keep their mouths open for a tasting.

elina

Jim, yes, that wife carrying championship is in Sonkajärvi, central Finland. And it is for laughs (the winner gets as much beer as his "wife" weighs). It has also become quite international. I particularly remember a huge Japanese (or Korean) Sumo-wrestler and his "wife". But Finland IS the promised land of the most idiotic "festivals" and "sports events".

On the other hand, Finland is also full of great music festivals.

SiobhanP

Elina I vaguely remember a large mustic fest in the summer...northwest??? what is it called?

cova

Siobhan, that's the Fiesta del Vino in Haro, in La Rioja, also called Wine Battle. It is held at the end of June, on St Peter's day.

I think it is something mostly for very young people, and it can get really mad.

I would add to your list the Fallas in Valencia (19th of March) and the Festas del Apostol in Santiago de Compostela, at the end of July, to keep on the fireworks theme.

Rgds, Cova

Queenie

We stumbled across a crazy festival in Northern Portugal last June:
Festa de Sao Joao

I am not sure what the original purpose of the festival was, but the present celebration involves buying a plastic hammer ahd hitting each other on the head with it. The whole town from baby to grandma is out, and you walk along the main street hitting each other , and shoving long stems of garlic into each others faces.

Then at midnight, there are fireworks. There is a carnival at one end of the street serving all kinds of food. The party goes on all night.

It sounds violent but it is not - just good natured and the whole family is involved together.

Mariannah

There's a few I know to be good most of the time. The White Nights Festival in St Petersburg, Russia, is a highlight, with many classical and jazz music concerts (end of June). A bit more removed is the Adelaide Arts Festival in South Australia, around October/November if memory serves. The "international comedians" (read: Irish backpackers) are rubbish, but the theatre, opera and ballet is worth it. Be warned, sometimes they can go a bit mad, like that time they had "Hamlet" in Russian. Everyone was saying afterwards "oh, it was sooo powerful", but you could see they didn't have a clue what was going on.

sheila

Enigmatic? Moi?

Actually we only bought the house last year, and I wasn't at it when the Fete was on, but the people who were, went to some of it, and said it was absolutely unbelievable.

hanl

Fiesta de las Cruces de Mayo in Granada (the festival of the crosses)
For several days at the beginning of May every year, crosses are constructed and decorated with flowers, etc., and set up next to makeshift bars all over the city. Sevillanas music is piped out from speakers next to each cross, and everybody dances and generally makes merry. A lot of the girls dress up in their flamenco dresses.
In addition, kids make their own crosses and collect pennies for their efforts, bakers make and display bread crosses, sweet shops have elaborate chocolate crosses in their windows...

swandav2000

Hi SiobhanP,

Montreux Jazz Fest, in July.

s

sfowler

Errrrrm... I've searched on Fete de Cochons & Trie sur Baise and haven't found anything ... would some kind soul point me in the right direction? [Or if Sheila is right -- the wrong one?]

sheila

Sally

have a look at

http://www.whatsontheplanet.com/wow/...event_id=13042

sfowler

Thank you Sheila.
We will get a full report please?

elina

Siobhan, I would not know since there are literally dozens of music festivals every summer, all genres of music. One could easily attend a different festival every day.

But I think the three most known and oldest are Savonlinna Opera festival (has been going on for almost 100 years), Pori Jazz festival (50+ years) and Kaustinen Folk music festival (somethng like 30+ years).

RufusTFirefly

Doo Dah Parade Pasadena, CA, USA--Nov.

Prairie Port Festival-El Dorado, KS, USA. Don't miss the Mud Volleyball Tourney, and the Elvis Karaoke contest.

marktynernyc

this web site may be of interest....

http://whatsonwhen.com/