Events & Festivals
Crowd at the Dominica Jazz Festival photo by Tonya Fitzpatrick
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”
– Susan Sontag
From villages to big cities, festivals and events bring people together to celebrate culture, heritage, cuisine or just about anything. From religion to music, from agriculture to sports, from food to just plain fun, festivals and events sustain communities and encourage travel all over the world.
A trip or a small drive to an event with friends or with family needs no reason except just fun. And most importantly we can take a break from our daily routines and experience some celebration without going away too far. Festivals reminds us of our cultures, traditions, and above all is a time to celebrate with family.
Brazil has a rich cultural heritage, countrywide celebrations, locally sourced scrumptious cuisine and natural attractions that attract millions of travelers every year.
May is Jewish American Heritage Month and that means it is a great time to learn while exploring. I describe my own background as “Jewish lite” because while both my parents are Jewish and all my ancestors hail from Eastern Europe, growing up my household was more spiritual than religious.
Celebrate International Women’s Day by supporting women around the globe through unique tourism experiences that benefit women’s empowerment and travel with female-led groups. International Women’s Day is honored annually on March 8th to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and serves as a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
In 1608 the first Europeans set foot on North American soil. Samuel de Champlain, considered to be the founding father of New France, built a settlement that would later be called Quebec City.
If you’re staying in the Netherlands during the holiday season, you’re truly in for a treat! Although many Christmas traditions are the same in different countries, the Dutch have a few traditions that you probably haven’t even heard of. In order to prepare you for this year’s holiday season, we’ll explain some of the most common Dutch Christmas traditions to you below. Christmas Packet One of the most popular Christmas traditions in the Netherlands is the Christmas Packet. This is a tradition in pretty much every workplace throughout the country. Every year around Christmas time, all of the employees get a special Christmas gift box from their employer. This is a way of thanking them for all of the hard work they put in throughout the year. The Christmas gift box can contain all kinds of things. Some companies give their employees a box of fun stuff or food baskets [...]
Used by Indigenous tribes in the Amazon for medicinal purposes for centuries, it’s only in the last 50 years or so that Westerners have come to learn about ayahuasca
There are plenty of reasons to visit Las Vegas, though it is a city that’s most famous for being the casino capital of the United States - and the world. Its entire existence is owed to the casino industry which evolved in Vegas to serve the crowds of workers involved in the construction of the nearby Hoover Dam. For a long time, the state of Nevada was the only place in North America where it was possible to play games like blackjack, baccarat, and slots. However, other parts of the country and the world have begun to offer up alternatives In the US, Atlantic City has established itself as a rival to Vegas, while many other states have also allowed casinos to open up within their borders. In other parts of the world, Singapore, Macau, and Monaco have become recognised as great destinations for those that want to [...]
Cinco de Mayo ("5th of May") is more than an excuse to drink margaritas. The festival actually commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 - a victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over the French. The date is observed as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride around the world. The Battle of Puebla delayed the French invasion of Mexico City. Five years later, Mexican forces defeated the French and expelled them from Mexico. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that commemorates a battle fought in Mexico on the fifth of May in 1862—a battle that became an unexpected victory for the Mexican army over the French forces. Mexico was attacked by foreign troops because President Benito Juárez defaulted on his payments to European nations after war had depleted the country’s ability to pay. Mexico had endured three wars that put their country [...]
A friend invited me to share a house with her and a few other friends in Martha’s Vineyard over the Fourth of July weekend last year. Hearing stories of the Kennedys and the Obamas vacationing there, I assumed it would be a stuffy, pretentious community for the rich and famous. This was not the case.
Enjoy the historic opening ceremonies surrounding the opening of the MLK Memorial in Washington, DC
World Footprints won recognition as a top travel podcast, receiving a Gold Award in the 2021 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition.
With all of the challenges facing Washington and a forthcoming Presidential Inauguration to prepare for, we spoke to Elliott Ferguson, President and CEO of Destination DC, to talk about the status of tourism in the District.
