Unique local festivals you must experience

An annual event in October when people take to the streets of Valletta to celebrate the arts and culture – with cultural walks, and buildings that are usually closed to the public open to visitors, museums and other cultural places that are open for free, and a motley crew of musical performers providing entertainment on the streets and squares of the capital city. Valletta as never seen before.

Life in Barcelona tends to be lived on the streets a lot. Every neighbourhood worth its salt has its own street fiesta, but the one in Gràcia takes the cake. It takes place in August and lasts for two weeks. A dozen streets get decorated with an insane amount of creativity.

Terra Cotta is another spot that allows you to explore the Niagara Escarpment. Their festival includes a fun informative booklet for kids to use when exploring the sugar bush. The pond also delights little ones and ducks swim around serenely, searching for food.

Fireworks flood the streets and smoke fills the air during Fallas, the festival in March where hundreds of wooden sculptures are placed in squares and burned, while men and women dress in spectacular silk and gold outfits. No one knows exactly when it began, but some point to carpenters in the Middle Ages who burned excess wood on the eve of their patron saint. Mascletá is one of its most-loved (and loudest) events. Every day of the festival at 2 pm an ear-splitting firework display takes place at the town hall. Join the crowds at the Plaça de l’Ajuntament and feel the explosions rattle your bones.

This 11-day event in September is something that every New Yorker has done at least once. Mulberry Street turns into a carnival of sorts with musical acts, games, and authentic Italian eats. A religious procession honors the saint rumored to have survived the flames of a fiery furnace.

This is the most important contemporary arts festival in Portugal, and one of the biggest in Europe. During 50 non-stop hours, the Festa (party) includes hundreds of events for all ages such as music, dance, theatre, contemporary circus, art shows, film and numerous workshops. Entry is free and locals love taking part

It started out in 1969 as a small festival with a few local bands on a makeshift stage. Now the Gentse Feesten is the biggest street festival in Europe, attracting more than two million revellers. People come for the music, the beer, but most of all for the wild atmosphere that lasts ten days and nights, beginning on the Friday before the 21 July Belgian national holiday.