Festivals are the real heart of every country; they define its ethnicity, culture and all its colours. They are a colourful and fantastic introduction to any country or state. They are the second representative of the cultural composition of any state. We are here going to explore the amazing festivals celebrated in North America.
A country with 50 different states and a bundle of different races, cultures and nations, the United States of America has built up a large cultural and historical heritage. Every culture is celebrated with various festivals and events. While many tourists get to America to enjoy its big cities and the big adventures park, the festivals celebrated in North America are the real treat.
One should not forget to attend them as it can be one of the best experiences of your life. There are music festivals, folk festivals, art festivals, film festivals, and many others to add to the list.
We are here with the top 10 festivals celebrated in North America to give you complete information about all of them. These festivals deserve your presence, if you ever go to the United States of America. Let’s dive in and explore all of them one by one.
1. Kutztown Folk Festival:
Attracting thousands of visitors every year, Kutztown Folk Festival is one of the most visit-worthy festivals celebrated in North America. It originated in the 1950s when the three local professors decided to celebrate the Pennsylvanian German population in the country. Thus, it is clear for us that what the cultural importance of this festival is.
You will be amazed to know that in today’s date, it is the biggest festival in America, and it has reached this peak by surpassing its 60th-year mark. It is the biggest cultural festival of the United States, and once you join it, your brain would absorb all the cultural vibes that are filled in its atmosphere.
The festival ground is packed with mostly the local people with their dazzling traditional costumes, and the amazing soothing traditional music that is all the time playing in the background, will catch your attention and make you swing with it. The Kutztown Folk Festival is an excellent opportunity for all of you to know briefly about the Pennsylvanian German culture in a fun and exciting way. If you are searching for the location then as per its name, it is in the Kutztown of Pennsylvania.
Do grab the party!
2. New Orleans Mardi Gras:
Are you searching for joining up a colourful and thrilling festival? Then, there is nothing better than the Mardi Gras festival, which is among the most colourful and thrilling festivals celebrated in North America. It is marked by a lot of parades and events all over the city. This is organised by the social clubs in the New Orleans city and its constituents make it colourful.
All the festive junky dress up in the colourful-vibrant costumes and parade all over the city. Plus, you can see a lot of giant floats driven in the city that day.
The festival begins with colourful party cups and the other light objects in the air to celebrate in a colourful and vibrant atmosphere. If you are thinking of joining in, then you must know about the dress code of the fest. It consists of the colours gold, purple and green which are the significance of power, justice, and faith respectively.
Where to find it? You can join in New Orleans, Louisiana.
3. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival:
Most of the festivals celebrated in North America are hosted in the New Orleans, no wonder why it is called the party town of the United States of America. You can find clubbing and parties all over the United States, but if you need to get the taste of the local heritage and talent, then this festival is the one treat for you. The Jazz and Heritage Festival is the best music festival in the United States you get to see an know about the local talent and heritage art as the people come out to perform.
It’s all about the culture of the local peoples; you get to know about their music genre, the art they showcase and many more to add into the list. You get to see the heritage phase of the New Orleans rather than the commercial one which is usually dominating. If you want to get a break from the commercial world, then it will be a great idea if you join in the festival which comes once in a year and makes you go crazy for it.
The location is again the same, New Orleans, Louisiana, note it down.
4. Groundhog Day:
This is one of the popular festivals celebrated in North America and Canada on 2nd February and follows a popular American tradition. If you are a superstition believer and are fascinated by them, then this festival is definitely for you.
It is based upon a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if the groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will persist for six more weeks. Still, if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early. Overall you can consider it as a cultural festival and a prediction for the spring season to arrive. Sounds fascinating?
The event is celebrated by announcing whether a groundhog sees its shadow after it emerges from its burrow or not. It is quite exciting, and hundreds of people join the celebration.
Note down the location it is, Punxsutawney, in western Pennsylvania.
5. Telluride Film Festival:
The United States is the home for the most film festivals in the world; if you are a film fest junky, then you should attend the Telluride Film Festival celebrated in North America. It is not only one of the best festivals celebrated in America, but also, ranked among the best film festivals in the world. It is a non-profit four-day annual celebration of artists, filmmakers, and cinema enthusiasts.
You can join in and watch up to 80 international movies in those four days, plus there are artist tributes, discussion panels and festivities. Take a note of the location, which is a small mountain town of Telluride, Colorado.
6. Great American Beer Festival:
Beer Festivals are one of the most popular theme festivals, where you get varieties of beers which are available on purchase. If you are a beer enthusiast, then the Great American Beer Festival is the one go option for you. The festivals sole aim is to bring all the beer lovers closer, and it is the largest ticketed beer festival out of all such festivals celebrated in North America.
In 2017, the festival recorded 60,000 plus attendees and offered 2200+ breweries. The attendees were from all over the 50 states and federal territories. Do join in if you want to get the more premium quality beer tasting.
Location? It is in Colorado.
7. Monarch Butterfly Festival:
If you are a nature lover and loves these small beautiful flying insects, then this is your treat. The Monarch Butterfly Festival is celebrated as a symbol of the migration of the monarch butterflies when they come to Florida, after making up a journey of 2000 miles from the northern American boundary to the mountains of central Mexico. No doubt it is special and worth your time and one of the amazing festivals celebrated in North America.
They travel and pass through the Gulf Coast of Florida in the third week of October, approximately. You can watch this amazing natural phenomenon along the coast at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
Do get in and enjoy one of these rare natural beauties.
8. Eelpout Festival:
Eelpout Festival is one of those events whose popularity increased every year, and now it is attended by thousands of people every year. The festival is celebrated in a unique way where everyone gathers around the frozen leech lake, as it is celebrated in late winter and tries to catch the fish named eelpout. Eelpout is the fish that is a breed of eel and catfish.
Sounds interesting, right? And, the underlying reason behind celebrating this event in winter is that, the fish is active only in the winter days and as the summer approaches it goes dormant.
It is a two-day festival and one of the most populous festivals celebrated in North America. People participate in teams and give their best in chasing the fish for winning the Lake eelpout trophy.
Take a note of the location; it is in Walker, Minnesota.
9. Batabano Carnival:
Are you thinking of visiting Cayman Island? Yes? Then, do join one of the most significant festivals celebrated in North America held on the Cayman Islands, i.e. Batabano Carnival. It is celebrated at a huge level and is attended by thousands of people every year.
You just have to pay a certain fee, and you can be the part of the coloured masquerade parades. You can get your spirits high quickly with just joining in the festival. It is that easy. There is vibrancy there are colours.
10. International Horseshoe Crab Day:
It is the celebration of the flagship species for coastal habitat conservation festival celebrated in North America. The Horseshoe crabs are regarded as the living fossils! Sounds amazing. right? They are an essential part of the coastal biodiversity and are listed as endangered. Therefore, this festival is celebrated to raise awareness about them.
Throughout the day there are symposia, webinars, public talks, film and video shows, exhibitions, workshops, and eco-tours across the geographical range of the horseshoe crabs. If you are interested in coastal life, do join in.
These all were vibrant festivals celebrated in North America. Besides, you can find Memorial Day, which is actually a day on the memories of the soldiers who lost their lives while serving the U.S. military. It is observed as a federal holiday. Within the city limits, you can find hundreds of colorful, cultural, and vibrant festivals that can simply blow your mind.
