Do you travel to attend a festival?

I just got back from Songkran (Thailand New Years celebration) but I was there just by luck.  I have been to Oktoberfest in Munich twice and have it on my repeat bucket list.  It is a tremendous experience and I'd highly recommend it.  I also went to Sydney for New Years Eve and that was very memorable from the great fireworks display, the wonderful people and fabulous meals That we enjoyed.

I just got back from working at the envision music festival in Uvita! It was a blast and had to take a week to myself after,just to do nothing lol! Nothing better than getting paid to travel!

Woodstock...August 1969...the only real one.  A great experience with 7 of my sister's and my closest friends who had permission or the guts to go, regardless.  I've been to several outdoor concerts since but none could compare.  I did see the Allman Brothers in 1970-71 (to this day I can't remember which year it was) someplace in Colorado not far from Fort Collins...it seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere.  Other groups were there as well, but there never was as good a feel given the music of the early ABB with Duane, especially live outdoors at night.  Give me those days back anytime to live forever.

Definitely! Are you planning on going to one? I've flown to Las Vegas for Punk Rock Bowling, took the train to Chicago for Riotfest and drove to Quebec City for Rockfest. All were 3 day festivals and each was incredible in it's own way. The best part of all three was just enjoying live rock music with some awesome friends! Although I'd much rather stay in a hotel than camp, it doesn't stop me from going to rockfest for the 3rd year in a row!

I have! I drove up from Los Angeles to San Francisco to attend the Outside Lands Festival a couple of years ago, and it was one of the most memorable weekends of my life. I had just moved back to L.A. from London, and it was great to be around old friends again. But the best part was standing in the crowd for Paul McCartney, who performed for three hours and told these amazing stories from his career. If you're looking for a festival to go to, I'd definitely check out Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park. Other than the performers and food, it's in one of my favorite cities in the world.

We travelled to Pamplona in 2012 for  

the Fiesta of San Fermin also known as the Running of the Bulls. It is made famous by the bull runs (and the partying 24/7) but the bull runs and bullfights are just one part of the festival. The traditional ceremonies and religious processions among a sea of people dressed in red and white, even groups of families from grandparents down to infants, were most memorable for me. And of course, the gory spectacle of the bullfights.

Santa Fe (New Mexico), NM. Indian Market is the 3rd weekend in August. Tons of people, of course, but the art is genuine and worth the trip -- although the food in Santa Fe is also genuine and by itself worth the trip.

I went to Finland one year to check out the Ruisrock Festival. It was tons of fun - acts from all genres on an island you reach by bridge or ferry. It gets to be a bit of a mess, but it's still a great time. And Turku, the nearby city, is extremely pleasant. Rooms are hard to come by during the festival (I had to stay at a convent!), so book early if you're thinking about it.

This is a festival I came across by accident ... the Brisbane Festival. Tons of fun! It's more than a week long, and opening night is absolute madness. I didn't realize what was going, but four Australian fighter-bombers flew just over our hotel with their afterburners lit to get the part started. And then things got crazy with fireworks!

Dia de Los Muertos in San Juan Teotihuacan or Mexico City.  Planning to make this an annual trip, attended in 2013 and 2014.  Love the people in this area.  If staying in Mexico City, highly recommend a hotel near or overlooking El Zocolo. 

Spoleto in Charleston

Not Yet, But I am going to attend Hemis festival, which is the biggest festival of Budapest. I hope after attending the festival, I would have an experience worth sharing here

I've traveled to a pair of Music Festivals. Lollapalooza, in Chicago, is a great option. It mixes an amazing city with lots to offer, easy transportation as it happens in the middle of the city, additional activities/parties on the after shows offered every year. The most important things for me about a Music festival (traveling or in your city) is the interaction with your friends during those days (pick wisely ;) ) and the general mood all around, most people is just happy to be there and enjoying, it is contagious. All of this framed by background and not-so-background music ALL THE TIME, like living in a movie and having a continuous soundtrack 

yes, very often. In fact, I plan my travel to a particular destination around the festival hosted there. recently I had been to SirpurSirpur National Dance & Music Festival (http://cgtourism.choice.gov.in/node/334) in a central Indian state. It was a 3 days festival and gave me ample time to explore Buddhists excavated sites around the festival venue. I happened to travel a little further after the festival got over and visited two wildlife sanctuaries besides birthplace of central Indian holy river Narmada in AmarkantakAmarkantak. Narmada, incidentally is the only river which is circumnavigated by pilgrims on foot. I was thus more than happy and satisfied by the opportunity this festival gave me to experience much more than I had set out for.
My policy is to not consider festival as a stand alone event, rather I knit my elaborate travel ideas around that resulting in cultural or academic festival giving me a chance to take on a liberal dose of adventure, forest, wildlife, sports tourism etc.

I have done the same with the biggest literary festival on earth - JaipurJaipur literature festival (http://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/ ) and have never regretted.

The most amazing festival I've attended is Fallas held every March in Valencia. I lived there when I attended in 2010 and 2011, but I'm traveling back there again next year to see it again. It's the perfect festival, combining local culture, food, music, costumes, traditions, smoke, and tons of fireworks.

Yes, I have a few times! The most memorable one was definitely the  Firefly Music Festival! We flew from Florida to PA and drove to the festival in Delaware. We made a trip out of it, but the most memorable part was the fun at the festival! It's the East coast Coachella ;)

Traveled for concerts, Kings of Leon at Madison Square Garden, Pearl Jam in Seattle and Vancouver, but never for a festival. I'd love to go to Bonnaroo or the Sasquatch Festival though.

I do travel for festivals. I am always on the lookout for them. My most memorable festival was LaTomatina Buñol every last wednesday of August. I have not experienced anything like it. The madness is addictive. Definitely on my repeat bucketlist.

The next festival in my bucketlist is the lantern festival Chiang Mai in November, i have a feeling that might top my favorite list.

Yes, I travelled three times to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade.  The parade is always on January 1, but before the parade you can view the float construction, attend Bandfest, where all the bands perform with their full-length dance routines (there are 3 separate events, each 2 hours long), and equestfest, when all the equestrian (horse) performers show off their skills. After the parade you can see the floats up close at the float viewing, which is amazing, well worth it to see how all the flower floats are constructed.  

My husband attended the Electric Daisy Rave, in Las Vegas. This festival featured 100,000 young people dressed mostly in body paint. My husband was working at the event and really enjoyed it.

We have travelled to many smaller, local flower and nature festivals, such as the Lavender festival in June in Sonoma, the Sandhill Crane festival at Consumnes Delta, near Sacramento, the Blue Heron nesting in Lake County, and the Grunion run at the summer full moon near Cabrillo Marine museum beach at San Pedro, CA.  I think a festival is a great opportunity to travel and enjoy food, wine, music or nature.

Some of you asked whether I travel to festivals and the answer is a resounding YES! I am a travel writer and my specialty the Colorado festival scene. I don't do a lot of purely music events, in fact, I don't think I ever do purely musical events. But I do cover things like Telluride Blues & Brews in Telluride and Snowmass Mammoth Festival. Both have tons of music and beer.  :-) I LOVE festivals! Maybe someday I'll travel beyond Colorado to attend a festival, but for now, Colorado keeps me very busy.  My blog is HeidiTown.com.