Top 10 American Festivals You Need to Attend Once in Your Life - Photos & Details

The typical holiday season in America comes during the Summers although people chasing the American dream try to find some time off the daily grind during other months. You can sample some jazz, don up a cowboy hat or enjoy the extreme weather changes as you travel from Florida to Massachusetts. American festivals will present the frenzy, excitement and energy that you need. Ranging from exhibits to food festivals. America is the land which has everything for everyone; a sandwich at 4 a.m OR a horse ride along a ranch in the evening. There is a variety of fun across the land.

Americans can be fat, they appear to eat a lot probably because they have upsize food and free coke refills, but the fact is that their food is much more and beyond hamburgers and fries. They invented salads, and as you enjoy Amish pie as you drive through Virginia and get your lunch special at Pierce’s BBQ. You will see that beyond the urban cities the country is quite different than it is perceived to be. The following festivals show that America is more than a nation of super sized meals!

Top 10 American Festivals

10. Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans
Although bands play in New Orleans’ clubs all year round, what you witness during this festival is hard to beat. The easy going rhythm and the colourful culture of the South are more explicit during this time of the year. The festival is held in April/May every year so if you are looking for some time away from the disco pop and heat of the city clubs, you could head to New Orleans now.

9. Burning Man, Nevada
Burning Man is an annual festival that was first held in 1986. It is a festival that encourages self expression and attracts thousands of participants every year. You can enjoy a week of sojourn and leave the area without a trace. Black Rock City- a temporary city in the Black Rock Desert is erected every year for the event that is described as something that experiments with art and community. Based on ten principles that include civic responsibility, community cooperation, self-reliance and self-expression. The event is held between the last week of August and the first week of September every year.

8. Groundhog Day, Pennsylvania
The Groundhog Day is the nation’s one of the most family-friendly and quirky celebration. The festival is all about weather lore and in the former coal mining town, families find the perfect setting for watching weather predictions that are covered live by many channels and are attended by over 20,000 people every year. The event takes place in February every year. The GHC Headquarters, The gobbler’s Knob Tail and the Phil’s Burrow are exciting attractions while you are in the area.

7. The marriage marathon, New York
Every year on 14th February, wedding couples tie the knot at 1377 feet above the ground in a specially constructed wedding chapel that lies on the 110th story of the Empire State building. It is not a drive thru like Vegas although something like this could only happen in America. Why they chose the Valentine’s Day for this occasion speaks for itself. Only those who are willing to make their wedding extra memorable for even the rest of the world choose the venue and place for the purpose.

6. Happy Harry’s Ribfest
Talk about food festivals in America and you don’t mention Happy Harry’s Ribfest- that is not possible! The food festival takes place in the second week of June every year. And if you find yourself in North Dakota- make sure you treat yourself with the extravaganza of All-American food including slow-cooked chicken (a break from the fast food) and beef on the bone. It is held in the state’s biggest city, Fargo and has been feeding visitors since 1996. They say that it is a great place to be for foodies and should you find yourself up to it. In addition don a bib!

5. Boston Seafood Festival
Every year in August, the capital of the state of Massachusetts sets itself up for the seafood festival where you can enjoy a carnival of crustaceans, chowder and fish. There are cooking demonstrations, contests for cooking oyster and various food stalls that offer everything from lobster delicacy to sushi. The Boston Fish Pier is literally taken over by fish for one whole day. Seafood is healthy and light and despite eating to your fill, you can keep the calorie count very low.

4. Sundance Film Festival, Utah
Utah presents the largest independent film festival in the US every year in January. New work by independent filmmakers from all over the world is presented at this premier showcase. Independent film has high potential as per the belief of this event’s organizers and that is what they mean to prove every year in the festival that is chaired by Robert Redford. Officially called the Sundance Film Festival. It is held by the Sundance Institute and was attended by little less than half a million people in 2016.

3. Eat Drink SF
Besides the San Francisco bridge, there is another SF attraction that deems nationwide popularity- the Eat Drink SF Festival. There are August moments of foodie fascination in the festival that shines because of the participation of around 120 restaurants from the city. It is largely concentrated at the Fort Mason Center (keeping Alcatraz in view) and pitched on the waterfront. The restaurants lay out their most exquisite dishes and 70 wineries from California. They also play their due part in this food festival that has been specially designed in SF. So that it does not lose to its east-coast cousin! It is held during the last week of August each year.

2. Great American Foodie Fest
It was the Americans who introduced the whole world to fast food. It was the Americans who introduced the whole world to the concept of dieting. Now it is the Americans that host big food festivals that appear to be so yummilicious. Travelers and tourists from all over the world visit the country to enjoy its festivities.

Las Vegas is a city that hosts the country’s largest casinos and clubs. It is a place that is popular for clubbing and playing. They say that you could get married in Vegas at 12 p.m in the night and go separate ways the next morning. The chic restaurants in the city present haute cuisine all through the year. But, from October 6 to October 9 each year – A four day bonanza offers “food truck” food and is primarily stationed around the Sunset Station. Even then, you may expect delicacies and imaginative food to come your way. There are long hot dogs, slivers of meat prepared in delicacy as well as humongous burgers. Because, there is no lack of imagination in the Vegas food festival.

1. New Orleans October’s music and black magic fest
The Voodoo Music and Art Experience at New Orleans ranks top on our list of festivals in America this year. The city flaunts its ranking as no. 1 in people-watching anyway, so you could head over to the place in order to enjoy a festival on every other weekend. That is the plus point of being there. With over 65 bands performing in the festival, Voodoo is not just a festivity- it is an experience. It stirs together music, art and community and presents to you exotic nights with happenings that you would remember for long. Cuisine, mystery and adventure all conjure up in the city as the Halloween weekend approaches. Everything is fresh and made by the best chefs in town. If you own a pack of Nyx matte lipsticks that have blue, black and silver colors- it is time to get those out!

America is great for tourism for all the right reasons. Although most people have seriously misguided notions about Americans as people and the country as a nation-state, there is kindness and beauty in the place that needs to be explored. Instead of believing in stereotypes, it would be best if we learnt about the place ourselves.