A year of festivals: US festivals month by month

With 6 days, 50+ bands, and 1 really big tent, this mountain music fest packs a ton of activities from January 6-11, 2025. Events range from concerts, acoustic shows, singer-songwriter performances, and lots of other surprises spread over 10 venues and 5 mountains. Attendees can enjoy discounted ski and snowboard rentals, unlimited gondola rides to the music venues, and free city-wide public transit. It all takes place in Steamboat Springs, one of the world's best ski towns deep in the heart of Colorado.

If you’re a NASCAR fan, plan to make a pit stop along Daytona Beach for the Daytona 500 on February 16. The event is one of the most prestigious races in the NASCAR calendar and typically draws around 150,000 racing fans in attendance.

Tech, film, music, and education come together for the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) event, beginning March 7, in Austin, Texas. The 9-day festival serves as a convergence of creatives for conferences, exhibitions, networking, live music, and film screenings. Rub shoulders with some of the industry’s best, reignite your inspiration listening to featured speakers, and kick back at the end of the day with comedy shows, film festivals, and great food.

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 11-13, 18-20, 2025 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 25–27, 2025.)

BottleRock Napa Valley, a music festival that combines notable headliners with the area’s best cuisines, wines, and craft brews, is not an event to miss. Alongside its music shows, BottleRock also features a silent disco, a culinary stage, and spa treatments. The festival runs May 23–25, 2025 so grab tickets to enjoy the perfect pairing of music, food, and a chance to rock out in California wine country.

Happy Pride month! June is chock full of Pride events at many cities across the country, 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.

There is more to Michigan than stunning lakes and snowy winters. In the summer, the state celebrates its abundant harvest of tart cherries with the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. From June 28–July 5, dig into this riveting food festival that features carnival rides, live music, food vendors, cherry wine and beer tents, pie-eating contests, family-friendly activities, and a Cherry Queen pageant.

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.

Summer isn’t over just yet — at least not in Virginia Beach. Make the most of the season’s last beach trip at the Neptune Festival at the end of September. The beach festival joins together free concerts, seaside wine tasting, pier treats, and art shows in a 30-block-long celebration of coastal living.

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 dancing and singing along to some of the most recognizable names in music.

Indulge in global flavors at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival—a unique opportunity to experience diverse cuisines and magic in one unforgettable event in Walt Disney World. Running from late August through November, this culinary celebration features over 30 Global Marketplaces offering international cuisine and drinks. Enjoy sample-sized portions of gourmet dishes, wines, beers, and cocktails from around the world. What's more, the festival also includes culinary demonstrations, workshops, and nightly "Eat to the Beat" concerts.

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. The event is held early December and is worth a trip over to see Texas’s coastline transform 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.