What is your favorite party your city throws?

[Strayone]

I started this thread in possibly wrong forum, so here goes again,
Every year on the last saturday of April we have the annual Eeyores Birthday Party here in Austin. It has gone on 43 years. It is an amalgam of everything a free thinking city should have. It may not be on par with Mardi Gras in New Orleans and certainly not as large. But it is a totally non political, non exclusive and non generational event. Yeah it is at the very least a festival of non importance, but it is totally what I think of as Ours. At the end of the day everyone is herded away from the park grounds by Officers of the Peace that show up from nowhere. Everyone walks or wanders away and there to my best knowledge has never been an incident that makes it to the front page of the paper. The name may not describe the meaning of this gathering, but so what. Only one thing matters.. having fun. From Kids stuff to Costumes to Drum circles to Egg tossing. And the Lasses.. Oh my.
What weird and unussual party does your city have that you would't miss?

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[1ajs]

canada day!

[Boris2k7]

Uhh, Stampede I guess. Not for all the country music and the rides and pancake breakfasts, but for the huge crowds of people it brings strolling along and filling the downtown patios.

Then again, I haven't attended all that many city festivals or other such things. I've been meaning to make it out to the Lilac Festival and maybe Sun n' Salsa as well (oh, and Taste of Calgary). Maybe the Fringe Festival and Film Festival as well, if I can find the time...

[vid]

The Blues Festival by far. Perfect setting, perfect time of year.

[Stanz]

Canada Day in the capital, baby. Drunken red and white mafuckas this way and that.

[mthq]

The dumbfucks who ran our city festival screwed up by putting too many "events" in the senior center. A game of Cribbage was one of them. Now the festival is in danger of going bankrupt... surprise surprise.

[Xelebes]

Summer.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Orange has the International Street Fair every labor day weekend. Its a mess for traffic, but each section of the traffic circle has booths set up to look like different parts around the world (resulting in sections like "Japan Street", "Ireland Street", "German Street", "India Street", "Mexico Street" etc). Way too many people from Orange County and Los Angeles flood the town that weekend to get piss drunk, and a riot usually breaks out on "Ireland Street." Its great. :tup:

[MayorOfChicago]

The Blues Festival by far. Perfect setting, perfect time of year.

February?

[Steely Dan]

Springfield will have its first annual "Do What You Feel" Festival this
Saturday, whenever you feel like showing up! It'll be a welcome change
from our annual, "Do As We Say" Festival started by German settlers in
1946.

[Front_Range_Guy]

Oh I don't know... "Springspree" in June I guess, though really the city holds several events each year and I have yet to attend most of them.

[initiald]

Oktoberfest, at the old Memorial Stadium.
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/7349/oktober005rw5.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/194/oktoberfest006hl9.jpg


Bon Odori
http://www.pbase.com/bz3rk/image/64725679/medium.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/bz3rk/image/64725681/medium.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/bz3rk/image/64725683/medium.jpg

[BTinSF]

San Francisco: Black & White Ball

This event raises money for the Symphony and it's huge, with separate bands and orchestras in a a number of buildings in Civic Center including the Symphony Hall, City Hall, the Opera House and in the open air of Civic Center. Normally, Van Ness Ave. (the street where I live) is closed off and full of people as well. Attendees can wander from one building to another as they please.

Dancing in City Hall
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/14/dd_ball13217.jpghttp://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/14/dd_ball13284.jpg

The Mayor and Charlotte Schultz (wife of the former Sec. of State)
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/13/dd_ball.jpg

Patron's Dinner
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/13/dd_ball01.jpg

Light show projected on City Hall; Outdoor dancing in Civic Center
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/13/dd_ball05.jpg

Patti LaBelle (the entertainer at Civic Auditoreum)
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/13/dd_ball04.jpg

Orchestra Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/13/dd_ball06.jpg

Some girls from Montreal at the Patti LaBelle performance
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/14/dd_ball13527.jpg

[mthq]

Orange has the International Street Fair every labor day weekend. Its a mess for traffic, but each section of the traffic circle has booths set up to look like different parts around the world (resulting in sections like "Japan Street", "Ireland Street", "German Street", "India Street", "Mexico Street" etc). Way too many people from Orange County and Los Angeles flood the town that weekend to get piss drunk, and a riot usually breaks out on "Ireland Street." Its great. :tup:

wait... Orange County of all places in the US recognizes May Day? :D

*edit* oh nevermind.. you must be talking about September. My bad. It must be all the world-themed streets that threw me off. Ireland Street sounds like an adventure.

[Buckeye Native 001]

wait... Orange County of all places in the US recognizes May Day? :D

*edit* oh nevermind.. you must be talking about September. My bad. It must be all the world-themed streets that threw me off. Ireland Street sounds like an adventure.

It is. The beer and puke flow together in the city streets, its 90 degrees out so the women are wearing hardly anything, and the big burly Suburban-driving mofos are ready to fight after knocking back a few pints.

[MayDay]

"Orange County of all places in the US recognizes May Day?"

Everyone recognizes MayDay - I'm on a global scale! :D

Anyhoo, my favorite festivals in Cleveland: Ingenuity and City Xpressionz.

Ingenuity, Cleveland's Festival of Art and Technology - http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com
http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com/Site3/gallery/large/616200695851AM.jpg
http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com/Site3/gallery/large/714200624812PM.JPG
http://urbanohio.com/NEOhio/Cleveland/Neighborhoods/Downtown2/Downtown55.JPG

City Xpressionz, Cleveland's Aerosol Art festival http://www.clevelandpublicart.org/project_details.asp?id=8

http://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/xpressionz06/xpressionz06_58.jpg

http://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/xpressionz06/xpressionz06_59.jpg

[BamaGrad04]

...you know, the original one! :tup: :jester:

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q196/BamaGrad04/mardigras-1.jpg

[brian_b]

I like Venetian Night, mainly because it always falls within a few days of my birthday. The city does a great job of wishing me a happy birthday, with a parade of decorated boats ending with an awesome fireworks show choreographed to music. Best viewed from a boat out on Lake Michigan, naturally!

[Via Chicago]

I guess taste of chicago is the biggest one, although i wouldnt say its my favorite. its ok a year here and there, but its ridiculously crowed, and food tickets can cost an arm and leg.

http://www.thebestlinks.com/images/c/c7/TasteOfChicago.jpg

I would have to agree with Venetian Nights.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/70/201529904_7211795655.jpg

Blues Fest is great too.

[Cleveland Brown]

Detroit

International Freedom Festival w/ Windsor, Ontario (around the 4th of July)
Winter Blast (new and an outdoor event in the middle of winter :D )

[Paul in S.A TX]

Fiesta San Antonio-0ver 100 events and 3.5 million in attendance.Starts 4-20-07.


http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_NIO/2006-pic8.jpg
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_CNY/2006-pic13.jpg
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_CNY/2006-pic11.jpg
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_OC/2006-pic16.jpg
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_OC/2006-pic5.jpg
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_FAF/2006-pic15.jpg

http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_RP/2006-pic5.jpg
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_NIO/2006-pic5.jpg
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_NIO/2006-pic16.jpg
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_BOF/2006-pic12.jpg

http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_BOF/2006-pic1.jpg

http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_BOF/2006-pic3.jpg

http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_BOF/2006-pic9.jpg

http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_NIO/2006-pic9.jpg

http://www.fiesta-sa.org/images/Photos/Photos_2006/FG_NIO/2006-pic10.jpg

[Jeeper]

The big downtown event here is the Polk Street Block Party. It doesn't compare in size to the big cities, but it sure is a lot of fun. You pay a flat entrance fee, usually $25, and get all the beer you want.

[Evergrey]

the St. Rocco Festival... which takes place in the Morningside neighborhood

http://www.macconline.org/st_rooco_Album_files/Photos/DSCF0008%20(web).jpg

http://www.macconline.org/st_rooco_Album_files/Photos/DSCF0003%20(web)2.jpg

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2003-08-04/PH_2003-08-04_proc-a.jpg

[A42251]

Tomorrow is Thunder over Louisville, the opeing ceremony of the Kentucky Derby Festival, and the largest annual fireworks display in North America.

Thunder draws much larger crowds than the Derby itself. 800,000 people are expected on the banks on the Ohio River tomorrow night.

[Nowhereman1280]

I would have to say Milwaukee probably puts on some of the best parties for its size. Summerfest is by far my favorite place to be at any time. I mean you get in before 4pm and its $5 for all the music you can handle. And these are no shabby acts either, some of the best performers in the country show up and there are 10 stages at once. Usually the attendance is around 1 million over ten days. That means 100,000 people on the festival grounds every day.

here's a pic of about 1/8 of the festival:

http://www.milwaukeecollegelife.com/images/phototour/summerfest2.jpg

It definitely lives up to its name as "the worlds largest music festival"...

If you live in the area and haven't gone, I suggest you make plans to do so, its worth a long drive...

[BTinSF]

San Francisco #2:

Halloween in the Castro
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2007/04/20/ba_halloween_castro.jpg

[Frisco_Zig]

San Francisco #2:

Halloween in the Castro
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2007/04/20/ba_halloween_castro.jpg

Its a shame what has happened to a fun party over the last 5 years. I am guessing last year was the last ?

[PhillyRising]

I would say for Philadelphia my favorite is the "Welcome America" festival spread out over a week for the July 4th Holiday. The 4th and Philadelphia go hand in hand........

The Mummers Parade on New year's Day would have to rate high with many people as well since that is uniquely Philadelphian.

[daftmax]

Summer =).

[rockyi]

Like everywhere else, it seems, we are saturated with summer fests. My favorite probably has the least original theme.

Gumbo YaYa.
http://whbf.images.worldnow.com/images/3460102_BG1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/018_7A.jpg