Festivals

Venice Film Festival :: Venice, Italy

July 14, 2010 By Destination Guide Leave a Comment

Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpe in 1932, the Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. Taking place every year in late August of early September on the island of the Lido, the festival is one of the world’s most prestigious and is also part of the Venice biennale, an exhibition and festival for contemporary art. The first “Esposizione d’Arte Cinematografica” was held in 1932 at the Hotel Excelsior as part of the 18th Venice Biennale. The 2010 festival takes place from September 1st – 11th and the official lineup will be announced in Rome at the end of July. The festival’s goal is to raise awareness and promote various aspects of international cinema in all its forms. It includes homages and retrospectives to major figures in the industry that have helped raise awareness. [Read more…] about Venice Film Festival :: Venice, Italy

Redbull Flugtag

July 11, 2010 By Destination Guide Leave a Comment

Most festivals take place at a certain place or a certain time of year. The Flugtag, however adheres to very few rules. Sponsored by Red Bull (yes, the famous energy drink that gives you wings) the Flugtag is a wet and wild event that occurs at various spots all over the world each year. The official goal is to create a homemade human powered flying machine that glides as far as possible off a long pier with a 30 foot drop off. Unofficially very few of these quirky crafts do anything even close to flying and become more of a comical fall into the waters below. This is where all the fun for the thousands of spectators comes in. [Read more…] about Redbull Flugtag

Battle of the Oranges (Carnevale di Ivrea) :: Ivrea, Italy

July 7, 2010 By Destination Guide Leave a Comment

Ivrea, a town in northwestern Italy is most famous for its traditional carnival celebration. The core of the Carnevale di Ivrea is the famous Battle of the Oranges where thousands of citizens are divided into nine teams who them violently pelt each other with oranges. These orange battles occur on the traditional carnival days of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Held every year in late February, the celebration revolves around a 12th century legend of a miller’s daughter who refused the local duke’s “right” to spend a night with each newlywed woman in his domain and instead chipped off his head. This refusal lead the commoners in the town revolting against their rulers, they then stormed and burned the palace. Each year a young girl is elected “Mugnaia” and plays the role of Violetta, the miller’s daughter who still today, honored as a local symbol of freedom. [Read more…] about Battle of the Oranges (Carnevale di Ivrea) :: Ivrea, Italy

Batalla del Vino (Haro Wine Festival) :: Haro, Spain

June 29, 2010 By Destination Guide Leave a Comment

One thing you have to know about the Spanish, they really do know how to throw a party. And for some reason they can get pretty darn messy. We already told you about “La Tomatina“, the tomato throwing festival in Buñol, Spain, but surprisingly there is an even wilder fiesta brewing about 350 miles north in the city of Haro. Here in the Rioja Region, June 29th is the Batalla del Vino or Wine Battle. Though many Spanish festivals are meant to celebrate various patron saints (June 29th is also St. Pedro’s Day) this little shin dig is anything but saintly. Whereas most people think the point of a wine festival is to get the drink IN you, here the goal is to get it ON you (well mostly). [Read more…] about Batalla del Vino (Haro Wine Festival) :: Haro, Spain

Loveparade :: Germany

June 15, 2010 By Destination Guide Leave a Comment

What started in Berlin as an alternative parade for 150 peace and techno loving partiers in 1989 has grown exponentially over its 20 plus year history reaching a record 1.6 million revelers in 2008. The Love Parade (actually shortened to the one word moniker “Loveparade”) in Germany is one of the biggest and most adored festivals in Europe. The Cold War had separated east and west for over 40 years and those in the heart of the struggle felt they needed to make a statement of openness and togetherness in the spirit of glasnost. Loveparade was born as a child of both [Read more…] about Loveparade :: Germany