Festivals

Batalla del Vino (Haro Wine Festival) :: Haro, Spain

November 27, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

One thing you have to know about the Spanish, they really do know how to throw a party. And for some reason they can get pretty darn messy. We already told you about “La Tomatina“, the tomato throwing festival in Buñol, Spain, but surprisingly there is an even wilder fiesta brewing about 350 miles north in the city of Haro. Here in the Rioja Region, June 29th is the Batalla del Vino or Wine Battle aka the Haro Wine Festival. Though many Spanish festivals are meant to celebrate various patron saints (June 29th is also St. Pedro’s Day) this little shin dig is anything but saintly. Whereas most people think the point of a wine festival is to get the drink IN you, here the goal is to get it ON you (well mostly).

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Loveparade :: Germany

November 25, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

What started in Berlin as an alternative parade for 150 peace and techno loving partiers in 1989 has grown exponentially over its 20 plus year history reaching a record 1.6 million revelers in 2008. The Love Parade (actually shortened to the one word moniker “Loveparade”) in Germany is one of the biggest and most adored festivals in Europe. The Cold War had separated east and west for over 40 years and those in the heart of the struggle felt they needed to make a statement of openness and togetherness in the spirit of glasnost. Loveparade was born as a child of both the zeitgeist of the late 1980s and the need of the people of Germany to lift their spirits with love, laughter, and music. The first parade may have been small, but the peace demonstration grew over ten fold by the next year and to well more than 6000 the year after showing that the people of Germany were ready for the justice and reunification they were petitioning for.

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Bregenzer Festspiele :: Bregenz, Austria

November 25, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

Started in 1946, the Bregenz Festival (Bregenzer Festspiele) is an amazing performing arts festival held every year in July and August in Bregenz, Austria. The festival presents a wide variety of musical and theatrical events in various venues throughout the city. The plays of Shakespeare and the music of Beethoven, Bach are just a sampling of what awaits at this wonderful arts festival. Quite the popular celebration, In 2009 the Bregenz Festival set a record for visitors with 259,084 people attending the festival effectively selling 98% of the tickets available.

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Winnipeg Folk Festival :: Manitoba, Canada

November 24, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a wonderful outdoor music festival in Birds Hill Park, Manitoba. It is one of North America’s premier outdoor music festivals and is celebrating 37 years of summer fun and education. Each year it takes place over the second weekend in July with the 2010 festival running from July 7th to 11th.

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Imilchil Wedding Festival :: Morocco

November 24, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

Deep into the desert and far up into the mountains of Morocco lies the sleepy but hard scrabble little town of Imilchil. Here, legend has it, that two star crossed lovers from different villages met and fell in love. But the Moroccan Romeo and Juliet were forbidden by their families to see each other and distraught. They ran off separately into the Atlas Mountains and died alone and in despair. It was decided that suffering like this was too much so instead they arranged a yearly festival where people from different local towns can meet and marry. Thus the Souk Aamor Agdoud N’Oulmghenni or Imilchil Wedding Festival was born. Steeped in pageantry, history, and tradition this ancient celebration is an amazing wonder to behold.

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