We may be headed into August, but summer’s not over yet! This month is packed with events that should be on your radar for a last-minute summer getaway. Here’s a look at the month’s top trip-worthy events from around the world.
International Beer Festival, Berlin, Germany, Aug. 2-4
Sure, Oktoberfest gets all the glory as Germany’s be-all, end-all answer to beer festivals, but don’t rule out the brews at the International Beer Festival, held on the first weekend in August. The numbers themselves are impressive: 2,000 beers, 320 breweries and 86 countries come together to create the Berlin Beer Mile, where you’re sure to find a brew or two to suit your tastes. Prost!
Summer Sonic, Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, Aug. 10-11
Japan’s mega rock festival brings the summer tunes to both Tokyo and Osaka this August, featuring the same headliners — including Metallica, Linkin Park, Muse and the Smashing Pumpkins — at both locations on the same weekend. How do they do it? Saturday’s headliners in Tokyo head down to Osaka to perform on Sunday, and vice versa for Osaka’s headliners. The result? A heavy-hitting rock celebration you can soak up from two of Japan’s biggest cities.
Elvis Week, Memphis, Tenn., United States, Aug. 10-17
Pay your respects to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll at this week-long Elvis celebration at Graceland in Memphis. Music, panels, moving screenings and an Elvis tribute artist contest set the stage for this ultimate Elvis pilgrimage. One of the event highlights is the candlelight vigil at Graceland, when the gates are opened to any and all Elvis fans who’d like to visit the King’s gravesite with a candle in hand. The event is so popular, it often runs through the early morning hours to let everyone who shows up visit the grave.
Esala Perahera, Kandy, Sri Lanka, Aug. 11-21
The lavish Buddhist festival of Esala Perahera overtakes Kandy, Sri Lanka with elephant parades, fire dancing and Buddhist celebrations. Sri Lanka’s grand and colorful display celebrates the Sacred Tooth Relic, believed to be a tooth from the Lord Buddha himself. The 10-day festival offers visitors a festive look at Sri Lanka’s Buddhist processions and cultural dances.
Qi Xi, China, Aug. 13
Also known as the Double Seven Festival or the Seven Sisters Festival, Qi Xi is the Chinese equivalent to Valentine’s Day. Legend has it that star-crossed lovers Niulang, a cowherd, and Zhinu, the seventh daughter of a goddess, were torn apart after Zhinu’s mother discovered she had married a mortal. The goddess carved a river in the sky to keep them apart (the Milky Way), but on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, all the magpies on Earth fly to the heavens to create a bridge for the lovers to meet once again.
Burning Man, Nevada, Aug. 26-Sept. 2
Nevada’s Black Rock Desert transforms into a self-reliant community focused on creative expression during the annual Burning Man event in late August. Incredible art installations are constructed and camp communities are created just as quickly as they vanish without a trace during this week-long event. Expect awe-inspiring vehicle decorations, quirky costumes and a healthy dose of nudity.
La Tomatina, Spain, Aug. 28
Who said you shouldn’t play with your food? At the end of August, the small Spanish town of Bunol erupts in what could be considered the world’s biggest food fight (also one of our Top 10 outlandish food festivals) as tomatoes are hurled back and forth, coating both participants and Bunol’s streets in red sauce. The event kicks off with ambitious attendees trying to knock a ham down from a greasy pole. Once the pig flies, all bets are off.
(Main image: gibffe used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)
