“It is a season of festivities in Bhutan, and we had a chance to visit two of them in different places while we are here.
The celebrations usually happen in the courtyards of fortresses called dzongs. But this festival at Wangdue Phodrang was organized in an open space, since the fortress was destroyed in a fire few months ago.
This image shows monks performing cham dances during the festivals. These dances are traditional rituals of Vajrayana Buddism. The highly structured dances contain different purposes, such as warding off evil, imparting messages on Buddhist priniciples, etc.”
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Since 1898, the Paris Motor Show has been one of the most important car shows around. Even as European carmakers prepare for problems with labor, sales and a dismal financial future, the latest models are on display right now with each manufacturer putting their best on display for the world to see. But we don’t have to fly across the pond for much of the latest and greatest that the auto industry has to offer. Auto shows scattered around the United States offer a first look at a complete range of domestic and imported passenger cars and trucks, sport utility vehicles and experimental or concept cars.
The Sacramento International Auto Showis coming up October 19-21 at the Cal Expo featuring hundreds of the brand new 2012 and 2013 cars, mixed in with vehicles spanning over a hundred years of the automotive industry. Four on-site Ride and Drives and two kid zones and the Sac Auto Show has something for everyone.
The South Florida International Auto Show runs November 9-18 at the Miami Convention Center. This one too has Ride & Drive events and this year includes Camp Jeep, offering auto show visitors off-road driving courses to demonstrate the legendary 4×4 capabilities of Jeep vehicles. Trained instructors will drive participants over a variety of surfaces such as steep grades, rocky trails and log crossings. Traditionally, 665,000 people visit the auto show each year, which has an estimated financial impact on the local economy of over $50 million.
The Connecticut International Auto Show open Friday through Sunday the weekend of November 2, will have factory and dealer representatives from the car lines on hand to answer questions in a no pressure environment. More of a buyer-focused show, cars to suit every budget and life style will be there, all under one roof to make comparing prices and features easy.
The Los Angeles Auto Show is one of the longest shows, this year open from November 28 through December 9, and for good reason. Packed with unique events, displays, areas just for children and a yearly “challenge” to the auto manufacturers, the LA Auto show draws a lot of attention. This year, for example, their challenge asks automotive design studios to create a highway patrol vehicle that meets the requirements of a specific region’s transportation and societal conditions in 2025.
The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in America, held more times than any other auto exposition on the continent. This year marks the 105th edition of the Chicago Auto Show that first started in 1901. Showcasing nearly 1,000 different vehicles, attendees will also have the opportunity to see the latest accessories and auto-related exhibits, competition vehicles and project, antique and collector cars. The event runs Saturday, February 9 through Monday, February 18.
Car shows are not all about new cars and technology either. Antique car shows feature the classic designs and bring back memories of yesteryear, like this recent show in Boston.
This year, we at Gadling have made a pledge to ban a certain phrase from our posts, one that refers to a particular activity that happens (often in New England) around October, when tourists drive around to photograph trees. Still, it’s hard to resist a good autumnal photo of flora. Today’s Photo of the Day does a great job of capturing the mood of the season without a single bit of foliage in sight. Taken by Flickr user Jason Rodman (his second POTD this week, nice!) in Basel, Switzerland, the image depicts a much-loved activity of the yearly fall fair. The people flying above him along with the flags even remind us of the annual shedding of organic material. Who’s ready for a hot gluhwein? This year’s Herbstmesse takes place October 27-November 12.
Send us your favorite seasonal travel photos for another Photo of the Day. Add them to the Gadling Flickr pool and be sure that we can download!
Fall festival season is in full swing now, getting people out and about on the crisp autumn weekends. Some festivals are annual events across town, others take a road trip or weekend getaway to see. In the United States, many have a common theme that includes pumpkins, hay and cider somewhere along the way. In other parts of the world, annual festivals at different times of the year offer a measure of tradition and have been held for decades. Others are just plain odd but they bring some of the most fun that distant lands have to offer.
Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival
Coming up in October, Thailand has the Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival, marking the end of Buddhist Lent. During the festival, the people of Sakhon Nakhon gather in a celebration, which includes a Wax Castle procession, longboat races and cultural performances. Originally using beeswax to make different kinds of flowers, attached to banana tree trunks, today’s festival features castles, temples and shrines paraded around the city showcasing local skill and wisdom.
The Battle of Oranges
Basically a huge food fight, the Battle of Oranges is a festival in the Northern Italian city of Ivrea, which includes a tradition of throwing of oranges between organized groups. During the three-day Orange hurling brawl, the city will go through 50,000 cases of oranges (about 400 tons) as townspeople will get dressed up to re-enact a Middle Age battle. Those dressed as Middle Age kings’ guards, throw oranges at others dressed as foot soldiers as thousands of people gather to watch.
The Night of the Radishes
Mexico has their Day of the Dead festival held in November, a centuries-old tradition that honors those who have died with a walking procession through town in a Mardi Gras sort of way. The Night of the Radishes comes in December and is an exhibition of sculptures made from large red radishes especially grown for this event. It is held only in Oaxaca, Mexico, which is the name of both a state in Mexico and that state’s capital city. Winners get their photo published in the local paper and win a prize, but the festival has more than a century been a focal point of Christmas celebrations in Oaxaca.
World Bodypainting Festival
The World Bodypainting Festival is an annual festival happens in Austria. The week-long painting fest is the biggest annual event of the body painting culture and community, drawing the best body painting artist teams and models as well as thousands of visitors, from all over the world. The artists compete in many categories from brush and sponge to airbrush and special effects. There is a World Facepainting Award and a special award for special effects face make up. Artists use mostly volunteer male or female models as they wish and female models can go topless if they want.
International Bognor Birdman
The International Birdman is a series of two competitions held in West Sussex, England, that have human ‘birdmen’ attempting to fly off the end of a pier into the sea for prize money. The competition brings serious aviators mainly flying hang-gliders and people in costume with little or no actual flying ability, raising money for charity. Initially, there was a prize of £1,000 for anyone who could travel beyond 50 yards but over time that increased to £30,000 for reaching 330 feet.
“Man vs. Wild” host Bear Grylls will teach ten lucky (or deep-pocketed) fans his famous survival techniques during the first Bear Grylls Survival Academy in Scotland this November.
Much like his television show, the adventure will require participants to test their land and sea survival skills as well as a series of adventure tasks. The culminating test? A 36-hour wilderness expedition that involves tasks like making a fire in the pouring rain, building emergency shelters, foraging for food and river crossings.
“So many people have asked me over the years where they can learn extreme, practical survival – the type that requires spirit, determination and the skills to self-rescue against the odds, in some of the harshest terrain around,” saids Bear Grylls in a release. “Oh, and it may hurt a little.”
In 2013, Grylls plans to expand the course to Scotland, the United States and Africa.
On completion, enrollees will receive a badge, certificate and a Bear Grylls Ultimate Gerber knife. The price for this torture experience? A cool £2,999 per person (excluding flights).