Сarnivals and festivals

La Tomatina

La Tomatina is the ultimate food fight festival held every August in the town of Buñol. There are many variations of the origin story for La Tomatina, ranging from harmless pranks among children to attacks on an awful musician to townspeople expressing their anger and disappointment with city councilmen.
This friendly fight and quirky festival is well-attended. In the past the famed La Tomatina has had as many as 50,000 attendees but in more recent years a ticket system has been introduced to keep the number of participants at or below 20,000. The hour long battle begins with the firing of water cannons, immediately after which chaos ensues with over 100 tons of over-ripe tomatoes being squashed and flung all over.

Dia de los Muertos

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest annual international event held in the US. For more than four decades, the first or second week in October has ushered in the magical moving picture show of colorful hot air balloons gliding through the crisp fall air.
From its modest beginnings in the 1970s at a mall parking lot with less than 15 hot air balloons, the Balloon Fiesta has steadily grown to become the largest ballooning event in the world. With nearly 600 beautifully colored balloons being launched annually, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is one of the most photographed happenings on Earth. Laser light shows, fireworks, live band performances and interactive education complete the magic at Balloon Fiesta and ensure that there’s something fun to do or see for everyone.

Songkran Water Festival

To celebrate the traditional New Year, Thailand’s Songkran Water Festival is held every April all over the country. But Chiang Mai’s take on Songkran is legendary and not to be missed, after all it is the most anticipated holiday in Thailand. Sprinkling water has always signified for Thai people, blessing, purging and newness. In this fresh take on old school beliefs persons of all ages come out armed with super soakers or buckets of water, ready to soak strangers and friends alike.
Festivities include bubbles, performances from professional dancers, religious processions and other fun ways to keep cool.