23 Festivals on the Slate for 2017 (Plus A Few More From Last Year)

Introduction

There are plenty of festivals to go to in the USA, and some of them are even free! Here’s a list of 23 that we think you should check out this year.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual music festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It was co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, and is organized by Goldenvoice. The event features musicians from many genres including rock, indie, hip hop, electronic dance music (EDM), pop and more; as well as art installations and sculptures.

Coachella takes place over two consecutive weekends: April 14th through 16th of 2017; April 21st through 23rd of 2017; with a final day on April 24th if needed.

Kentucky Derby Festival

The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual event held in Louisville, Kentucky over the first weekend in May. It was first held in 1935 and has been running ever since (except for a few years during World War II). The festival includes several events that celebrate all things related to horse racing and Southern culture:

• The Pegasus Parade: This is one of the largest parades in the world! It features more than 100 units including floats, marching bands, equestrian units and celebrities such as John Calipari from University of Kentucky basketball team or maybe even Rick Pitino from Louisville Cardinals football team.
• Thunder Over Louisville: This fireworks show lasts 30 minutes with over 10,000 shells exploding at once! It’s one of most spectacular displays you’ll see anywhere else because it happens right above the Ohio River which separates Kentucky from Indiana

Star Spangled Spectacular

Star Spangled Spectacular

When: July 4, 2017

Where: National Harbor, Maryland

What Is It? This is the place to be if you want to see fireworks and music performances with an Americana twist. The event will feature live music from some of your favorite artists like Kelly Clarkson and Trace Adkins, as well as a performance by the United States Army Field Band. Plus, there are always fireworks! Who Should Go? If you’re looking for something patriotic but don’t want to travel far away from home then this festival is perfect for you! What Makes It Special? This annual celebration takes place on Independence Day weekend so it’s sure to be packed with people in red white and blue outfits having fun together! Why Should You Go? Well…because it’s America’s birthday!

Kinetic Sculpture Race

This year’s Kinetic Sculpture Race will take place on Mackinac Island, Michigan on June 30. The race, which was started in 1982, is a fundraiser for the Mackinac Island Chamber of Commerce and features teams competing to build the best human-powered art sculptures.

The event has grown significantly since its inception: it now attracts hundreds of participants from all over the world who compete in teams ranging from two to five people per team. Each team must use a minimum number of materials (including PVC pipe, duct tape, rope) to construct their sculpture within an allotted time frame (three hours). Then they’ll ride those creations across two miles of rough terrain while navigating obstacles like mud pits and water crossings–and trying not fall off!

Detroit Jazz Festival

This year’s festival will take place on Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3 and feature more than 50 headliners from across genres including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Patti LaBelle. Past performers at the Detroit Jazz Festival include Beyonce Knowles-Carter (who performed as a solo artist), Chaka Khan (who performed with her group Rufus), Diana Ross and Earth Wind & Fire.

The festival takes place in Hart Plaza along Detroit’s riverfront between Jefferson Avenue & Rivard Street near Cobo Center Convention Complex; parking lots open at 4 p.m., gates open at 5:30 p.m., shows begin at 7 p.m.; all ages are welcome — but children 12 years old or younger must be accompanied by an adult; tickets range from $10-$45 depending on day/show/section purchased

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

This year marks the 47th annual Jazz Fest, which will take place over four weekends in April and May. The event has grown from a single weekend to become one of the biggest musical festivals in America, attracting an estimated 700,000 people each year.

The festival draws performers from all genres–from jazz greats like Wynton Marsalis and Sonny Rollins to hip-hop legends like Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan. There are also plenty of local favorites like Dr. John and Irma Thomas who have performed at every single Jazz Fest since its inception!

Great North American Beer Festival (Denver)

The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is one of the biggest beer festivals in the country and takes place every year in Denver, Colorado. The event lasts three days and features more than 800 different beers from over 100 breweries across the country. Tickets are available for purchase online at gabfexpo.com/tickets or at the door if you’d prefer to skip out on waiting in line.

The 2017 festival will take place from June 8-10 at the Colorado Convention Center in Downtown Denver; General Admission tickets cost $70 each day ($80 for Friday). There are also designated driver tickets available for $20 each day ($25 on Friday).

AfroPunk Fest (Brooklyn)

AfroPunk Fest is a music and arts festival that celebrates black culture. It was founded in Brooklyn in 2005, but is now held in Atlanta as well as London. The event started out as a small party thrown by James Spooner and Matthew Morgan at CBGB’s Gallery in New York City, where they invited their friends to come listen to African American bands perform live music. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest cultural festivals worldwide with over 30 countries participating annually–and it all began with just two guys who wanted to share their passion for good music!

Afropunk Festival takes place annually during Labor Day weekend (August 31st – September 3rd). This year’s event will take place at Commodore Barry Park located at Eakins Oval & Fairmount Avenue Philadelphia PA 19130 USA . Tickets range from $10-$35 depending on which day you want them for: Friday evening only ($10); Saturday & Sunday ($20); Weekend Passes ($35). Prices include taxes but do not include service fees or shipping charges if applicable.*

Edmonton Folk Music Festival

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is a three-day music festival held in Edmonton, Canada. It has been going on since 1974 and attracts over 50,000 attendees every year. This year’s festival will be held from August 3rd to 5th at Gallagher Park, which is located in downtown Edmonton.

The lineup features around 200 performances by artists from all over the world including: Broken Social Scene (Canada), Charles Bradley (USA), Sturgill Simpson (USA), Amy Helm (USA) and many more!

Taste of Chicago

Taste of Chicago is more than just food. The annual festival takes place in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois and is one of the largest outdoor food festivals in the United States. It features live music performances by local musicians as well as national acts such as Jimmy Buffett, Train and Earth Wind & Fire. There are also carnival rides and games for kids of all ages to enjoy while they’re there!

The event was first held in 1982 but has been running annually since then except for 1987 when it was canceled due to poor weather conditions during that year’s festival season (a total of three days were missed). That being said…if you’re going to be visiting Chicago anytime soon then make sure not only check out this amazing event but also some other great ones too like Lollapalooza Music Festival which takes place at Grant Park every year around July 30th through August 2nd; Reggae Fest Chicago – another awesome music festival celebrating reggae music culture through dancehall djs/artists performing live sets throughout two days starting June 9th-10th; North Coast Music Festival which brings together artists from around both coasts along with international performers from abroad who share similar styles yet approach them differently depending on where they come from

Get outside, enjoy food and music.

There’s nothing better than getting outside, enjoying food and music. Festivals are a great way to experience the local culture and spend time with friends and family. They’re also a good way to try new things!

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of festivals and events, and that you’ll be able to check out some of them this year. If not, don’t worry–there are always new ones coming up! If there’s one thing we know about humans, it’s that we’re always looking for ways to enjoy ourselves with friends and family members. And what better way than by getting outside?