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Nickenamed the 'Gay Mardi Gras', Fantasy Fest is a 10-day festival for the most seasoned of hedonists - includes wildly eccentric costumes (and costume parties!), parades, street fairs, and events like the Dungeon of Dark Secrets and Fetishes, Big 'Uns Lunar Lunacy Party, and the Epidermal Arts and Torso Tapestries. It's also the best time of year to experience the mild, but warm Florida weather - everyone should go at least once!
Key West, Florida, www.fantastyfest.net
Most people have heard of the Free Fringe festival, and the line-up of comedy is superb. But there are loads of other lesser known free festivals and events going on in August.
Here are just a couple...
The International Book Festival has loads of free events - from the daily free poetry reading at 10am to the free live music in the Spiegelbar. There's also loads of free stuff for children, a daily storytime, nursery rhyme time for babies and free workshops.
The Festival Calvacade is a free parade of 3,000 performers from all the Edinburgh festivals - this year it kicks off in Holyrood Park on 9th August.
The Edinburgh Interactive Festival is a free video game festival, where budding gamers can road test and watch screenings of new games.
Great Guide to free events:
blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/edinburgh-festivals-for-free/
The mardi gras festival in Sydney lasts for 3-4 weeks culminating in a parade on the evening of the 1st Saturday in March.
Go for as long as you can and make the most of the art exhibitions, theatre, film, cabaret, club nights, fair day. Make sure that you arrive early for the parade as estimates put the crowd at between 350,000 and 500,000!
Guernsey is a very nice island in the Channel. I go there on holiday because my Nana lives there. When we go there we stay at a campsite with a swimming pool, but it’s an outdoor one so sometimes it’s cold. I like the little chapel which is made from bits of broken pottery. It is a good place to play hide and seek and it is echoey. I also like the North Show especially the Battle of the Flowers parade as lots of people dress up and sometimes the costumes are funny. There is a very good beach called Petit Bot with lots of rocks and really big waves. There were some beach ducks and Mummy and me saw some ducklings eating seaweed and two walked right past Daddy’s foot.
There is a nice restaurant called Bruce Russell’s with a goldsmith’s next door and a playground for children. There is also a castle called Fort Grey. When I went there was a play going on and I was a French warship and went “La Boom! La Boom”. I made a cross face when the English won the battle.
From Eleanor Teather (age 9)
Seville is famous for its Easter celebrations, but if you can't face the crowds go in September. The weather is tolerable and you can take part in the street parades and activities that are part of the Festival of St Michael (Feria de San Miguel). Watch the locals struggle with heavy silver tableau through the streets at night, sit at the back of candlelit churches and breathe it all in. And it's free!
Feria de San Miguel takes place at the end of September each year (2006: 23 - 24 Sep).
Cuenca loves children, so no surprise that there’s a whole celebration dedicated to them. It’s an unbearably cute and very long procession of teeny tots in fancy dress that takes place every Christmas Eve from 10 until they run out of children (quite a bit later). Unmissable photo opportunity, but do be careful of your possessions and keep your camera in your hand or round your neck. Then feel free to simper to your heart’s content.
Along Calle Simon Bolivar.
Formally known as Mermaid Pride Parade, this is the festival of the year for the gay and lesbian community. A buzzing mardi gras atmosphere accompanies the parade and festival. Denmark is well-known for its acceptance of alternative lifestyles and this parade is a highlight each year for everyone within eye or earshot.
August 12-20; copenhagenpride.dk/uk
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