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January 1, Rose Bowl Parade
in Pasadena California draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and is televised across the USA. New Years day is traditionally the time for the great college football playoff matches and the most famous is held in this suburb of Los Angeles. The Rose Bowl football match is preceded by a magnificent parade featuring spectacular floats constructed exclusively out of flowers and flower petals.
January 18 - 28 Sundance Film Festival
This US version of the Cannes Film Festival features some of the finest new and experimental works by young filmmakers. It is held in Park City, Utah.
February 4, Super Bowl Sunday
The grand championship playoff match of the National Football League, is always held in one of the southern USA sun-belt cities or in a large indoor football arena. This year it is in Detroit, Michigan and will feature a playoff match between the two top football teams plus spectacular entertainment including performances by Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones. Tickets are extremely hard to get and usually cost over $1000 per seat. Most people across the USA are satisfied to attend a local Super Bowl Party where they can eat and drink with their friends while cheering for their favorite team.
February 18 Daytona 500 Race
This famous auto racing classic is the first major racing event of the 2006 NASCAR season with its 500 mile race in sunny Dayton Beach Florida. The equally popular Las Vegas Nascar race will be held on March 11.
February 20, Mardi Gras in New Orleans
The last weeks prior to the solemn religious season of Lent is normally marked by a frenetic party in New Orleans, Louisiana. The celebration begins about a week before and continues with grand parades, entertainment and nightly parties escalating through the last weekend and culminating with a final blast on "Fat Tuesday", Feb 28. The devastation created by hurricane Katrina left this grand old city much damaged and in the midst of massive repair, but they have decided to maintain their old tradition, and go on with the annual celebration this year.
February 27 - March 18, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
A month-long extravaganza of country music entertainment, livestock exhibits and traditional rodeo competition in the great state of Texas.
March 17, Saint Patrick's Day
This day of commemoration for the patron saint of Ireland is an occasion for celebration among all Irish Americans. Every US city with a substantial Irish American population will have a grand parade and an evening of revelry and drink. New York City and Boston have the largest and most renown celebrations.
March 12 - March 31 Spring Break in Florida
Universities and colleges across the USA normally give their students a break from classes during this period. Hundreds of thousands of the students flock to Florida for wild orgies of beach partying. Favorite destinations are Daytona Beach and Panama Beach.
March 6, Calle Ocho Festival Miami Florida
This ethnic street fair is held on Eighth Street at the heart of "Little Havana" in Miami Florida. It features a huge variety of festivities including latin entertainment, an array of ethnic foods and open-air street markets. The Calle Ocho festival has become the largest Hispanic heritage festival in the USA and usually ends with the largest open-air dance party in the USA.
April 26 -28 Gathering of Nations Indian Powwow
in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This largest gathering of Native American tribes features a fantastic array of Indian culture including drumming, dancing, singing and story telling. Many Native American tribes will be represented by singers and dancers dressed in traditional dance attire and performing their unique dances and songs.
May 5 Kentucky Derby Horse Race
The 133nd annual running of the Kentucky Derby horse race will be held at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville Kentucky. Culminating a week of festivities, this horse race attracts an immense crowd for a grand weekend party.
May 27, Indianapolis 500-mile Race
will be held at the historic Indianapolis, Indiana Speedway. This is the premier race for the specially designed high-speed racing vehicles known as the Indy Racing Machines. Pre-race action begins on the preceding two weekends with the main event on Sunday attracting several hundred thousand spectators. Ticket cost between $50 and $100 for reserved seating. Camping is available at some of the parking lots.
August 6 - 12 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
The little cowboy town of Sturgis in the Black Hills of South Dakota expands its population by many times as several hundred thousand motorcycle riders congregate for a weeklong party. This is the premier event for Harley Davidson motorcycle riders and many thousands of classic HD motorcycles and custom "choppers" can be seen cruising on main street.
August 27 - September 3, Burning Man Festival
The isolated barren Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada will once again sprout its perennial fantasy metropolis of Black Rock City. This huge counter-culture event usually features a full-blown city of improbable structures, fascinating art installations and strange events that attract thousands of participants and spectators at one of the wildest and most imaginative happenings in the USA.
October 31 Halloween
Children all across the USA dress in costumes and prowl their neighborhoods seeking candy treats while many cities and towns host costume parades. The best parades are found in New York City's Greenwich Village and in San Francisco where the large gay communities turn out in elaborate and outlandish costumes.
November 22 Thanksgiving Day
Macy's department store in New York City hosts a huge parade to mark the beginning of the yearly Christmas shopping season. It has enormous tethered balloons of famous cartoon characters, marching bands and entertainers. This is one of the largest and most famous parades in the USA.
December 6 - December 15 National Finals Rodeo
Las Vegas Nevada hosts the grand championship of professional rodeo competition. The best professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls compete for cash prizes and grand championships in traditional rodeo sports.
December 31 New Years Eve parties
There will be New Years Eve parties all across the USA, but the most famous celebration occurs in Times Square of New York City where hundreds of thousands of revelers gather in the frigid outdoors to welcome the New Year. Las Vegas also hosts a huge party with its outdoor celebration and fireworks display on the famous Las Vegas Strip. Another favorite spot to celebrate is at Disney World in Orlando Florida.
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