Vinitaly Wine Festival, Verona Italy, Apr. 8-12. Wine enthusiasts attending Vinitaly, one of the largest wine exhibitions in the world, enjoy 4 days of guided tasting sessions, competitions, and meetings with over 4000 exhibitors from the leading wine-producing countries.
French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, Apr. 9-11. Celebrate New Orleans culture in the French Quarter, with performances by local musicians, the world’s largest jazz brunch, and a spectaculr fireworks display over the Mississippi river.
World Cow Chip Throwing Contest, Beaver, Oklahoma, Apr. 11-17. You may want to keep your distance at this annual contest, where, since 1970, hopeful competitors in Beaver, Oklahoma have been lining up to see how far they can hurl these bovine frisbees. The championships, which draw contestants from across the US and beyond, are the culmination of a week of celebrations which include stock-car racing, chilli cook-offs, and arts and crafts shows.
Songkran Festival, Thailand, Apr. 13-15. The Songkran festival celebrates the Thai New Year with three days of parades and beauty contests across Thailand. The festival is a lively, public, street-based affair, making it the ideal festival for tourists, who should be prepared to be drenced with water from buckets, pitchers, water-guns, and balloons.
Queen’s Day, The Netherlands, Apr. 30. Queen’s Day celebrates the birthday of the former Queen Juliana and is one of the largest, most vibrant celebrations in the Dutch calendar. Flags fly, music pumps and millions take to the streets for a national holiday. Every city and town in the country shuts down its shops and the streets become an open-air market. Amsterdam holds the biggest party of all, with over a million people flocking to the streets to enjoy parades, concerts, theatrical displays, street entertainment, and fireworks.
