The United States is a country that is formed by immigrants who came from different backgrounds and cultures. Whether it is music and dance or visual art, cultural festivals celebrate the rich heritage that shaped the society in the USA. These festivals allow you to study the history of a particular region, its identity, and how it is different from the other regions. And the USA is a multicultural country where people celebrate hundreds of such festivals to commemorate their origins. Experiencing these festivals will enhance your understanding of this country and it is the perfect way to enjoy the USA holidays. The following article will let you go through some of the most important cultural festivals that you must experience.
Mardi Gras, New Orleans
It is one of the oldest festivals in the country. This festival has its roots in European Carnival traditions. When French settlers came to this country, they brought this festival with them. It was first celebrated at the end of the seventeenth century and has been part of American culture ever since. Later it was also influenced by the African culture as they brought their elements into this celebration. It is the longest running festival in the US and the most spectacular one. The whole city decorates its homes with lights and people dress up in conventional attire.
Bands come out and parade through the city streets playing traditional music. You will find King Cake in every baker’s shop throughout the city and during this festival there will be a lot of costume shops around. The significant thing about this festival is that it marks the last day of Lent in Christianity. Also, it represents the union of French and African traditions along with some influence of Spanish culture. These elements make this festival unique for first-time travellers. You will enjoy the brilliant masked costumes and each street will be throwing a different kind of party throughout the festival.
Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, Nevada
This is a unique and interactive annual event that happens in the desert with its main focus on arts and self-expression. The people of Nevada celebrate this festival every year where thousands of citizens gather at Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. They also make a pop-up city for one week within the desert where they install huge sized art pieces. The whole activity happens under the sky in the desert where people also install camps and build places to express them through music. Apart from these people, more than fifty thousand people come to experience these art pieces and live music.
The interesting thing about this festival is that these structures are huge and interactive. You will be amazed to see the interactive art walk which local artists organize and the mutant vehicle. In this vehicle, the automobile will transform into everything. It turns into a castle sometimes and other times it turns into a glowing sea creature. People wear different kinds of costumes and party throughout the night. All these activities lead to the final one called The Man in which they burn a giant wooden effigy. This is the end of the creative festival and offers you an exciting desert adventure for your perfect USA holidays.
Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival, California
It is one of the biggest music festivals in the world and every year it breaks its own record of attendees. This festival also has a significant influence on the culture and economy of the country. To attend this event you need to book your place in advance. And to do that you must employ the services of a travel agency. You can enjoy many kinds of privileges if you book your journey using the USA holiday packages. The event represents the modern American music sense and what is trending in the music industry worldwide.
Also, the event invites many artists from different cultures around the world. They install art pieces and showcase fashion artwork here. This event has a huge influence on the fashion industry of the country as well. The organisers invite many artists from around the globe and let them perform live. They choose these artists on the basis of their work and how much their music has impacted the scene. This festival was started at the end of the twentieth century and it has now become the biggest music and fashion event in the world.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York
This is an annual parade that occurs in New York City where people come out on the streets with different costumes on and many other kinds of things. The most attractive part of this parade is the walk of bands with huge balloons. Most of the time people carrying balloons include popular characters such as Super Mario and PAC-MAN and other gaming avatars. They also have characters such as Buzz Lightyear and other movie characters. Also, you get to see shows on Broadway and the street theaters. The parade starts in the morning and ends by noon and it takes a different route.
There are bands that come out with eye-catching costumes and play different tunes as they march. People have competition among themselves regarding costumes and how well they play. The parade typically starts at Central Park and it takes a different route and ends at Macy’s Herald Square. This festival occurs every year in November and it symbolises the start of the holiday season. It also reflects the immigration tradition and its blending with the American culture. It will be the best festival to observe when you are on your New York holiday.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque
This is another very important festival to signify the innovation in aviation and the community. It was started in 1973 to highlight the advancements in aviation. There were only 13 balloons when this festival was launched and now it is one of the biggest events that happen in the country. Not just the country, it is the world’s largest hot air balloon festival. You will see hundreds of air balloons in the sky that are released at the same time. There is also a balloon ride competition happening here which you would like to participate. It is a kind of competition and you will have a lot of fun while participating. The participants bring giant balloons with artwork on them and some of them represent unique engineering. At night they release glowing balloons and end this spectacular event by lighting up the sky.
Final Verdict
You will be able to enjoy all of the above mentioned festivals easily if you plan your USA holidays carefully. The best way is to start from one part of the country and plan your vacation in such a way that you can cover all these events and more. There are many more exciting events that happen in this country. To enjoy these festivals with advanced reservation and exceptional discounts, you should book your journey with Virikson Holidays. It is one of the finest names in the travel industry when it comes to having comfortable and pleasant vacations.
