Once every four years, the Winter Olympics and soccer’s World Cup grab the headlines, but there are plenty of events to interest nonsports fans, too, from food fights to gondola races.
Check out our annual calendar for the top places to be during the coming year.
January
1: Pasadena, Calif. — Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl Game. Gary Sinise is grand marshal for a formidable flotilla of floats.
6-20: Lima, Peru, to Cordoba, Argentina — Dakar Rally. Off-road vehicles tackle the Peruvian dunes in the 40th edition.
14-20: Valletta, Malta — Cultural Capital of Europe Opening Ceremonies. Malta shares a yearlong reign with Leeuwarden, Netherlands.
18-28: Monte Carlo, Monaco — International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo. Big top’s top performers compete for the Golden Clown award.
26 to Feb. 4: Salzburg, Austria — Mozart Week. Nearly 30 concerts make up the musical tribute at the annual Mozart birthday bash.
February
2-19: Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec — Winterlude. Ice Hog family hosts winter wonderland (40th edition).
4: Minneapolis — Super Bowl LII. Justin Timberlake takes the snap at halftime.
9-25: Pyeongchang, South Korea — Games of the XXIII Winter Olympiad. New Olympic challenges include snowboard big air and mixed doubles curling.
13: New Orleans — Mardi Gras. The Crescent City, celebrating its tricentennial in 2018, blows its final toot on Fat Tuesday.
16: Hong Kong — International Chinese New Year Night Parade. Dancers and drummers unleash the Year of the Dog.
March
9-18: Pyeongchang, South Korea —XII Paralympic Winter Games. Athletes from 50 nations go for the gold.
20 to April 15: Washington — National Cherry Blossom Festival. Blossom Kite Festival and fireworks provide lift at capital’s annual spring fling.
22-25: Seattle — Taste Washington. Over 200 Washington wineries pop their corks at the Grand Tasting March 24-25.
23-25: Denver — Denver March Powwow. Intertribal dancers make sure the beat goes on.
30 to April 22: Budapest, Hungary — Budapest Spring Festival. 38th edition focuses on classical music and traditional arts.
April
4: Memphis — 50th anniversary remembrance of the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination. Culmination of yearlong commemoration.
4-15: Gold Coast region, Australia — XXI Commonwealth Games. Lawn bowls lead the way as 70 nations compete.
13-15; 20-22: Indio, Calif. — Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Beyonce headlines eclectic mix of sight and sound.
21-28: Virginia, statewide — Historic Garden Week in Virginia. More than 250 sites welcome visitors to “America’s Largest Open House.”
23-29: Tankwa, South Africa — AfrikaBurn. Africa’s answer to Burning Man, complete with mutant vehicles.
May
1-6: San Antonio — San Antonio 300 Commemorative Week. Alamo tercentennial brings on fireworks and flyovers.
5: Chincoteague Island, Va. — Chincoteague Seafood Festival. 50th edition menu includes the crowd favorite: little neck steamed clams.
12: Napier, New Zealand — Hawke’s Bay International Marathon. Vineyard-festooned runs finish at Sileni Estates Winery.
24 to June 3: Hay-on-Wye, Wales — Hay Festival. Book town features big-name authors, plus artists, performers.
25-27: Ennis, Texas — National Polka Festival. On the Czech list: bands, costumes, downtown parade.
June
7-10: Manchester, Tenn. — Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Round-the-clock entertainment and camping extravaganza attracts 80,000.
7-10: Metropolis, Ill. — Superman Celebration. Man of Steel’s “hometown” holds 40th annual Kryptonite-free weekend. (www.supermancelebration.net)
14 to July 15: 11 cities, Russia — FIFA World Cup. Ultimate soccer shootout concludes with top two teams in Moscow.
16: New York — Mermaid Parade. Art parade pays homage to all things Coney Island.
27 to July 1; July 4-8: Washington — Smithsonian Folklife Festival. African, Armenian and Catalonian cultures celebrated on National Mall.
July
5-8: Winnipeg, Manitoba — Winnipeg Folk Fest. Some 75 artists fill nine stages with world music and more.
7-29: Pays de la Loire, France, to Paris — Tour de France. Cyclists pedal their way to the Champs-Elysees. (www.letour.fr/en)
18-21: Fairbanks, Alaska — World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. Indigenous athletes compete in knuckle hop, ear pull and blanket toss.
21-22: Farnborough, England — Farnborough International Airshow. Over 150 aircraft wing it at this massive flight show.
20-22; 27-29: Boom, Belgium — Tomorrowland: The Story of Planaxis. Huge electronic music fest looks to the future.
August
4-12: Paris — Gay Games 10. Inclusiveness rules as sports meet the arts.
9-18: Skowhegan, Maine — Skowhegan State Fair. Two-hundred-year-old fair offers grandstand shows, tractor pulls and a midway.
17 to Sept. 2: Helsinki, Finland — Helsinki Festival. Finnish spin on the arts encompasses dance, music and modern circus.
26: Chicago to Edwardsville, Ill. — Illinois bicentennial Route 66 motorcycle ride. The governor leads a rally celebrating the state constitution’s 200th birthday.
29: Bunol, Spain — La Tomatina. Tomatoes fuel “the world’s biggest food fight.”
September
2: Venice — Historical Regatta. Competing gondoliers splash out on the Grand Canal.
6-16: Toronto — Toronto International Film Festival. Downtown theaters screen 400 films, with the People’s Choice Award on the line.
12-16: Hershey, Pa. — America’s Largest RV Show. Lineup of camping vehicles fills the space of 33 football fields.
14-30: West Springfield, Mass. — The Big E. Daily parade of Mardi Gras floats epitomizes this New England tradition.
27-30: Barnesville, Ohio — Barnesville Pumpkin Festival. Gourd gala goes gaga for contests in pie eating and hog calling.
October
5-6: Geilo, Norway — Norwegian Food Festival 2018. Ski resort satisfies the palate.
6-18: Buenos Aires — Youth Olympic Games. Teens take their turn, competing in 32 sports.
26-28: Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach, Del. — Sea Witch Festival. Costume contest casts spell over beach fest. (www.beach-fun.com)
27-28: Florence, Ala. — Alabama Renaissance Faire. Medieval madness with minstrels, dulcimers and damsels in distress.
31: West Hollywood, Calif. — West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. Street party with a decidedly risque twist.
November
9-11: Wickenburg, Ariz. — Four Corner States Bluegrass Festival. All strings are pulled at this bluegrass blowout.
12 to Dec. 20: Oahu, Hawaii — Triple Crown of Surfing. All a-board on the North Shore.
22: New York — Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Celebrated balloons loom large en route from Central Park West.
26 to Dec. 22: Frankfurt, Germany — Frankfurt Christmas Market. Bells ring out on the Romerberg and St. Paul’s Square.
28 to Dec. 2: Portland, Ore. — Holiday Ale Festival. Fifty-plus winter beers cure what “ales” you.
December
10-17: Konya, Turkey — Whirling Dervishes Festival. Spinning Sufi devotees honor medieval poet Rumi.
15: Fort Lauderdale — Winterfest Boat Parade. “Greatest Show on H2O” spans 12 miles.
24: Cambridge, England — Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Daylong queue leads to century-old observance in King’s College Chapel.
25: Washington Crossing, Pa. — Re-enactment of Washington crossing the Delaware. Future first president proves his mettle as military leader.
30 to Jan. 1, 2019: Edinburgh, Scotland — Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. New Year’s do closes with Loony Dook (a dip in the freezing River Forth).
Always check in advance, because dates and details are subject to change.
Margaret Backenheimer is a freelance writer.
