On average, millennials spend eight to 10 hours a day on their phones. Since it can’t all be porn, we have to assume that a big chunk of that time is spent texting, tweeting, insta-ing, facebooking, googling, and checking out articles like this one. With every ding, chirp, and buzz the Pavlovian response is triggered and we go digging into our pockets. Everything else stops, we get our fix and move along…until the next automated reminder.
It’s time to throw a stick in the spokes of our addiction. Lord knows the tweets and instas are inspirational, and lists like this are informative at the very least. It’s all very digestible — which is great as long as you put all that inspiration to work. That’s the key, right? We have to utilize what we’ve consumed.
These ten festivals are either happening right now, or will be happening in the very near future. If one of them sparks some interest, act on it. Buy a ticket. Pick an adventure. Go.
LA TOMATINA — Aug. 26
Buñol, Valencia, Spain
La Tomatina is going on right now (even being honored by today’s “Google Doodle”), so unless you’re in Spain at the moment you probably need to wait 364 days. Still, it’s well worth it. When else can you pelt strangers with food and not end up in a fistfight?
As the story goes, this yearly event started back in 1945 when a disgruntled man in costume from the Giants and Big Headed Figures Parade was pushed off his float. The man went into a rage and began smashing the market stalls that lined the street. One of those stalls happened to be a tomato cart and bystanders watching the man’s rampage decided that pelting him with tomatoes seemed like the only appropriate thing to do. Hitting the big headed man soon evolved into hitting any unsuspecting event-goer, and thus a tradition was born.
Now a city-sponsored event, 30,000 people descend on Buñol every year to throw 286,000 pounds of tomatoes at each other. There are some rules: it’s mandatory to wear eye protection and to break the skin of the tomato you are about to throw. Luckily, the city also brings in showers to wash all the tomato bits out of your…bits.
OPPIKOPPI FESTIVAL — August
Bosveld, South Africa
Running strong since 1994, Oppikoppi (derived from the Afrikaans “op die koppie” or “on the hill”) brings in about 20,000 attendees every year. With Afrikaburn being southern Africa’s answer to Burning Man, Oppikoppi has taken on an identity all its own. The festival started as a showcase for South African rock music but has since evolved into a gathering of creative minds.
Every year, Oppikoppi holds a series of competitions with the winners getting passes for the next year’s festival. Officially titled the Dustbowl Olympics, some of the events include Box Car Races, the Boom Street 500 Naked Dash (you must wear shoes, but that’s all you’re allowed to wear), Running of the Bewilderbeats (same as the naked dash, but in a costume), and the Wil(d)abong Surf Classic (teams pull a member across the dust on a surf board). Naked people, costumed people, and dust surfing? That’s how you party.
BURNING MAN — Aug. 30-Sept. 7
Black Rock City, Nev.
The bugs are gone, the stage is set, and Burning Man 2015 is on tap. With this event becoming wildly popular, you’ll have to pay premium prices for a ticket this year — but hell, it’s worth a try. This ephemeral city is a collection of 65,000 creatives who gather to express themselves with a freedom that only the middle of nowhere can usher in.
What started in 1986 on San Francisco’s Baker Beach has continued to evolve and grow exponentially. If a swarm of bugs couldn’t slow it down this year it looks like “the burn” will continue to thrive.
GALWAY OYSTER FEST — Sept. 24-27
Galway, Ireland
They may not be a libido enhancer but that doesn’t mean we’re about to write off these delicious bivalves.
The Galway Oyster Festival is a 20,000 person, weekend long, international ode to all things mollusk. It’s the Burning Man of oyster fests.
Since 1954 Galway has been home to one of the world’s biggest and most hardcore celebration of seafood. With celebrity cook offs, shucking competitions, tastings, and a Mardi Gras-esque masquerade, this seems like the place to be in September.
FANTASY FEST — Oct. 23-Nov. 1
Key West, Fla.
It’s been called one of the wildest events in North America and when you read one of the event preparation guides, that claim seems hard to deny. Fantasy Fest originated as an attempt to bring in a crowd prior to Key West’s busy season. It soon grew into a Halloween extravaganza, embraced by the local LGBTQ community. These days, more than 75,000 people descend on South Florida each year to share good times and positive vibes.
PINGXI SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL – February 2016
New Taiwan City, Taiwan
For the crowd who takes joy in more subdued beauty — like 200,000 lanterns being released simultaneously into the night sky — this is your spot. The holiday is held all across Asia but the Pingxi steals the show year after year.
Durning the Xing Dynasty after fleeing to the forrest to avoid raiders, village watchmen would release these sky lanterns in an effort to inform hidden villagers that it was safe to return home. These lanterns also traditionally end the Chinese New Year celebration. Three times an hour, between 6:30 and 9:30, attendees are encouraged to focus on their dreams, usher in safety, and close out the Chinese New Year together.
NATIONAL PYROTECHNIC FESTIVAL – March 2016
Tultepec, Mexico
Just outside of Mexico City this municipality produces over 50 percent of Mexico’s fireworks. This event originally started as a religious holiday but has since digressed into a multi-day ode to huge explosions. Roughly 100,000 people gather every year to watch Rude Goldberg-esque pyrotechnic devices come together and ultimately go up in a blaze of glory.
HOLI-March 23, 2016
Mumbai, India
The idea here is to welcome spring, celebrate the last lunar cycle of the year, and break down social barriers. Holi tends to either be celebrated intimately at home with close friends and family, or in the street with loud and colorful parties. The parties involve colored chalk, pigment filled balloons, and a constant effort to dismiss getting splattered with paint by saying “Bura no mano, Holi Hai!” (“Never mind, it’s Holi!”)
SONGKRAN-April 13, 2016
Thailand (primarily Bangkok and Chang Mai)
The event, which stemmed from the drizzling of water on a Buddha statue for purification, has evolved into a three-day, country-wide water fight. Super Soakers, water balloons, and buckets are all acceptable. The Thai New Year welcomes all in this attempt to wash the country clean. Random dousings will occur. Being in Thailand during the week of April 13 means you should never carry a cell phone, always have a bathing suit ready, and never assume you won’t get sprayed. Be mindful of locals who still have jobs to attend and obligations to carry out, but don’t trust them for a second. A man walking in a business suit may seem as though he’s trying to avoid the commotion, but put money on the fact that backpack he’s carrying is full of water-balloons.
