Festivals

Madeira Island Flower Festival :: Portugal

November 24, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

European vacations are the dream of many around the world. With all the amazing history and culture, the country of Portugal often goes unnoticed. This is a serious mistake. Although the comparisons are difficult, Portugal is among the most beautiful of the countries in the European Union. Incredibly lush and vibrant, this nation’s heart is epitomized in the yearly Madeira Island Flower Festival (known there as the Festa da Flor). Every April, just after Easter the streets of Funchal, Portugal are covered with thousands upon thousands of the most glorious blooms known to mankind. The essence of spring is everywhere in this celebration that welcomes the end of winter and exalts the birth of the new years growth.

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Friction Fest :: Berlin, Germany

November 23, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

Friction Fest in Berlin, Germany is a two day festival for music lovers who are willing to enjoy the experiment and see musicians push boundaries. The name reflects the festival mission: to create friction between different genres and styles of music. The organizers goal is to establish an international forum for bands and artists who are committed to exploring new sounds and taking things a step further than your average rock or metal band. The Friction Fest is the opposite of run of the mill festival routines which offer only bands from a very narrow musical spectrum. With thirty two bands and artists scheduled to perform at three different venues, Friction Fest offers a truly diverse and unique lineup.

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Roswell UFO Festival :: Roswell, New Mexico

November 23, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

We come in peace. Or more accurately, we come to party! Welcome one and all to the Roswell UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico. Roswell has long been famous for its extraterrestrial connections. In the summer of 1947 (possibly late June or early July) it is alleged that the remnants of an alien spacecraft were found on the outskirts of the town. Included in the findings were rumored to be the bodies of the occupants, odd unnatural metal scraps, and strange unknown writing. Throughout the following years, what was originally said to be radar tracking balloon has been the subject of numerous inquisitions, hypotheses, conjecture, hoaxes, movies, books, television inquiries and more. Now over 60 years later, believers allege a massive cover up by the United States government to hide what they feel was in fact the crash of an alien spaceship. Out of this group of believers (together with skeptics and non believers) has arisen a folklore that is the subject of the now famous UFO Festival.

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Monkey Buffet Festival :: Lopburi, Thailand

November 23, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

Definitely on most top 10 lists of strangest festivals in the world, the Monkey Buffet Festival in Lopburi, Thailand celebrates the city’s most relentless and warmly looked upon pests. Lopburi’s population of macaque monkeys are well known for their fearsome appetites, stealing snacks from anyone who may leave some morsels unattended. The city residents decided the best way to deal with their pesky monkey population was to embrace them, and so began the yearly Monkey Buffet Festival. During this festival, monkeys are invited to the Pra Prang Sam Yot temple to enjoy their favorite foods like bananas, peanuts and much more. With over 2,000 kg of fruits and vegetables used for the feast, it is surely the highlight of these monkeys’ year. Some of the treats are even encased in blocks of ice to give the monkeys some entertainment before their treat.

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Edinburgh Festival Fringe :: Edinburgh, Scotland

November 23, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a blowback against the Edinburgh International Festival (an invitation only performing arts fest) in Edinburgh, Scotland is the planet’s largest arts festival. Commonly called simply “The Fringe”, it runs the last three weeks of August each year. Unlike its more stuffy counterpart, The Fringe is open access meaning anyone with a free spirit and a desire to perform is welcome to come and show off their stuff. And this means that year to year (and even venue to venue) you’ll never know what to expect next. Some of the different expositions in the past have included comedy troupes, musical performances, unique recreations of classic plays, and children’s shows. But turn the corner and you are just as likely to see a wacky performance artist dancing an off the wall jig as you are to see a disjointed theatre act from a public toilet (one of the 2003 festival’s highlights). In fact, with over 250 venues as diverse as school yards, pubs, and cathedrals each event is as unique and entertaining as the last.

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