Wanderlust can be contagious! Some may choose to take a vacation in the sun and relax by the pool, while others favor extreme treks into the wilderness to embrace solitude and spirituality. Whether you’re traveling to Rome or Rio, on your own, or with friends, each destination can offer a different perspective on, art, culture and more. Trying to fit all of these aspects into a particular time-frame, however, can be a difficult task. This is why many people prefer to immerse themselves into bite-size samplings of culture in the form of a festival!
Festivals can really showcase the best of what a destination has to offer, and sometimes the weirder the festival, the better it can be!
If you’re currently traveling and looking for a new experience, or simply want to participate in the diversity and uniqueness that festivals can offer, these seven quirky suggestions below may be just right for you!
Batalla del Vino – Haro, La Rioja, Spain
A favorite destination for young and old alike, Spain has offered globetrotters from all over the world a flavor of Mediterranean living with fantastic food, music, and sights. For many who visit Spain, the perfect way to spend their time might be to relax and take in the spectacular views to be found with a nice glass of red wine. However, few may know and might jump at the chance to turn this occasional and relaxing pastime into an exercise of sheer chaos!
Nestled in the scenic surroundings of Haro in the La Rioja wine region of Spain, on June 29th each year, visitors gather together for a celebration of wine in the form of Batalla del Vino.
Participants are encouraged to douse as many people in wine as they can, with the preferred method being a water pistol to ensure that everyone becomes as purple as possible! Be warned those wine stains are unlikely to come out!
This festival is ideal for those who perhaps want a more hands-on and physical approach to their wine-tasting experience.
Tihar Festival – Nepal
Let’s face it, life would be a lot duller without dogs, and every day we love to treat and show our four-legged friends how much we love them, as well as their continuous affection for us in return! For the people of Nepal, this is no different except in the fact that they have their own dedicated day especially for them!
As part of the five-day Nepalese Hindu festival of Tihar, the second day is devoted solely to dogs. Called ‘Kukur Tiahar’ or ‘day of the dogs,’ our furry friends are decorated in flower garlands and have a red mark applied to their forehead in a ritual that stems from religious belief. Every dog – pets and strays alike – are treated with reverence to entice good humor and appease their god of death in Hindi culture – Yamaraj.
If you happen to visit Nepal during this joyous time, and depending on your location, bringing some doggy treats with you just in case should definitely be on your agenda!
Air Guitar World Championships – Oulo, Finland
This is not only the weirdest festival on this list but perhaps the only event where you can feel like a rockstar without actually having to possess any musical talent!
Located in Oulo, Finland, since 1996 the Air Guitar World Championships have offered participants the chance to compete in a display of their best imitations and showmanship, as part of the greater message to promote world peace and to celebrate the activity as a transcendent art form, which is accessible for all.
If you have always aspired to be the next Hendrix or Eric Clapton, why not brush up on your air guitar skills and give this festival a try? You never know, you may just win!
Dia de Los Muertos, Mexico
Between the October 31st and November 2nd each year, a truly unique and magical festival takes place in Mexico. It’s a celebration of life, specifically the lives of those who have passed on.
Extremely close to the hearts of those who reside there, and grounded in spirituality and culture, ‘Dia de Los Muertos’, is a quirky and once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Conventionally in western culture, death is a solemn occasion that is tinged with sadness. However, in Mexico, while still observed privately in some households, ‘Day of the Dead’ is an immersive festival giving visitors an illuminative insight into how other countries view the transcendence of life and death.
Through the use of color, the streets of towns and cities are adorned with lights, costumes, and elaborate decoration, in an ode to those that have gone before.
This event is open to visitors who are allowed to participate and celebrate the lives of their loved ones colorfully also!
Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea
As children, we may fondly (or not so fondly) remember our parents telling us not to play in the mud as we would ruin our clothes! Well, the wacky Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea could not be any different.
In July of each year, participants are encouraged to cast away any previous childhood scolding and enjoy a variety of activities all centered around mud!
Described as an ‘experience-based festival’, it’s South Korea’s largest international event with visitor numbers increasing year after year. People who attend this festival can enjoy activities such as mud survival games and a mud marathon, while simultaneously reaping the health benefits of mud such as anti-aging and increased flexibility. Overall, this weird and unique festival is definitely worth a visit to satisfy your inner child!
Mothman Festival – Point Pleasant, West Virginia, U.S.A
In the sleepy town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, there arose an urban legend of the Mothman. While lesser known than creatures such as Big-Foot or the Loch Ness Monster, the Mothman is just as elusive and terrifying to those who have claimed to witness him.
The first reported sighting of the Mothman occurred in the 1960s. He is described as an evasive beast – that is, a large flying man with ten-foot wings. However, it is not truly known if these are akin to a bird or an insect.
Nevertheless, this festival has arisen in his honor in the town where the sighting first occurred. Why not take a trip to Point Pleasant and visit the Mothman museum, or take a photo beside the Mothman statue?
You could very well encounter this elusive creature for yourself!
Lantern Festival, Taiwan
Finally, continuing with our theme of color, if you are perhaps interested in an illuminative, cultural, and breath-taking experience, then look no further than the Lantern Festival occurring during springtime all across Taiwan.
This festival is not specific to a particular location in Taiwan; instead, it occurs in various locales around the country, with each as vibrant as the last.
Each year, colorful lanterns are displayed along many routes as part of art installations. Thousands of lanterns are also left to float in the night sky, much like a cluster of stars, which, in rural areas, can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for visitors.
Traditionally, lanterns were hand-carried and used to illuminate the journey home for workers and wanderers alike. In modern times, this light can be said to symbolize the development of Taiwan and is also an intrinsic emblem of peace and good fortune.
The listings above are just some examples of the art, culture, and fun that cities and countries have to offer. Whether you prefer an outing that is more relaxing in nature, or you want to take a wild journey and try something different, going to a festival is certainly a great way to achieve this. The world today is so vast and wonderful that taking the time out to explore and enjoy a different perspective on life is something that everyone should try at least once!
Niamh works as a Team Lead in Customer Care and has a background in both English and History. Her go-to books are always anything crime related. In her spare time, she loves to write, read, and hang out with friends. She can usually be found daydreaming about her favorite snacks or secretly watching ahead on all of her top TV shows.
So many cool festivals here! And you’re right, I haven’t heard of most of them! I’ve put vacation photos on Zazzle products before and I’m sure that photos from these festivals on products would serve as great mementos and reminders of the experiences had there.