WINNING TIP: Festival of Colour, New Zealand
A cool little arts festival set in the lovely Alpine town of Lake Wanaka on the south island of New Zealand. It takes place every second April in the southern hemisphere’s autumn when the colours are spectacular. The whole town gets behind the festival which brings the best of visual and performing arts to the town. There’s such a mix of performances and all well attended by the local community. Great vibe, heaps going on and a really warm welcome. This picture was taken of sculptures of eels, part of the opening night Ahi Kaa - fire project, where rafts and driftwood sculptures were set on fire on the lake – it was very atmospheric.
• Ticket prices vary for each event, next festival 4-9 April 2017, festivalofcolour.co.nz
ethan2003
Ithaca festival, New York state, US
Ithaca, in New York state’s picturesque Finger Lakes region, is a town with a big personality. A slightly hippy, creative and largely vegetarian community, it’s like a large Stoke Newington surrounded by countryside. The annual festival hosts dance classes, poetry readings, an extravagant parade involving most of the town plus food and drink galore. It’s free to attend and almost everyone gets around by bike. There’s something for everyone, from hardcore electro to classical dance to films to kids hula-hooping.
• Free festival every May/June, ithacafestival.org
rachelmillar2
Festa dell’Uva e del Vino, Italy
Set on the beautiful shores of Lake Garda, this grapes and wine festival takes over the small town of Bardolino for four days every October. With local wines, food, art projections, fireworks and music, people come from miles around to celebrate. First and foremost, it’s about great wine, but it’s worth visiting to soak up the great atmosphere.
• Free, 1-5 October 2015, bardolinotop.it
rebeccanicholl
Heidelberger Herbst, Germany
Heidelberg, a medieval town overlooked by the romantic ruins of a castle, is a great place to visit at any time. The last weekend of September it holds its autumn festival, with a particularly Germanic carnival parade, music stages and a market. There’s also a community side with kids running flea market stalls. But the highlight for me is the medieval market in the university square which in previous years has included beer in terracotta flowerpots, bready treats baked on the spot in wood-fired ovens, crafty stalls and medieval music. Medieval events are a big thing in Germany and many of the crowd come in full costume, making them as much part of the spectacle as those on stage.
• Free, 26-27 September 2015, heidelberg-event.com
ID4789413
Knox County Watermelon festival, Indiana, US
A small watermelon festival with live music, food and free watermelon. The largest watermelon is used for the “watermelon drop” on New Year’s Eve, when several 20-ft giants are dropped from height on to a “splatform”.
• Free, every July, visitindiana.com
Nicola Brennan
Quest festival, Vietnam
This is a weekend camping festival held just a 40-minute drive from Hanoi, bringing together locals, expats and visitors in a celebration of underground live and electronic music culture. Held in the beautiful Son Tinh campsite, there’s usually about 30 local and international DJs and 10 bands. There’s also interactive art installations, impromptu theatre, workshops, pop-up cafes, fire performances, dancing and much more.
Weekend tickets about £25, 6-8 November 2015, ticketbox.vn
richardvn
Estival, Switzerland
This is a free festival of jazz which takes place in the first weekend in July in the pretty squares and lakeside beaches and parks around the southern Swiss town of Lugano. The palm trees and balmy summer air make this an ideal time and place to see some of Europe’s up and coming jazz bands and enjoy Swiss nightlife with an Italian twist.
• Free, every July, estivaljazz.ch
gonca
Montpellier Guitar festival, France
A delightfully laid-back showcase of all kinds of guitar music, from jazz to flamenco to folk, in the charming capital of Languedoc. There are 150 free events, including open air workshops and concerts in squares or near the beaches, taking place this year over three weeks from the end of September – conveniently coinciding with the autumn grape harvest, so wine-tasting is thrown in too.
• Free, 26 September-17 October 2015, ot-montpellier.fr
funinfinland
Irish Redhead Convention, County Cork
A friendly gathering for all foxy-haired people held in the small seaside village of Crosshaven where redheads from all over the world take part in light hearted events. There’s live music, art exhibitions, lectures and of course the traditional Parade of Redheads through the village led by the newly crowned Redhead King and Queen.
• Every August, redheadconvention.ie
desgreene
Nisville Jazz Festival, Serbia
An eclectic mix of music in the southern Serbian town – this year it featured Incognito and the Sun Ra Arkestra – held in an old fortress. Tickets are extremely cheap (less than £20 for the whole weekend) and the same goes for the beer, food (two people eat very well for less than £5 a head) and hotel accommodation. The weather was very warm and only mucked up a bit with storms on the final night. The crowds are large and good-natured, with much milling around outside the main stages. The city itself has plenty of cafe terraces where one can sit and watch the world go by. Everyone was welcoming and friendly (apart from the occasionally over-zealous security folk), and the atmosphere was relaxed.
• Four-day festival held each August, day tickets €10, whole event €25, nisville.com
Simon Rake
