Summer Highlights in the USA: 5 Best Events Across the Country
Famous US Festivals You Won't Find Anywhere Else
The best summer events in the USA include some of the world’s most famous music festivals, sporting events, and more. The coming summer is a great time to blow off the cobwebs, get outside, and enjoy interacting with other people.
Among our list of great summer festivals and events in the USA, you’ll find a wide array of music genres represented, making it easy to find something that suits your preferences. What if your preferences do not include music festivals? Well, we’ve even got a few alternatives for you, too. Check out the list and start planning your summer fun.
1. San Francisco Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival
A parade and street fair with captivating performances
Good for: Families, Shoppers, Food
The San Francisco Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival is an exciting annual celebration held in September, featuring a parade, live entertainment, and plenty of food and drinks. The Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival) is one of the biggest holidays in Chinese culture. It’s celebrated in a very big way in San Francisco’s huge and historical Chinatown.
Most of the festival is focused around Grant Avenue, where you can enjoy a vibrant parade and a street fair of about 200 stalls. A stage is set up at the crossroads of Grant Avenue and Washington Street. Expect displays by acrobats, martial artists, dancers, and more throughout the weekend. Read more
Location: Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
San Francisco Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival
2. US Open Tennis Championships
A Grand Slam showdown with high stakes
Good for: Couples, Families
The US Open Tennis Championships is one of the most important sporting events in New York City. It’s the last of the year’s Grand Slam tournaments, so the outcome has a big impact on deciding player rankings for the following year. The stakes are high, the atmosphere is electric, and the gameplay is intense.
The US Open is one of the oldest of the world’s major tennis competitions, having first started in 1881. The two-week competition has its first serve on the last Monday of August. It takes place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. You can easily go from enjoying the action on the court to exploring New York City.
Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY 11368, USA
US Open Tennis Championships
3. Burning Man
Art and self-expression in a unique desert gathering
Good for: Nightlife, Photo
Burning Man has very rapidly become one of the most iconic festivals in the world. Only founded in 1986, it now attracts nearly 80,000 people to the temporary town of Black Rock City in the spectacular Black Rock Desert every year over the nine days leading up to Labor Day.
More than just a music event, Burning Man is a festival of art, community, and self-expression. It’s equally famous for the weird and wonderful outfits people wear (or, in some cases, the complete lack of an outfit) and the namesake wooden effigy that is burned on the penultimate night of the festival.
Location: Black Rock City, Black Rock Desert, Gerlach, NV 89412, USA
Burning Man
4. Louder Than Life Festival
Four days of rock legends
Good for: Adventure, Nightlife
Louder Than Life Festival is a rock and metal music event that rocks Louisville for four days each year. It often features stalls selling craft beer, whiskey, and gourmet food, alongside a line-up of top names in rock.
Among the headliners have been Bring Me The Horizon, Nine-Inch Nails, Slipknot, Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Given such a star-studded line-up, it’s no surprise that Louder Than Life Festival has rapidly grown in popularity since its debut in 2014, now attracting well over 150,000 people.
Location: 937 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY 40209, USA
Phone: +1 888-512-7469
Louder Than Life Festival
5. Austin City Limits Music Festival
Two weekends of diverse music and vibrant vibes
Good for: Families, Nightlife
Austin City Limits Music Festival is a huge, multi-genre music festival held over two consecutive three-day weekends in October. While Zilker Park isn’t exactly on the city limits, it’s large enough to accommodate nearly half a million attendees, as well as an exhaustive array of food and drinks, an art market, a kids’ area, and more.
Naturally, the music is the big attraction at Austin City Limits, with headliners including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink, Culture Club, Lil Nas X, and many more. Whether you like rock, folk, country, hip hop, or indie tunes, there’s almost certainly going to be at least one iconic group performing.
Location: Zilker Metropolitan Park, 2207 Lou Neff Rd, Austin, TX 78746, USA
Austin City Limits Music Festival
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