Can anyone point me in the right direction? I am looking for unusual events, parties, places around the US. I've been to many of the major cities throughout my life...now I am looking for more exciting travel. I'd be interested in attending crazy, fun, unusual event...for example, (i forget the name & place) but years ago there was the popular & unusual event out in the dessert....with the huge bonfire.

Maybe someone knows of a website, blog or a few names to google? I want to attend some unusual, fun exciting festivals, events, dive bar...party weekend. local or international.

(a little about me...an artist who likes unusual things, crazy colorful people, i like old school blues, some motown/soul...but can handle punk as well. the woman i'd travel with is outgoing, bold, crazy talkative and easy to get to know)

I think the desert bonfire you are thinking of is Burning Man.

Sounds like you'd enjoy Key West, Fl. if you haven't been.
http://www.bluesfestivalguide.com/
http://www.gadling.com/round-up-of-unusual-festivals/

Art car parade in Houston?

Mardi Gras in New Orleans, of course. or if your into music the Jazz Festival.

What about the various SantaCon operations in different cities before christmas? I think it is awesome to see all those Santas in NYC.

A few in California:
The Coachella Music Festival: www.coachella.com/
The Calaveras County Fair and Frog Jumping Contest: www.frogtown.org/
The Gilroy Garlic Festival: http://gilroygarlicfestival.com/

Burning Man is in the Nevada desert: www.burningman.com/

Chicken Wing Festival in Buffalo (Home of the Chicken Wing), NY on Labor Day Weekend every year.

It appears you are a music lover - how about the Vermont Reggae
Festival? Also, one of the world's great music festivals is the Montreal Jazz Fest in late June early July. Lots and lots of all kinds of music, much of it is free.

As mentioned above, Burning Man fits your requests to a tee.

However, read all about it and be prepared.

Rose parade on January 1 in Pasadena, S. California.

Date festival in Palm Springs, S. California.

GLBT parade last weekend of June, San Francisco, CA.

I'm a big fan of the Baltimore American Visionary Arts Museum Kinetic Sculpture Race: http://www.avam.org/kinetic/index.html

It's May 1st this year. I volunteered one year and had a blast. If you click on http://www.kineticbaltimore.com/ you can see photos of entries from previous years.

I wouldn't say it's exciting like Burning Man, but it's a lot of fun!

It's Peeps Week in DC as we speak! There's a happy hour tomorrow where Peep-tini's will be served.

How great is that?

Well...you're too late for this yer, but maybe next year's rattlesnake roundup:
http://www.rattlesnakeroundup.net/main/modules/page/

big smiles everyone..just got home from work. i am sure to be online late tonight to checking these out!

Try a Kinetic Sculpture Race. (Google it). They "race" human-powered "vehicles" across sand, in the water, through a mudpit, down the road. Most are fantastically artistic creations. There is one from Arcata to Ferndale (California) in late May each year, and one in Port Townsend, Washisngton in early October.