Making travel plans for May? Don’t miss these six festivals going on around the world.
Kentucky Derby, Louisville, Kentucky, May 3
Break out your biggest derby hat or your most dapper bow tie for the annual Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. Head to Louisville to watch the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” sing along to “My Old Kentucky Home” and spend the evening partying Southern-style with mint juleps and bourbon all around.
Cinco de Mayo, Various locations, May 5
Bars and Mexican restaurants across the country will be slinging tequila and tacos all weekend long in the name of Cinco de Mayo, but noteworthy U.S. fiesta cities include Los Angeles, New York City, San Antonio and Chicago.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival, Hong Kong, May 3-7
Buddha’s birthday is celebrated throughout Asia this month, but for some of the best festivities head to the Hong Kong island of Cheung Chau. The Cheung Chau Bun Festival is filled with parades, stilt walkers and costumes, all leading up to the main event: a bun scramble where participants climb up bun-covered towers in a race to grab as many buns as possible.
Vegas Uncork’d, Las Vegas, May 8-11
Celebrity chefs and master mixologists will gather in Sin City this May for a four-day foodie extravaganza featuring unparalleled culinary creations. Expect familiar faces like Mario Batali, Giada de Laurentiis and Bobby Flay to appear for intimate dinners, cooking demonstrations and all-around feasting.
Thrissur Pooram, India, May 9
The elephant takes center stage during Thrissur Pooram, one of India’s top annual festivals. Thirty of these gentle giants are decorated with fine golden headdresses and other ornaments, then celebrated during a grand procession that includes a parade, folk dancing, music and fireworks.
Cheese-Rolling Festival, Gloucestershire, England, May 26
Sure, you love cheese — but do you love it enough to go tumbling down a hill in pursuit of it? If so, plan on heading to England at the end of the month for the annual Cheese-Rolling Festival, where the dairy-doting public is encouraged to chase after a 7-pound wheel of Gloucestershire cheese for bragging rights and the grand prize: the cheese wheel, of course.
(Main image: laszlo-photo)
