Austin may claim bragging rights for music, but fun is a global phenomenon. There’s no better opportunity to tap into the heart and soul of a city than by seeing how — and what — the locals celebrate. From a down-home country fair to a capital-city extravaganza, here are seven more get-togethers that get us going.
Anchorage: In the summer months, Anchorage lures outdoor types with abundant opportunities to fish, hunt, and explore. In January, there’s only one draw — The Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival. For two days, locals congregate downtown at the Egan Convention Center, shirking the bleak outdoors to warm their spirits with samples of more than 250 craft beers and barley wines. This is not a frat boy beer bust — industry experts from around the world attend. The potent brews will make you see the Northern Lights in double. To work up a thirst for the festivities, hit the slopes at the nearby Alyeska Ski Resort.
St. John’s: Every year, North America’s oldest continuously run sporting event, the Royal St. John’s Regatta, kicks off on the first Wednesday of August. Since 1826, rowing crews have competed while thousands cheer them on from the pastoral shores of Quidi Vidi Lake. The event’s motto is, “Let the contest be governed by tradition,” but these days it’s as much about frolic as it is about sport. Locals listen to live music, play games of chance, and browse and indulge in goods from hundreds of concessionaires. After the races, the crowd fills the pubs along lively George Street, celebrating well into morning.
Puebla: If you’re a fan of Mexican cuisine, note the Chile in Walnut Sauce Festival, held every August in this Spanish-colonial city. Highlights include a largest-chile competition, presentations from culinary experts, ample tastings, and, of course, heaping helpings of chiles en nogada. The dish, inspired by the Mexican flag, consists of a meat-stuffed poblano chile (green) bathed in walnut sauce (white) and topped with pomegranate seeds (red). Burn off the calories by exploring the 17th- and 18th-century architecture that fills El Centro Histórico, Puebla’s beautiful historic district.
Sacramento: Mark Twain’s 1865 story about a California Gold Country fair still has legs. 
The Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee takes place annually on the third weekend in May, in Angels Camp, a small, mother-lode mining town amid rolling hills less than two hours from Sacramento. More than 3,000 frogs jump in heats throughout the four-day fair. The judges measure for longest distance over three jumps (the record is 21.5 feet), and the winning frog jockey gets $750. A livestock auction, horseshoe throws, live music, and hundreds of exhibits round out the program.
Cleveland: The world’s third-longest running car race happens every July in Akron, just 30 miles outside Cleveland. It’s the All-American Soap Box Derby, a weeklong event featuring champions aged 8 to 17 from cities around the world. Race week begins with a parade down Main Street. Competitors and their families enjoy royal treatment every step of the way through Saturday, when all eyes turn to the track at Derby Downs. World champions, crowned in three divisions, earn trophies, scholarship money, and a prized golden champion’s jacket. Then it’s off to Strickland’s Frozen Custard for a taste of Akron’s favorite ice cream.
Edinburgh: At least five festivals coincide each August in Edinburgh, creating such a hodgepodge of culture that one would be hard-pressed not to find something of interest. The Edinburgh Festival is the catch-all name the locals use to describe all the activity. The genesis for the events that now draw millions to Scotland’s hilly capital was the Edinburgh International Festival, a celebration of opera, music, theater, and dance that first took place in 1947. Festival Fringe evolved shortly thereafter, providing what has become the world’s largest showcase for performers and comics. A military tattoo festival, book festival, and film festival also contribute to the madness.
Manila: Islands, beaches, and rainforests — not movies — are what come to mind when one thinks about the Philippines. But organizers of the Cinemanila International Film Festival aim to change that by putting the city of Makati (just outside Manila) on the map with Cannes, Sundance, and other major film festival locales around the world. Established in 1999, Cinemanila aims to nurture independent moviemaking. From August 4—16, attendees will enjoy feature-length films and shorts from filmmakers in Asia, Europe, Australia, and South America.
— Adam Kleiner
Getting There: All the destinations covered in “The List” can be reached by flying Continental Airlines. To book your vacation to these and other destinations, visit Continental Airlines Vacations at covacations.com.
