A World Tour Of The Best Festivals In 2017: Part II

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A World Tour Of The Best Festivals In 2017: Part II

Best festivals: Goroka Show

 

The year is halfway over and we’ve seen the best festivals from January-June, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop! Where are the best festivals for the remainder of 2017?

The Best Festivals In 2017: July—December

Old car in Cuba

July: Carnaval of Santiago de Cuba

When: Annually, the last week of July.

Where: Santiago, Cuba.

Why: With Cuba being a hotspot as of late, it seems as if everyone is flocking to Havana. Take a trip outside the capital to experience one of the country’s most authentic and well-known festivals.

August: La Tomatina

La Tomatina

You’d better bring your goggles!

When: Annually, the last week of August.

Where: The Valencian town of Buñol, Spain.

Why: A free food fight! Need I say more?!? Join thousands of other festival goers from countries all over the globe for the world’s largest food fight.  Wasteful? Perhaps. Fun? Most Definitely!!

September: Goroka Show

World festivals: Goroka Show

When: Annually, mid-September, usually centered around the nation’s Independence Day (September 16th).

Where: The town of Goroka, the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province (Papua New Guinea).

Why: A far off land featuring one of the world’s last remaining tribal gathering celebrations. Throw on a mask and become a part of the festival or just sit back and spectate.

October: Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest Tent

It’s always a party inside the Oktoberfest tents…

When: Annually, mid-September until early October.

Where: Munich, Germany.

Why: Lions and tigers and beersoh my! As any beer drinker knows, October is a month of celebrations all across the globe. And what better place to be than in Bavaria where the Oktoberfest tradition first began!

Outside area, Oktoberfest

Just make sure you drink in moderation so you don’t end up on the “lawn of shame”

November: Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Day of the dead outfits

When: November 1-2.

Where: Michoacán, Mexico.

Why: With Halloween getting all of the late October hoopla, don’t sleep on this festival. Embrace the local culture high in the mountains of Michoacán, while witnessing a celebration that dates back as far as the indigenous.

 

December: Al Dhafra festival

desert dwellers

 

When: Annually, mid-late December.

Where: Madinat Zayed, Al Dhafra (United Arab Emirates near Dubai).

Why: Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of Dubai, but it’s high on a lot of people’s bucket list. With that said, if you’re planning a trip to the region, then December is the perfect month. Check out one of the gulf’s best festivals and experience Dubai without the sweltering temperatures of the summer months.

 

 

Here are my picks for the best festivals remaining this year. If you are planning to go to any of these festivals, or others not listed, comment below and share!

44 Comments

  1. Festivals are so much fun! I live for celebration and festive occasions all year round!

  2. Aica Batoon says:

    Wow, those festivals look really fun to go to! I wish I had the free time to go to festivals here in the Philippines as well. Oktoberfest looks like something I’d love to attend to! We have Oktoberfest here too, I wish I could attend this year! 🙂

    • EG III says:

      I actually went to an Oktoberfest celebration in Manila last October and it was AWESOME. Not quite the same as its German counterpoint, but still great nonetheless. You should definitely check it out this year if you get the chance!

  3. Toni says:

    I love festivals! Your list is awesom and it just reminds me that I need to start traveling. My life is lacking in the travel department.

  4. Shalene R says:

    I haven’t been to a lot of countries and I rarely attend festivals in my country. Now I feel like I’m missing a lot, lol. Your list is good, can you add more? By far my fave is Oktoberfest. We have this version in our country and it’s fun. 🙂

  5. Anne V says:

    The festivals in both Spain and Germany is right up my alley, although I don’t plan to participate in the free food fight or get drunk with too much beer haha. All in moderation.

  6. Dawn says:

    I’m a huge fan of festivals, it brings you closer to the county’s culture and history and you get to meet a lot of people. Some festivals here are familiar to me and some are not so if I get to travel the world soon, I might travel these places on a particular date just so I could experience the festivals. 🙂 But to me, one of bucket list is to experience the day of the dead. I would see those costumes and their makeups, I know it will be amazing.

  7. hal says:

    i have been to the la tomatina festival – it was brutal – i thought i was prepared …and i wasnt haha …but it was super fun

  8. Can I just say that this topic is unique! Very beneficial in the blogging world. I love it.

    • EG III says:

      Thank you…festivals stumbled upon are always fun. I’ve had my share of a few…so I thought it would be cool to really look into some of the best of the best! 🙂

  9. Ebon says:

    Finally info in one spot to know when the best times to catch festivals. I believe thay is truly a great time to experience the culture.

  10. Aija says:

    What a great list of festivals. That day of the dead festival is a little scary sounding.

  11. Tiffany H. says:

    I just missed the festival in Cuba, I was there in July. I don’t think I would be interested in La Tomitina ( No food throwing for me). I think the Goroka festival would be interesting. and i loved Mexico city but not sure If I want to go for the festival.

  12. Besties Notepad says:

    I sooo want to attend a tomato festival one day. ONE DAY!!!!

  13. Joanna says:

    I would LOVE to do Oktoberfest. I do celebrations in NYC, but there’s nothing like being in the atmosphere of its origin.

  14. Sheri says:

    A great list and wouldn’t it be great to go to each one every month. I have been to Oktoberfest many many times. Surprised though that it is listed here as from mid-September to October. Never heard of that. Odd.

  15. Sheri says:

    A great list and wouldn’t it be great to go to each one every month. I have been to Oktoberfest many many times. Surprised though that it is listed here as from mid-September to October. Never heard of that.

  16. Bella Tsai says:

    Lantern Festival, Dragon boat Festival, Moon Festival, and Ghost Festival are the biggest festivals in Taiwan. I’ll be excited to see them covered in your blog!

  17. Jeuelle says:

    Thanks for compiling this schedule of festivals! I’m intrigued by the Goroka Show; we’ve always wanted to plan a South Pacific Island tour and now I something to plan around…

  18. Wow!! I love this post, I’ve never known much about festivals in other cultures, now I want to put them on my calendars to make a trip!

  19. Rachel says:

    Wow these places look amazing and your photos are bright and colourful. I am not sure I will get the chance to do this with having small children and the expense of it. Thanks for sharing!!

  20. Autum says:

    Cuba has def been on my bucket list. But Dubai may be the first option I would choose

  21. These are some interesting festivals! Who’d ever thought there’d be a food fight festival.. and the lawn of shame… funny

    • EG III says:

      I need to copyright “lawn of shame” I know that’s not the official title…but that’s the first thing that came to mind after I saw all the drunk people passed out there.

  22. Kristin says:

    OMG! that tomato fight would be everything! Can I ask why you don’t like Dubai? Heading there in November…..just curious

    • EG III says:

      It’s not that I don’t like it completely, but, for me (and this is purely opinion), it doesn’t give the true gulf experience. It’s like the equivalent of a first time visitor to America only visiting Las Vegas or Miami, but feeling like they got the complete US adventure.

  23. John McBride says:

    Interesting. Thanks for posting.

  24. Dominique says:

    I would love to see La Tomatina (from a distance – lol) and Oktoberfest! Really, I’d love to experience them all. Great roundup!

    • EG III says:

      Oktoberfest is awesome, but the one thing I’d do differently if I make it back is to actually dress up in the local apparel…then it’s full on official!

  25. Zuqueta says:

    I would love to go to Goroka Show and La Tomatina! The lawn of shame is so awesome! I’m also curious, why are you not a big fan of Dubai?

  26. Jeenu Pillai says:

    I sos wish to be part of La Tomatina… great post. We all just need reason to celebrate..rather there should never be a reason to celebrate.

  27. inbar says:

    I’ll be happy to try everything except the tomato:) plus they are so expensive those days that i can hardly believe someone still throwing them away, we used to have egg throwing horroble tradition in one holiday as kids but as food prices went up it stopped.

    • EG III says:

      That’s a very good point. Maybe they’ll eventually progress to a less wasteful version of the festival someday.

  28. Arra Odeza says:

    La Tomatina and Octoberfest seems very fun. I love seeing colorful festivities. The people are having fun, sharing laughs with the people even with those unknown to them. We do have different kinds of festivals all year round too.

    • EG III says:

      It’s always a beautiful thing when complete strangers can come together and simply enjoy each other’s company in the spirit of festival.

  29. eliza says:

    La Tomatina looks exciting! Bggest Food Fight Ever! Definitely fun and will satisfy your cravings too!

  30. I don’t really get to go to festivals with my small herd of children. I would love to go to the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico it must be amazing to see.

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