A year of festivals: U.S. festivals month by month

If you’re a NASCAR fan, plan to make a pit stop along Daytona Beach for the Daytona 500 on February 19. The event is one of the most prestigious races in the NASCAR calendar and typically draws around 150,000 racing fans in attendance.

Mardi Gras is one of the United States’ biggest annual festivals. The carnival-style event, big on music and food, is also called “Fat Tuesday,” the last feast before the Lenten period of fasting. Mardis Gras is observed 47 days before Easter, typically falling in February and while you’ll find cities that celebrate all over the country, New Orleans is the place to be.

If you’re looking for more events in February, check out The Fur Rendezvous Festival (“The Fur Rondy”) in Anchorage, Alaska, and the Whitefish Winterfest in Whitefish, Montana.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated music festivals of the year, Coachella is back in action. Known for its music and art, and famous for its fashion, Coachella Music Festival creates an oasis of renowned headliners, art exhibits, food, and fireworks in southern California. From April 14-23, meet up with friends, groove to your favorite sets, and explore Palm Springs or nearby Joshua Tree National Park between shows. (If you’ve got your sights set on Stagecoach Music Festival, head over to the same Coachella Valley Reserve April 28-30.)

What better way to bring in spring than New Orleans’s JazzFest? From April 28-May 7, tap your feet along to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Enjoy several stages of shows and an exciting lineup of musicians big and small. Past festivals have included performances from The Who, Stevie Nicks, Willie Nelson, and more. With delicious food and fantastic music, JazzFest makes the ideal time to visit The Big Easy.

Keep the fun rolling in April with more festivals, like the Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans, Vermont or Port Aransas, Texas.

Let the summer fun begin. Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival brings together more than 150 musical performances in Manchester, Tennessee — about an hour's drive from both Nashville and Chattanooga. From June 15-18, the Bonnaroo campgrounds come alive with music, comedy, cinema, food, and different barns for entertaining activities.

Happy Pride month! June is chock full of Pride events, with parades, fairs, music, marches, and dancing. Join in on the celebrations in cities that do it best. San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Miami, and the San Francisco Bay Area are all known for having incredible Pride festivals, which typically take place in the last two weeks of June.

Keep your eyes peeled for more events in June, like the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, ProvTown Film Festival in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the Lilac Festival in Northern Michigan, the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Estes Park, Colorado, and E3 in Los Angeles, California.

Bonney Lake’s Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire is the perfect place to celebrate the end of summer — where pirates, elves, fairies, and knights join together for some time-old fun. Lace up your corset, toast some ales, watch professional jousters, and stroll the grounds, turkey leg in hand. The all-age event, just outside of Tacoma, runs the first three weekends of August.

In between stops on your summer road trip, plan a visit to South Dakota. The Sturgis Motor Rally brings a crowd of over 500,000 people for the largest motorcycle rally in the world. From August 4-13, have a roaring time watching tricked-out motorbikes, attending concerts, and filling up on street food favorites.

Also in August, save the date for Maine’s Lobster Fest in Rockland, Maine, and the Telluride Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado.

Embrace amazement with a getaway to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Head southwest and watch the wide blue skies fill with colorful hot air balloons. Every year, thousands of visitors travel out to New Mexico for music, food, and the enchanting scene of 500 hot air balloons floating up in the world’s largest hot air balloon festival. With accessible shuttle, bus, and train services to Albuquerque from Santa Fe, you can easily enjoy the festival while sightseeing. This year’s festival runs October 7-15, so start planning your getaway ahead of time.

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the music festivals. Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) has grown to 2 weekends, 9 stages, and over 100 musical performances. Catch incredible shows, savor mouthwatering food, and make unforgettable memories either weekend on October 6-8 and 13-15. While this year’s current lineup isn’t available yet, Austin City Limits’s past acts include some of the most recognizable names in music, such as Lil Nas X, Paramore, and Diplo headlining the 2022 festival.

End the year on a merry note, with plenty of winter holiday events to choose from. For something unique, check out the Dickens on the Strand event in Galveston, Texas. December 1-3, 2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of Texas’s coastline transforming into 19th-century Victorian London. Dust off your petticoat and enjoy four stages of entertainment, Tiny Tim’s Play Land, Shopkeeper Skills Village, as well as various Victorian wares and fares.

There is plenty of traditional celebrating as well, like the Village of Lights Festival in Leavenworth. Every year, visitors from all over the world stop by this famous Christmas town to watch over 500,000 string lights sparkle against the snow. Of course, the holiday fun doesn’t stop there. Listen to carolers, shop the German-style Christmas markets, tour the Nutcracker Museum, and if you’re traveling with kids, the reindeer petting zoo and sleigh rides are sure to add some magic to your vacation.

Enjoy more December events like the Wassail Festival in Woodstock, Vermont, Snowfest in Park City, Utah, and the Annapolis Chocolate Binge Festival in Annapolis, Maryland.