Some of the best things in life are free – much like these events around the world this month. All you have to do is get there…
By Jessica Keller
Nuit Blanche, 1 October, Paris – See the City of Lights in a new light, as Paris hosts its 14th annual all-night art fair. Hundreds of one-off, free-to-see artworks, musical performances and theatrical events pop up for one night all across the French capital, from 7pm on Saturday until 7am Sunday morning, organised by coordinators into routes for easy viewing; there will even be a kids’ route this year, focusing on environmental awareness. Making things even easier, public transportation stays open all night long, as do many restaurants serving small plates to keep you going. sortiraparis.com [Photo: bruno collinet/Flickr]
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Until 2 October, San Francisco – Open-air concerts, fields full of picnickers, and thousands arriving by bicycle? But we thought summer was over! Not in San Francisco, where summer arrives late and October is a warm, sunny month perfect for heading to Golden Gate Park to hear big-name bluegrass and country stars belt it out at a free 3-day public concert – the brainchild of late billionaire Warren Hellman who dreamt up and then bankrolled the whole event. hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/ [Photo: Andrew Whalley/Flickr]
Melbourne Festival, 6-23 October, Melbourne – Not your average hoity-toity arts affair reserved for the initiated, Melbourne’s annual creativity fest opens its doors to anyone and everyone with an enquiring mind, offering an array of free or almost-free events. Leaving no corner of the visual or performing arts unexplored, the festival features dance, music, theatre, art exhibitions and more. festival.melbourne [Photo: Sarah Walker]
Berlin Festival of Lights, 7-16 October, Berlin – Light artists from around the world descend upon the German capital to provide a whole new perspective on the city’s famous landmarks and monuments. From the Brandenburg Gate to the Reichstag, encompassing everything from audiovisual spectacles to water and sound installations, Berlin changes shape when the sun goes down. The best way to take it all in? Join one of the many different “lightseeing” tours. berlin-leuchtet.com [Photo: © Agentur Baganz]
Autumn Takayama Matsuri, 9-10 October, Takayama (Japan) – This centuries-old festival numbers among the most beautiful and impressive in Japan. At its focal point are 11 intricate floats – or yatai – created by master artisans and presided over by dancing wind-up marionettes from the 19th century. Festival-goers can “um” and “ah” over the floats during the daytime viewing sessions, but attending the evening procession is imperative: illuminated by hundreds of cochin lanterns, the yatai are paraded through town as the marionettes perform to traditional music. [Photo: Robert Young/Flickr]
Thimphu Tshechu, 11-13 October, Thimphu (Bhutan) – Bhutan goes all out for its most important annual Buddhist festival, in which a variety of performances – from plays to masked dances – are held at the imposing Tashichho Dzong temple. This 3-day event is meant to honour Padmasambhava, aka Guru Rinpoche, the Buddhist saint who brought the religion to Bhutan. tourism.gov.bt
MassKara Festival, 14-18 October, Bacolod City (Philippines) – Smiles are usually a (very welcome) festival side-effect, but at MassKara, they’re the main event. Ironically, the festivities were born during a particularly trying time centuries ago, when the sugar cane harvest was suffering badly – and so were the people who depended on it. Their solution? Keep smiling and hope for the best. This determination to see the sunny side of life shines through today in the parades, street parties, beauty pageants and firework displays that have everyone grinning from ear to ear. [Photos: Bill Lopue/Flickr]
Bridge Day, 15 October, Fayetteville (West Virginia, USA) – Get a complimentary dose of adrenaline at what organisers call “the world’s largest extreme sports event”, a title earned by inviting more than 450 (experienced) BASE jumpers to take the plunge from America’s second-highest bridge (265m), as over 200,000 onlookers watch with bated breath. The most exciting part? Watching the creative ways these daredevils do it, from using a trampoline as a launching pad, to swan diving from a diving board – one couple even said “I do” before taking the ultimate leap of faith. Bonus: this is the only time pedestrians are allowed on the bridge, which offers stunning views over the New River Gorge. officialbridgeday.com
Bloomsbury Festival, 19-23 October, London – If you’re into attending live musical performances, taking informative walking tours, enjoying inventive art exhibitions and paying little to nothing for the privilege, then this festival is not to be missed. The roster of events spans comedy, film, poetry, music, storytelling, theatre – even a street party with dances from around the world (audience participation encouraged) – all for less than the price of your morning latte. bloomsburyfestival.org.uk [Photo: Frieda Eichhorn]
Fantasy Fest, 21-30 October, Key West (Florida, USA) – Forget Halloween: Florida’s tropical epicentre for party animals throws the biggest, longest, most raucous costumed extravaganza you’ll ever see. Take to the infamous Duval Street, which runs north-south from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, for a lively street fair and the official Fantasy Fest Parade, featuring elaborate floats and irreverent costumes. Or don your own outlandish digs and join the Masquerade March – part street parade, part moving cocktail soirée that stops along the way for complimentary drinks. Most events are free and free-spirited …just maybe leave the kids at home. fantasyfest.com [Photo: Rob O’Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO]
Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, 28-31 October, Cork (Ireland) – Some of the world’s most beloved jazz musicians and over 40,000 of the genre’s biggest fans head to Cork this autumn for an overwhelming array of concerts, street performances, workshops, lectures and more. Some of the headlining events are ticketed, but there’s plenty on offer that’s not: check out the “Guinness Music Trail”, where free performances are held in pubs and venues across the city, as well as a series of guest appearances and clinics hosted by the jazz luminaries themselves. guinnessjazzfestival.com
Thrill Day, 29 October, Various Cities Internationally – Take your love of Michael Jackson and all things zombie to the next logical level and join in Thrill Day, in which thousands of the “undead” gather in cities around the world for an annual attempt to break the world record for “Largest Simultaneous Dance” …with the legendary “Thriller” dance. Participation is free, but donations are encouraged and proceeds go to a local charity designated by the organisers of each city’s event. Learn the dance via online tutorial videos, and find the closest Thrill Day event near you: thrilltheworld.com [Photo: Vancouver Film School/Flickr]
The Village Halloween Parade, 31 October, New York City – Take the hectic and spectacle that is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, then add New Yorkers in all manner of creative costumery for an event that unites the city in lighthearted revelry. The parade features professional bands, dancers and puppeteers, but its real beating heart are the tens of thousands of costumed denizens and visitors who simply show up to join the parade – this is, after all, the city’s largest public participatory event. halloween-nyc.com [Photos – Left and Middle: Dan Do Chong, Right: Stephen Leong]
La Calaca, 31 October – 2 November, San Miguel de Allende (Mexico) – Looking for more culturally oriented Halloween festivities? Head to Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende, where Dia de Los Muertos is observed with an artistic twist. Musical performances, live art installations, cemetery tours, costumed processions, all-night parties – there’s no wrong way to remember the dead and reflect on our inescapable mortality, while also celebrating the beauty of life.
Bimhuis Jazz Workshop & Session, Every Tuesday in October, Amsterdam – Amsterdam’s premier concert venue for jazz and improvised music lets its hair down every Tuesday for free workshops and jam sessions, with this month marking the 100th edition of the event. Attend as a musician to sharpen your improv skills on stage, or simply sit in as a spectator and enjoy the unrehearsed live show. Alternatively, put on your dancing shoes and join the free Monday improv dance lab, where professional dancers and musicians team up to cut a rug – à la Dancing with the Stars – before the floor opens for audience members to show what you’ve got. bimhuis.com [Photo: Paul van Riel]
There’s never a dull moment if you know where to look – check out these other events taking off this month around the world, from a Matchmaking Festival in Ireland, to human towers in Spain and an offbeat EDM shindig in South Africa.
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