New Orleans for Jazz & Heritage Festival

From April 29 until May 1 & from May 5 until May 8, the city will be music to your ears, literally! New Orleans just breathes culture and what better way to celebrate their city than with the Jazz & Heritage Festival. Whereas normally you can’t walk down the street in New Orleans without hearing live music, you will hear even more of it during the festivities (if that’s even possible). Artists booked include Bon Jovi, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Cyndi Lauper, and the Neville Brothers.

New York for the Easter Parade

On Easter Sunday (April 24, 2011) paraders, dressed to the extreme wander along the closed streets of Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Street. The ideal place to see the parade is the area around St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival runs from 10am to 4pm. While the parade doesn’t have any floats or marching bands, it is still a spectacle; from around the world people come to New York City to participate, with outfits ranging from elegant to outrageous.

New York travel guide

 

Istanbul for the Shopping Festival

Istanbul Shopping Festival (ISF) is an annual event that brings together people of all kinds, making Istanbul the shopping, cultural and entertainment centre of the world. Until April 26, visitors will enjoy the many activities taking place at the 90 indoor shopping malls and many stores, open till late hours. The glamorous spirit of ISF is not to be missed if you are planning on taking a trip there. Don’t forget the tax free shopping for visitors from overseas!

Istanbul travel guide

Munich for Strong Beer Season

Did you miss Oktoberfest? No worries because with spring in Munich also comes Strong Beer Season. This is the insiders alternative to Oktoberfest yet the beer is stronger and the crowds are thinner .The traditional serving of the spring strong beers begin during Lent and lasts about four weeks, this year until April 26th.

Munich travel guide

 

London for the Royal Wedding

The Royal Wedding takes place at Westminster Abbey on April 29 and the city will be abuzz. Locals might flee the city, while travelers might pay a visit for the cities unique buzz. If you want to be part of the celebrations and catch a glimpse of the royal couple, you can stand somewhere along the wedding procession route. The route will include The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and Parliament Square.

London travel guide

Amsterdam for Queen’s Day

On April 30, Amsterdam is home to the biggest collection of events and parties in celebration of Queen’s Day aka Koninginnedag. Aside from endless crowds and the colour orange, visitors can expect many outdoor parties with bands and DJs on several squares and parks throughout the city. The biggest outdoor concerts are held by Museumplein and Rembrandtplein. Queen’s Day is also the one day of the year that the streets and sidewalks become one big ‘free market’ (vrijmarkt). Don’t forget about Queen’s Night either – check out one of the many bars and clubs hosting events.

Amsterdam travel guide

Singapore for the International Film Festival (SIFF)

With its dynamic film programming and commitment to development of film culture and local cinema, SIFF has become Singapore’s largest international film festival. In its 23rd edition, SIFF will take place from April 15-24 and will showcase Asian film in various venues like The Singapore Art Museum and The Arts House.

Singapore travel guide

What interesting festivals and events will you be headed to this Spring? Or for Easter? Let us know in the comments!

The Strong Beer Festival lasts roughly two weeks and occurs during Lent, the period leading up to Easter. The timing of the festival isn’t random, either. It dates back to the mid-17th century when Paulaner monks, all too aware that they could only consume liquids during Lent, brewed an extra-strong beer to serve as liquid sustenance. The beer was (and remains) so potent one of its nicknames was “liquid bread.” The clever idea caught on, and to this day Starkbier (strong beer) is very popular at this time of year.

A visit to Munich in March isn’t just an opportunity to imbibe in some “liquid bread,” however – it’s also an opportunity to enjoy the year’s first beer festival. In a city like Munich, so wedded to its brewing, the calendar is dotted with beer-related festivals (not to mention the fact that beer is present at pretty much every single other festival year-round). The Strong Beer Festival, however, marks the first official beer festival of the year, and generally coincides with the first spring thaw – meaning locals will be even happier to be out celebrating the strong brews.

In addition to the plentiful potent beers on hand, the Strong Beer Festival also features comedians, music, dancing, and food. The center of the festival is the Paulaner Keller, but because it’s grown significantly over the years it has spilled into other venues around Munich as well.

If all of this sounds a bit like Oktoberfest, there’s a reason for that – it’s likely what Oktoberfest used to feel like, before Oktoberfest became an enormous tourist attraction. The Strong Beer Festival is still more of a festival for the locals than for outsiders, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see lots of other tourists – but if you’re prepared to join in the fun, it’s a great time to experience an authentic beer festival in Munich without paying the high Oktoberfest prices.

- by Jessica of BootsnAll

Get around the city with mTrip’s Munich Travel Guide

photo by Nick Perretti

Tollwood’s WINTERFESTIVAL 2010

This is very comparable to an alternative Christmas market, with cultural events taking place all the way to New Year’s Eve. The Christmas market has over 200 stalls with international handicrafts and organic foods from all over the world. You can also expect some free and interesting performances such as musical and walk-acts, environmental activities and kids entertainment.

Nouveau Cirque

Four companies, The 7 Fingers from Canada, the Tom Tom Crew from Australia, the Race Horse Company & Circo Aereo from Finland and Cirkus Cirkör from Sweden will be showcasing their talents from different backgrounds – nouveau cirque acrobatics and street cultural elements, like dance, skateboards and beat boxing.

Weltsalon

Weltsalon (World Salon) brings together people of all different points of views, cultural backgrounds and visions; artists, scientists, politicians, and story-tellers will bring their visions to the table via panel discussions, concerts, installations, photo and cabaret exhibits and performances. Weltsalon is a call to rethink and become informed and aware of people as opposed to theories.

Tollwood New Years Eve Party 2010

On the Tollwood festival ground, ring in the New Year with a host of live music performances from Munich bands and DJ’s. When 12am hits, the traditional midnight waltzing will begin!

More info and ticket pricing at Tollwood Festival -http://www.tollwood.de/