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A Western New York tradition for 40+ years, Christmas in the Country fills multiple halls at the Hamburg Fairgrounds. It’s a huge indoor artisan market—ideal for early holiday shopping—featuring hundreds…
Set in Bethlehem Pennsylvania —nicknamed ‘Christmas City’—Christkindlmarkt is one of the USA’s most authentic German‑style Christmas markets. Across six festive weekends, heated tents at SteelStacks fill with acclaimed artisans, hand‑blown…
Sheltered from winter weather, the Grand Central Holiday Fair offers a polished, design‑forward take on holiday shopping inside the landmark terminal. Vendors are carefully selected for quality—from jewellery and leather…
The Columbus Circle Holiday Market brings a refined, European feel to the base of Central Park, with aisles of artisan designers, gourmet bites and seasonal gifts. It’s smaller than Union…
Union Square Holiday Market Every holiday season, Union Square Park in Manhattan becomes home to the beloved Union Square Holiday Market. Organised by URBANSPACE Pop Up Markets, the market features over 185 vendors…
Bryant Park’s Winter Village is New York’s most expansive festive marketplace, with more than a hundred boutique ‘jewel box’ kiosks around a free‑to‑skate rink. The setting, tucked behind the New…
The SoWa Winter Festival returns 28 November–28 December 2025 inside the soaring, brick‑and‑steel SoWa Power Station. Expect 125+ makers, specialty bars, live entertainment and photo‑ready décor across multiple floors. It’s…
The Seaport Holiday Market at Snowport has quickly become Boston’s flagship festive bazaar, assembling more than 100 local makers and tasty pop‑ups along the waterfront. Expect artisan jewellery, candles, art…
Running since the 1980s, the Harvard Square Holiday Fair is a juried, indie craft market that pops up over two December weekends. Expect a rotating roster of New England makers—textiles…
The Michigan Irish Music Festival is a three-day ceilidh, held by the waterfront in the sleepy little town of Muskegon, which borders Lake Michigan, is a real hoot of an…
From the Day of the Dead to Christmas markets and Thanksgiving, November is a month that celebrates the emergence of winter. Here is our selection of the best festivals in…
Why does a small city in American’s Deep South keep winning awards like ‘Number 1 U.S. Travel Destination’ ‘Best Food Destination’, ‘Friendliest American City’ and ‘Best Place for U.S. History…
Each September, the skies above Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley burst into colour as the Snowmass Balloon Festival takes flight. Now in its 50th year, this beloved tradition has become one…
As summer draws to a sultry close, the Florida Keys are preparing to raise a margarita—or perhaps two—in honour of the man who helped put them on the map. Just…
Travel Begins at 40 has produced its own brief round-up of the best festivals in August around the world from Colombia to Nevada and Utah to Notting Hill. Cultural Festivals…
Indigenous wisdom in the USA is deeply rooted in a profound connection to nature, community and spirituality. This holistic approach to life emphasises balance, respect and harmony with the world…
Oprah Winfrey has conquered the worlds of television, publishing and streaming — but cherry blossoms? Utterly disastrous. In 2023, she postponed a trip to Japan, waiting for the perfect bloom…
If you’re a live music lover planning your summer adventure, Lollapalooza Chicago 2025 is an unmissable highlight. Set in the heart of the city at the stunning Grant Park, this…
The Sedona Yoga Festival is a transformative event held annually in Sedona, Arizona. Taking place from Thursday, 1 May to Sunday, 4 May 2025, it offers attendees an immersive experience…
The Spring Joshua Tree Music Festival is a family friendly, immersive and rejuvenating independent event in the heart of California’s stunning desert. From 15 to 18 May 2025, festival-goers will…
Vegas, Hawaii, Nashville and, of course, Graceland, Memphis – these are destinations many an Elvis fan has firmly in their pilgrimage sights, or indeed, has visited multiple times. Yet there’s…
Travel Begins at 40 rounds up the best festivals in March 2025 across the globe, from Wales to Colombia, with cherry trees, loads of Guinness and even some frozen dead…
A Texan Spectacle Like No Other Every spring, Houston transforms into the epicentre of cowboy culture as it hosts the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. What began in 1932 as…
Whether you call it the carnival, Mardi Gras or simply a fête, the approach of Lent brings with it a wonderful explosion of colour and exuberance. Travel Begins at 40…
The USA has dominated much of the western world both culturally and economically from the beginning of 20 century. With so much diversity of scenery and culture Americans often choose to holiday and travel in their own country. This vast country has the third largest land mass in the world, only superseded by Canada and Russia.
Washington DC is the capital of the USA and the seat of government. French architect, Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed the city to capture the grandeur of the architecture in Paris and Versailles. It is an alluring experience to walk from The Washington Monument to The Capitol, 1.2 miles in all, especially in Spring when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. The Smithsonian Museums, Washington Union Station, The Lincoln Memorial, The Kennedy Centre and The Capitol are musts to visit.
A stunning city in Northern California, San Francisco has it all with its world famous trams traversing the most sheer gradients and its seafood on Fisherman’s Wharf. Try to visit the sea lions on Pier 39, take in some jazz in one of the many venues and definitely walk along the water’s edge to the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge.
It is seemingly impossible to over-estimate the influence that Hollywood has had on Western culture. You can relive your movie experience by visiting Universal, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures and Disney Studios.
Festivals are one of the best ways to really appreciate the great diversity – and sometimes contradictions – of this big nation. From the traditional Kutztown Folk Festival in Pennsylvania to the cutting-edge Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and to the ecentric Frozen Dead Guys Festival, there rally is something for everyone. And of course there is the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Check out our Festivals page for more details.
