John Joe Worrall, Author at International Living Members Area

Pirate Invasions and German Glühwein

By John Joe Worrall November 2014

Start your November on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where—from October 23 to November 9—you’ll find enormous and elaborate sand sculptures filling the beach as part of the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. As many as 100 sculptures, by artists from around the world, are expected to turn the mile-plus coastal walk into an outdoor museum. In a far more formal setting, Cairo Opera House is home to the Arabic Music Festival from November 1 to 10, as some of the finest Arabic singers, instrumentalists, and ensembles in the world converge on the Egyptian capital.

Festivals Around the World: Bedouin Weddings and Pumpkin Battles

By John Joe Worrall October 2014

Douz, in south Tunisia, hosts the International Festival of the Sahara on October 1. Taking place at the gateway to the great desert, the event was founded as a camelracing festival in 1910. But you can expect horse races, poetry contests, and Bedouin weddings, as well.

Festivals Around the World: A Male Beauty Pageant and Indian Idols

By John Joe Worrall September 2014

Argentina has welcomed its fair share of Italian immigrants down through the years. So it’s fitting that natives of the southern- Italian city of Naples will celebrate the tango with the Tanotango Festival from September 4 to 7. Theaters, bars, and streets across this ancient city will be packed with dancers, demonstrations, and music. Take a visit to the Cape Coast, Ghana, on September 6 to catch Oguaa Fetu Afahye, when local chiefs dressed in traditional garb lead a procession through the streets imploring the gods to keep the town healthy.

Festivals Around the World: Costumed Elephants and Bog Snorkeling

By John Joe Worrall August 2014

The largest arts festival in the world takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, from August 1 to 25. If you haven’t experienced the Fringe Festival before, it turns almost every corner of the city into a performance space for comedians, musicians, actors, and theater groups.

Festivals Around the World: Beer-Can Boats and “the Manly Games”

By John Joe Worrall July 2014

Make your way to the Italian city of Siena for Il Palio on July 2 and witness 10 bareback riders charge through the streets as part of an ancient religious tradition. The Corteo Storico pageant precedes the race and celebrations go on long after the winner has passed the post.

Festivals Around the World: Rambles, Sacred Music, and Oil Wrestling

By John Joe Worrall June 2014

Visit the old royal capital of Kyoto, Japan, the weekend of June 1 for Takigi O-Noh to celebrate Japan’s ancient musical-theater traditions at the city’s Heian Jingu Shrine. Burning torches illuminate the stage and the costumed performers. Across the East China Sea, the Dragon Boat Festival in Xiamen, China, falls on June 2. Gorge on sticky-rice snacks, watch the race, and place a rice parcel in the water in memory of ancient poet Qu Yuan.

Festivals Around the World: Museums by Night and Antelope Hunting

By John Joe Worrall May 2014

Begin the month in Scotland’s Spey Valley where, as part of “Whisky Month,” the Spirit of Speyside Festival runs from May 1 to 5. Tastings, workshops, and even a guide on how to properly photograph a “wee dram” of whisky are all on the schedule.

Festivals Around the World: War Birds, King’s Day, and Witches Night

By John Joe Worrall April 2014

Sitting alongside the banks of the River Garonne in southwest France, the red-tile-roofed city of Toulouse hosts its annual Flamenco Festival from April 1 to 15, with local venues filled with music and dance throughout. Another marathon-length event to consider begins its 18-day run in Jaipur, India, on April 2.

Ski Jumps and Caribbean Crab Racing: Festivals Around the World

By John Joe Worrall March 2014

Not the safest religious tradition we’ve ever heard of, but the Fire Wheel Festival in Sinca Noua, located near the city of Brasov, Romania, does sound like quite a sight. Celebrating the start of Orthodox Lent on March 3, the village asks its young men to roll hay wheels to the top of a local hill before each wheel is set alight. What follows is a true feast with music, drinking, and dancing.

Flamenco, Opera and Warrior Dancers

By John Joe Worrall

In northwest Africa the village of Kartong, Gambia, hosts the Kartong Festival February 7 to 9. Traditional dance, music, and street performances, as well as local arts and crafts, are part of the event, which includes cook-offs and feasts. From February 7 to March 1, the Perth International Arts Festival in Western Australia will sate your appetite for the art.