Your Month-by-Month Guide to the Most Exciting Cultural Events in the U.S. in 2026

This story is part of Afar’s America 250 coverage, which includes articles, podcasts, and social media storytelling. We also have recommendations for the best food to try in every state, epic adventures in every state, and 52 unexpected places to travel in the U.S. this year.

As the U.S. kicks off a yearlong 250th birthday celebration, every state (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico) is putting its most creative foot forward. Festivals, concerts, museum exhibits, and cultural events offer endless reasons to hit the road, discover new voices, and celebrate local traditions.

Some highlights? Santa Fe’s Traditional Spanish Market turns 100, Philadelphia launches its citywide arts festival ArtPhilly, South by Southwest in Austin hits the big 4-0, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas unveils a major expansion. Whether you’re chasing live music, exploring immersive art, or uncovering community heritage, this guide will help you plan a year of experiences that are as diverse as the states themselves.

Courtesy of Visit Mobile

January

Utah: Sundance Film Festival

• January 22–February 1, sundance.org

Sundance returns to Utah one last time this January, closing out a nearly 50-year chapter in the mountains where the festival first took root in 1978. It’s the first edition since founder Robert Redford’s death, adding a bittersweet note to a moment when the indie film world is in flux—yet Sundance’s influence remains unmistakable. More than 90 feature films and 50 shorts will premiere in Park City, and the hunt for the next breakout hit will be as fierce as ever. Early buzz centers on Olivia Wilde’s star-packed dark comedy The Invite, as well as Cathy Yan’s The Gallerist, a sharp satire featuring Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega. The festival will also honor Redford’s legacy with special tributes and a celebration at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley supporting the Sundance Institute’s year-round work with independent artists. Next year, the festival decamps to Boulder, Colorado, but for now, Park City still holds the spotlight.

Nevada: National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

• January 26–31, nationalcowboypoetrygathering.org

Since 1985, ranchers, bull riders, and wranglers with a penchant for rhyming couplets and free verse have clambered to Elko, Nevada, for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Simply called “the Gathering” by its devoted attendees, it promises a week of readings, performances, workshops, and dances celebrating western culture and its rich legacy of storytelling. If you’ve never saddled up, don’t fret: The event is open to cowboy-curious city slickers too.

Alabama: Mardi Gras

• January 30–February 17, mobile.org

Long before New Orleans made Mardi Gras famous, Mobile, Alabama, was celebrating it: America’s oldest Carnival tradition dates back to 1703, and the city still throws one of the most spirited, welcoming, and history-rich parties in the country. From early January through Fat Tuesday, Mobile comes alive with weeks of parades, masked balls, royal coronations, and the delightfully quirky rituals of its mystic societies (similar to NOLA’s parade-throwing krewes). Families line the streets for elaborate floats, marching bands, and to catch plenty of “throws”—beads, stuffed animals, and, famously, Moon Pies—while nighttime processions light up the oak-lined avenues. The final weekend (February 12–17) is the can’t-miss time, especially Joe Cain Day (February 15), a locals’ favorite honoring the figure who revived Mardi Gras after the Civil War, with a freewheeling, community-led parade.

Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250"

• Throughout 2026, si.edu

For America’s 250th birthday, Washington, D.C.—and especially the Smithsonian—will be the country’s cultural center. In 2026, the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250 initiative brings a yearlong surge of exhibitions, festivals, and events that together reexamine the nation’s ideals and the people who have shaped them.

The National Museum of American History leads the charge with In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness (opens May 14), a sweeping, three-floor exhibition featuring 250 landmark objects, including the desk at which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture will highlight the essential role of Black Americans in the country’s history and celebrate its 10th anniversary in September, while the National Museum of the American Indian examines how the country’s founding impacted Native communities.

Major art openings round out the anniversary year. The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden reopens in fall 2026 after a dramatic revitalization, and the National Gallery of Art debuts a suite of exhibitions, including Mary Cassatt: An American in Paris (February 14–August 30) and American Icon: The U.S. Flag in Art (June 6–December 6). At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Nick Cave: Mammoth (February 13, 2026–January 3, 2027) offers an immersive encounter with sculptural “fossils” and a video that reimagines the ancient creatures.

Photo by Florian Wehde/Unsplash

February

New York: Broadway’s New Season

• Various dates, Broadway.org

Spring is Broadway’s busiest season: Many shows try to open in time to woo Tony Award voters before the nominations are announced in late April or early May—which means it’s a perfect time to plan a theater trip. This year, a slew of celebrities will take to the stage to prove their mettle.

The Bear’s Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach join forces for a new adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon (previews start March 10) while their TV costar Ayo Edebiri teams with Don Cheadle, Samira Wiley, and Jin Ha for a revival of David Auburn’s Tony-winning play Proof (previews begin March 31) Taraji P. Henson makes her Broadway debut alongside Cedric the Entertainer in a revival of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (previews begin March 30), and Luke Evans will take his first bow on the Great White Way in Sam Pinkleton’s production of Rocky Horror Show (previews start March 26). Daniel Radcliffe, now a Broadway veteran with five shows and one Tony Award under his belt, will make magic with his first one-man show, Every Brilliant Thing (previews begin February 21).

Delaware: “Living Indigenous” at the Delaware Art Museum

• February 28–August 23, delart.org

In 2026, the Delaware Art Museum is partnering with the state’s only Native American museum, the Nanticoke Indian Museum, for its new exhibition Living Indigenous. Showcasing Native artists living in or connected to Delaware, the exhibition invites intergenerational creators to explore what it means to be Indigenous during the nation’s 250th anniversary. The celebration continues on April 11 with the museum’s fifth annual Powwow of Arts and Culture, a free, family-friendly gathering that brings together members of 15 tribes for a day of traditional dance, music, children’s art activities, food vendors, and a marketplace of 20 Indigenous artisans.

Photos by El Omar

March

Washington: Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest at the Seattle Art Museum

• March 5–August 2, seattleartmuseum.org

Long cast as “mystics,” early 20th-century artists of the Pacific Northwest—namely Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Kenneth Callahan, and Guy Anderson—were often framed as solitary visionaries, inspired more by nature and spirituality than by the modern world around them. Featuring more than 150 works, Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest complicates that narrative and presents a fuller portrait of Northwestern modernism—one that moves past the myth of mysticism to reveal artists deeply engaged with the social, environmental, and cultural realities of their time.

Texas: South by Southwest

• March 12–18, sxsw.com

South by Southwest turns 40 this year, and Austin is marking the milestone with a reimagined, one-week edition that brings all of its core events—music, innovation, film, and TV—together for the first time. With the convention center under renovation, SXSW will take over downtown with new industry “clubhouses,” pop-up venues, and seven full nights of music showcases. The result: a more integrated, serendipity-driven SXSW, where you can move from a tech and AI panel to a buzzy indie film to a breakout set from an artist you’ve never heard of, all in the same night. Highlights include the world premiere of the Boots Riley film I Love Boosters and a music kickoff party headlined by the All-American Rejects. As always, discovery is the soul of SXSW, and 2026’s first wave of showcasing musicians spans from Indonesian indie-pop band Grrrl Gang to Brooklyn lo-fi folk singer Hudson Freeman.

Puerto Rico: Circo Fest

• March 14–15, circofest.com

Founded in 2014, Circo Fest has grown into Puerto Rico’s largest street-performance festival—an exuberant blend of traditional circus arts and modern street theater, all set against the pastel facades and historic fortifications of Old San Juan. On March 14 and 15, more than 80 free performances by circus artists, acrobats, musicians, and street performers from around the world will pop up across the city’s plazas and cobblestone streets, drawing thousands to watch aerialists soar over crowds, clowns improvise with passersby, and fire dancers light up the night. The celebration continues March 16–22 with the Mini Gira, a touring week that brings the festival’s playful chaos to towns across Puerto Rico.

Idaho: Treefort Music Fest

• March 25–29, treefortmusicfest.com

“Music” may be in its name, but Treefort Music Fest is about so much more than that. Each March the Certified B Corp festival takes over downtown Boise in a celebration of creativity and community, with more than 500 artists sharing their talents across 25 venues and 14 “forts.” On top of music headliners including Geese, Magdalena Bay, and Father John Misty, this year’s Comedyfort welcomes Hannibal Buress and Joe Pera; Storyfort hosts writers such as Sam Lipsyte and Kimberly King Parsons; and Kidfort has the band Ants Ants Ants, plus crafting and games (kids 12 and under get in free). This year’s fest also introduces Treefort Market, a maker’s fair with more than 70 booths of art, crafts, and vintage goods.

Photo by Wileydoc/Shutterstock

April

North Carolina: Charlotte Shout!, Artsplosure, and AVLFest

• April, May, August, visitnc.com

Why not spend your spring and summer bouncing from one North Carolina arts festival to the next? In April, head to Charlotte for Charlotte SHOUT! (April 3–19), a 17-day extravaganza with more than 200 art installations, performances, events, and activations highlighting the city’s creative spirit. In May, make your way to Raleigh for Artsplosure (May 16 and 17), where you can shop the wares of more than 175 juried artists and craftspeople, see live music, and nosh on food from local vendors. Finally, August 6–9 sees the much-anticipated return of AVLFest in Asheville, which was forced to cancel last summer due to Hurricane Helene. In 2024, the citywide music festival welcomed more than 200 local, regional, and national bands across 16 venues; while 2026 details are still TBD, it’s expected to be the biggest iteration yet.

Illinois: “Windfall” at Steppenwolf Theatre Company

• April 9–May 31, steppenwolf.com

One of the country’s leading theater companies, Chicago’s Steppenwolf commenced its 50th anniversary season in September. This spring it will offer up the world premiere of Windfall, a new drama about grief and justice by company member and Oscar-winning writer Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight). Considering how many Steppenwolf productions end up on Broadway—including two this season, Bug (starring Carrie Coon) and Little Bear Ridge Road (starring Laurie Metcalf)—think of this as your chance to see the play before it blows up.

Arizona: VIVA PHX

• April 15–20, vivaphx.com

Downtown Phoenix will come alive in April with the return of VIVA PHX, a festival that’s part block party, part creative summit. What began in 2014 as a scrappy one-day music festival has evolved into a six-day convergence of music, art, food, and innovation, built on collaboration. The 2026 edition leans even more into community: The first two days bring talks, art exhibitions, culinary showcases, and industry meetups, followed by two nights of free concerts across downtown venues. (The lineup is TBD; past years have welcomed the likes of Halsey and Freddie Gibbs.) In partnership with ASU Pop Music (an Arizona State University program), the festival will also include a music-industry career conference, offering panels and workshops for emerging creators.

Louisiana: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

• April 23–May 3, nojazzfest.com

Each spring, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival turns the Fair Grounds Race Course into the beating heart of the city—a sprawling, two-weekend celebration of the music, food, and culture that define Louisiana. This year expect 13 stages of nonstop sound, with performances that span genres, including jazz, gospel, blues, Cajun, zydeco, R&B, rock, funk, and the countless hybrid styles born right here. The 2026 lineup includes the likes of Stevie Nicks, David Byrne, Lorde, Jon Batiste, and Alabama Shakes, but the real magic lies in the unexpected—an electrifying brass band in a side tent, a gospel choir lifting the roof. Equally essential is the food: crawfish bread, muffulettas, cochon de lait po’ boys, beignets. . . . Have you booked your ticket yet?

Photo by Nathaniel Willson/Chihuly Studio (L); Courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (R)

May

Indiana: The Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis

• Opening May 1, camindy.org

Indianapolis is already a fine museum city, home to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, the world’s largest children’s museum, and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. May 1 sees the arrival of the Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis, or CAMi, located in a former dairy factory. The debut exhibit will feature Puerto Rican painter Ivelisse Jiménez, and all exhibits will be free to the public. CAMi will encompass a five-acre campus that includes the 40,000-square foot museum, an art park, a radio station, the 10-year-old Tube Gallery, artist studios, and 18 affordable homes for artists.

Michigan: “Chihuly at Meijer Gardens”

• May 1–November 1, meijergardens.org

This spring, the Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids debuts Chihuly at Meijer Gardens, transforming its outdoor paths and indoor galleries with monumental glass forms by Dale Chihuly, one of the world’s most influential glass artists. Wander through gardens punctuated by colorful, towering sculptures and site-specific installations that blend seamlessly with the setting, then head inside for Chihuly: Radiant Forms, a ticketed exhibition tracing more than 40 years of the artist’s playful, otherworldly work.

Courtesy of Junkstock

Nebraska: Junkstock

• May 1–3, 8–10, October 2–4, 9–11, junkstock.com

What began in 2012 as one woman’s quirky dream in a rented chicken coop has grown into one of the country’s top vintage festivals. Founded by Omaha local Sara Alexander, this biannual celebration brings together more than 250 vendors, a dozen live bands, 30 food trucks, and an estimated 30,000 visitors on Sycamore Farms, a century-old horse farm of 180 acres outside of Omaha and now lovingly tended by Alexander and her family. The festival has become a pilgrimage for treasure hunters and makers from across the country—even Willie Nelson came once—and you’ll find just about anything you can imagine: midcentury furniture, repurposed jewelry, old concert tees, reclaimed wood art, bird houses made of oil cans, 1950s Polaroid cameras, and much, much more.

Vermont: Bookstock

• May 15–17, bookstockvt.org

Set on the village green in Woodstock, Bookstock—aka Vermont’s Festival of Words—returns in 2026 with its signature blend of literary star power and small-town charm. While this year’s lineup is still under wraps, the festival traditionally gathers bestselling authors, rising voices, and even Pulitzer Prize winners for a weekend of readings, conversations, hands-on workshops, children’s activities, and partner exhibitions. One beloved highlight: Bookstock’s giant used-book sale, with thousands of almost-new and delightfully old volumes—from first editions to unexpected finds—spread out under a huge circus tent.

Colorado: “Still in Sound” at the Clyfford Still Museum

• May 16, 2026–January 10, 2027, clyffordstillmuseum.org

One of the world’s best single-artist museums, Denver’s Clyfford Still Museum is home to nearly everything the abstract expressionist created—which means it can mount totally new exhibits often. This spring co-curators Bailey Paczek and Ben Coleman combine painting with music, enlisting five sound artists—Maria Chávez, Maya Dunietz, Kalyn Heffernan, Matana Roberts, and Michael Schumacher—to create original pieces to accompany specific Still works. The exhibit is meant to be a fully immersive and multisensory way to experience Still’s art. (For another art-music combo come October, head next door to the Denver Art Museum to see Diva, an exhibit organized by London’s Victoria & Albert Museum with costumes and objects from a range of top performers, including Marilyn Monroe, Prince, and Maria Callas.)

Courtesy of Spoleto Festival (L); courtesy of Explore Charleston (R)

South Carolina: Spoleto Festival

• May 22–June 7, spoletousa.org

This year, Spoleto Festival USA celebrates its 50th season, marking half a century of bringing world-class performance to Charleston each spring. For 17 days, the city’s historic theaters, churches, and outdoor spaces host more than 150 events spanning opera, theater, dance, jazz, and chamber, orchestral, choral, and contemporary music. Founded in 1977 by composer Gian Carlo Menotti as the American counterpart to Italy’s Festival of Two Worlds (held in the town of Spoleto), this U.S. version has built its reputation on intrepid programming—producing its own operas, reviving rarely staged works, and spotlighting both world-renowned performers (last year saw Patti Smith, Mavis Staples, and Branford Marsalis) and rising talents.

Maryland: Artscape

• May 23 and 24, artscape.org

Artscape is Baltimore’s biggest arts weekend, a citywide surge of creativity and community power. Now more than 40 years strong, the festival is newly rooted in downtown as part of the city’s Downtown Rise Initiative, turning underused streets and plazas into stages, galleries, and gathering spaces. Expect big-name performers (past headliners include TLC and Chaka Khan) along with an expanded slate of programming: The Scout Art Fair spotlights emerging artists; Beyond the Reel presents film screenings and panel discussions; and there’s also immersive public art and a massive artisan market featuring more than 90 makers.

Pennsylvania: ArtPhilly

• May 29–July 4, 2026, artphilly.org

Philadelphia is pulling out all of the stops for America’s 250th birthday, including launching a new—and set to be recurring—citwide arts festival, ArtPhilly. The inaugural theme, “What Now,” looks squarely at the nation’s past while challenging artists and audiences to imagine its future through theater, dance, music, digital work, and large-scale visual art. Featuring more than 30 performances, exhibitions, and public art projects over five weeks, the festival will be staged across Philadelphia’s historic landmarks and powerhouse institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Highlights include a new play by Anna Deavere Smith and a collaboration between the Black Music City Residency and the Museum of the American Revolution.

Oklahoma: Route 66 Capital Cruise

• May 30, visittulsa.com

Tulsa is the officially designated Capital of Route 66—yes, that’s trademarked—thanks to its 28 miles of the historic highway coursing through its city limits. To celebrate the Mother Road’s 100th anniversary, it’s hosting the Route 66 Capital Cruise on May 30, a world-record attempt to become the largest classic-car parade in history. Thousands of pre-1996 vehicles will rumble down a 5.5-mile stretch, turning the centennial into a rolling, roaring tribute to American car culture. (Have a vintage vehicle and want to join in on the action? Register here!) The birthday party will continue all weekend, with live music, vendors, and Route 66–themed programming. Even a simple drive will feel like a visit to an open-air gallery, as you take in vintage neon signs, large-scale murals, roadside sculptures, and public art installations. And the neon will be burning brighter than ever, thanks to the city’s Neon Sign Grant Program, which is helping local businesses restore and install signs that capture that quintessential retro vibe.

North Carolina: Charlotte Shout!, Artsplosure, and AVLFest

• See April.

Photo by Jamie Kelter Davis

June

Minnesota: Prince: 10th Year Anniversary Celebration of Life

• June 3–7, paisleypark.com

April 21 will mark 10 years since the death of Prince, the most polymorphous, poly-talented musical genius of the latter 20th century. To honor his Royal Purple Badness, the Prince estate will host a five-day “Celebration of Life” festival set to take place at Paisley Park, his home-turned-museum in Chanhassen, as well as at locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Paisley Park has hosted an annual Celebration since 2017, and while details for the 2026 event are still scarce, you can expect music, panels, screenings, and the opportunity to hear songs from Prince’s storied vault of unreleased music.

Florida: GayDays Orlando

• June 4–7, gaydays.com

GayDays Orlando turns 35 this June, and the celebration is bigger and bolder than ever. What started in 1991 as a simple call for LGBTQ+ visitors to wear red at Walt Disney World has grown into a five-day takeover of Orlando’s theme parks and nightlife. Expect park days filled with flashes of red; nights packed with drag shows, concerts, and pool parties; and marquee events like the Miss GayDays Pageant—all centered at the DoubleTree by Hilton at SeaWorld, the festival’s official hub. It’s part reunion, part Pride warm-up, and entirely a joy-soaked celebration of visibility, community, and queer fun.

Arkansas: “Keith Haring in 3D” at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

• June 6, 2026–January 25, 2027, crystalbridges.org

Bentonville, the home of Walmart, has benefited from a glow-up beyond the campus of its famous box store headquarters. The Walton family has recently invested in outdoor recreation here (including the development of a 70-mile mountain-biking trail network), and it has long supported the arts—perhaps most notably with the creation of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which will debut a massive 114,000-square-foot expansion this June, almost doubling its size. And it’s celebrating with a bold exhibit of pop artist Keith Haring’s rarely shown three-dimensional pieces. Haring is best known for his graphic prints—co-opted by beaucoup brands, from Pandora to H&M over the years—but this exhibit highlights his work as a sculptor. More than 200 works will be on display, including skateboards, masks, boomboxes, and, most notably, a 1963 Buick Special that doubled as a canvas for his signature squiggly figures.

Wisconsin: Summerfest

• June 17–July 4, summerfest.com

Summerfest isn’t just big—it’s the world’s largest music festival, a nine-day, three-weekend takeover of Milwaukee that’s been packing the shores of Lake Michigan since the late ’60s. Now in its 58th year, the 2026 edition kicks off early with a special June 17 concert from Garth Brooks before rolling into a diverse, blockbuster lineup that includes Ed Sheeran, Styx, and Post Malone, among the 600 artists performing across a dozen stages. When you’re not racing to catch your next favorite band, take a ride on the Skyglider chair lift for a view of the massive crowds, and dig into festival fare, everything from birria egg rolls to funnel-cake pork sandwiches.

Courtesy of Rhode Island Pride

Rhode Island: Rhode Island PrideFest

• June 20, prideri.org

This June Rhode Island PrideFest celebrates 50 years of LGBTQ+ visibility and community in the heart of Providence. What began in 1976 as a grassroots march of fewer than 100 people has evolved into New England’s largest Pride celebration, now drawing more than 50,000 daytime attendees and another 70,000 for its signature Illuminated Night Parade. The after-dark procession—one of the country’s few nighttime Pride parades—floods downtown Providence with glowing floats and high-energy performances. By day, PrideFest hosts concerts, drag shows, and New England’s largest LGBTQIA+ marketplace and business expo, featuring more than 200 vendors and nonprofits. There’s also a dedicated Kids Zone with programming from the Providence Children’s Museum.

Kansas: Country Stampede

• June 25–27, countrystampede.com

For 30 years, Country Stampede has united midwesterners with some of the biggest names in country music, and this year’s festival is no different. Headliners Rascal Flatts, Treaty Oak, and Zach Top (the 2025 CMA New Artist of the Year) will take the stage at the Azura Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, just west of Kansas City, joined by a number of rising talents. The festival offers a range of camping options for fans who want to stay right on site.

Iowa: The Des Moines Arts Festival

• June 26–28, desmoinesartsfestival.org

The Des Moines Arts Festival transforms the capital’s downtown each summer, filling the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park (framed by the distinctive Renzo Piano–designed Krause Gateway Center) with creative energy. As the state’s largest cultural event, it brings together 200 juried artists from across the country, along with live music, theatrical performances, a film festival, interactive art experiences, and live demonstrations. Best of all, this vibrant celebration of the arts is completely free.

Massachusetts: Solid Sound Festival

• June 26–28, solidsoundfestival.com

Since 2010 the band Wilco, led by singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy, has taken over the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams for its Solid Sound Festival, a low-key and family-friendly celebration of music, art, and comedy. (Tweedy has described it as “a festival that we wouldn’t be miserable at.”) The setting, in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains, is about as spectacular as the lineup. This year’s highlight will be Wilco and Billy Bragg performing their entire 1998 album Mermaid Avenue—on which they set unearthed Woody Guthrie lyrics to music—live for the first time ever.

Photo by Michele Stapleton/Bowdoin International Music Festival (L); photo by Tim Greenway (R)

Maine: Bowdoin International Music Festival

• June 27–August 8, bowdoinfestival.org

Founded in 1964, the Bowdoin International Music Festival has made Brunswick, Maine, a global hub for classical music each summer. From late June to early August, more than 250 exceptional students from over 20 countries study with distinguished faculty and guest artists from top conservatories. For audiences, the festival means a vibrant concert season of more than 200 events—175 of them free—ranging from intimate chamber music recitals and master classes to full orchestral concertos and community performances in museums, breweries, churches, libraries, and world-class facilities like Bowdoin’s Studzinski Recital Hall.

Connecticut: International Festival of Arts & Ideas

• June dates TBD, artidea.org

Each June, New Haven comes alive for the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, a 15-day celebration of creativity, curiosity, and conversation. The festival brings together performing arts, lectures, guided tours, and public dialogues designed to do more than entertain; its guiding mission is to “provoke the mind.” Last year’s 30th anniversary festival saw performances by saxophonist Joshua Redman and members of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the premier of a new play from A Broken Umbrella Theater, a discussion with chef Jacques Pépin, and much more. Expect more than 150 events; most of them will be free.

Photo by Cody Downard

July

Wyoming: Grand Teton Music Festival

• July 2–August 15, gtmf.org

The Grand Teton Music Festival is embarking upon an adventurous 65th summer season as its home, Walk Festival Hall, undergoes renovation. The festival will “camp out” across Jackson Hole with seven weeks of world-class music in unexpectedly intimate and scenic spaces. The Festival Orchestra anchors the season with performances at the Jackson Hole High School Auditorium and a series of outdoor concerts, including an opening celebration on the Center for the Arts Lawn and another in Teton Village with sweeping mountain views. Chamber concerts return through the Benoliel Series, while the Gateway Series brings energetic Broadway, choral, and folk programming to town. And as always, GTMF musicians will spill out into the community with more than 100 free events, from pop-up shows at parks and local businesses to family programs.

North Dakota: Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library

• Opens July 4, trlibrary.com

Opening July 4, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is redefining how we engage with a president’s legacy. Set in Medora at the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, TRPL will blend immersive exhibits with the dramatic landscape that shaped Teddy himself. Designed by renowned architecture firm Snøhetta (the Oslo Opera House, the National 9/11 Memorial) to fit in seamlessly with its Badlands setting, the library features a living prairie roof, restored native plants, and miles of trails that encourage visitors to embrace Roosevelt’s “strenuous life.” Inside, interactive experiences invite you to “run your own presidency” and test your leadership skills and nature knowledge. Programming will include a TR Talks Speaker Series, conservation workshops, and family storytelling labs that will deepen the connection between civic responsibility and daily life.

Montana: Under the Big Sky

• July 17–19, underthebigskyfest.com

Can’t decide if you want to go to a rodeo or a musical festival? Under the Big Sky delivers on both. Located on a 400-acre ranch in Whitefish—the gateway to Glacier National Park—this festival wins the award for most awe-inspiring setting. Mountains serve as the backdrop to the two stages, which this year welcome huge names in country, folk, and Americana: Chris Stapleton, Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen, Of Monsters and Men, and many more. In between sets, watch saddle bronc riding and barrel chasing events or visit the petting zoo.

New Mexico: Santa Fe Traditional Spanish Market

• July 25 and 26, traditionalspanishmarket.org

Santa Fe’s Traditional Spanish Market observes its 100th year on the historic Plaza in 2026, celebrating a century of preserving and showcasing the Hispanic-heritage arts of northern New Mexico. First organized in 1926 to support and sustain Spanish-Colonial craft traditions, the free, open-air event now brings together more than 150 juried adult artists and youth apprentices working in time-honored forms, such as bultos (wooden saint sculptures), retablos (devotional paintings), and colcha embroidery (often featuring flowers and animals).

The market draws upwards of 70,000 visitors, who shop for crafts, watch artist demonstrations, sample regional foods, and enjoy live folklórico and flamenco performances. Sticking around Santa Fe a while? Also check out the Santa Fe Indian Market (August 15 and 16), featuring works by more than 1,000 Native artists representing more than 200 Tribal Nations in the United States and Canada.

Kentucky: “Paula Nadelstern: Master of Symmetry” at the National Quilt Museum

• July 31–December 30, quiltmuseum.org

A UNESCO Creative City, Paducah, in western Kentucky, is home to the National Quilt Museum, the world’s largest museum dedicated to quilt and fiber art and a must-visit for anyone interested in the craft. This summer sees the opening of Master of Symmetry, an exhibit honoring the work of Paula Nadelstern, the first quilter to have had a solo show at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. Nadelstern takes inspiration for her dramatically beautiful, intricately patterned quilts from kaleidoscopic images.

Photo by The Mat-Su Alaska/Tom Bol

August

South Dakota: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally & Buffalo Chip Music Festival

• August 7–16, sturgis.com

Every August, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally turns this small Black Hills town into a roaring city of nearly half a million riders—one of the world’s largest and most storied motorcycle gatherings. What began in 1938 as a single race organized by Clarence “Pappy” Hoel and the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club has evolved into a weeklong celebration of motorcycle culture, with scenic rides past Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, bike shows, stunt events, beard and mustache contests, and hundreds of vendors selling everything from helmets to custom leather goods. Just outside town, the legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip campground hosts the rally’s biggest nightly soundtrack. For 2026, headliners include Lynyrd Skynyrd (August 11) and Lainey Wilson (August 12), anchoring a festival known for mixing classic rock, country powerhouses, and high-octane performances under the South Dakota sky.

Alaska: The Alaska State Fair

• August 21–September 7, alaskastatefair.org

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026, the Alaska State Fair is the Last Frontier’s most beloved end-of-summer tradition. Last year’s fest drew more than 300,000 people to Palmer, an hour north of Anchorage, to marvel at giant pumpkins, peer at Pioneer Peak from the top of the Ferris wheel, cheer on bull riders, and rock out at the Borealis Concert Series. This year, alt-rock band Cake and ’80s hair-metal heroes Twisted Sister are already confirmed to perform.

Missouri: Festival of Nations

• August dates TBA, festofnations.com

Each summer, St. Louis’s Tower Grove Park becomes a vibrant global gathering place during the Festival of Nations, the city’s largest celebration of immigrant culture. Produced by the International Institute of St. Louis (a refugee-support organization founded in 1919), the free, all-ages event brings together more than 150 vendors representing 80 countries—think Bosnian burek, Colombian arepas, Kenyan baskets, Ecuadorian crafts, and more. Two stages keep the energy high with nonstop music and dance. It’s a lively weekend that spotlights the communities who have shaped St. Louis for more than a century—and reminds residents and visitors alike that no culture here is foreign.

North Carolina: Charlotte Shout!, Artsplosure, and AVLFest

• See April.

Photo by Yi-Chen Chiang/Shutterstock

September

Hawai‘i: Aloha Festivals

• September (dates vary by island), alohafestivals.com

Hawai‘i’s Aloha Festivals mark their 80th year this September, celebrating the islands’ spirit with a month of music, dance, and tradition. What began in 1946 as “Aloha Week” has grown into the largest Hawaiian cultural celebration in the USA, with more than 100 events across the six major islands. On Oʻahu, visitors can witness the re-creation of the Hawaiian Royal Court procession at the Opening Ceremony, wander Waikīkī’s huge Hōʻolauleʻa block party, and watch the Floral Parade glide down Honolulu’s Kalākaua Avenue in a colorful procession of pāʻū riders (women wearing long skirts on horseback), hula performers, and flower-draped floats. Staged by thousands of volunteers and grounded in Hawaiian heritage, the Aloha Festivals are a joyful, statewide tribute to the people, history, and living culture of the islands.

Mississippi: Booker Fest

• September 4–6, 100menhall.com

Over Labor Day Weekend each year, Booker Fest presents a soulful, community-centered tribute to piano legend James Carroll Booker III. The historic 100 Men Hall—a landmark on the Mississippi Blues Trail—serves as the festival’s heartbeat, honoring the town of Bay St. Louis where Booker learned to play long before he became the “Bayou Maharajah.” This year’s edition also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Blues Trail, adding extra resonance to a venue where Gulf Coast musical history is still very much alive. Expect a lively weekend of performances, dancing, a documentary screening, and coastal food, all toasting the enduring pull of Booker’s music.

Virginia: Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

• September 11–13, bristolrhythm.com

Straddling the Virginia–Tennessee state line—State Street literally marks the divide—Bristol proudly calls itself the Birthplace of Country Music, thanks to the landmark 1927 Bristol Sessions that introduced the world to the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. That legacy takes center stage each fall at the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. More than 100 artists will fill 12 indoor and outdoor stages along historic State Street. Expect a richly eclectic mix of Americana, old-time, bluegrass, country, indie rock, and global roots sounds, performed by rising regional stars and top-tier national acts, including Sierra Ferrell, the War and Treaty, and the Del McCoury Band.

Courtesy of NHSCOT

New Hampshire: NH Highland Games & Festival

• September 18–20, nhscot.org

Get out your kilt and brush up your bagpipe skills for the annual NH Highland Games & Festival, one of the largest Highland games held in North America. This three-day celebration of Scottish culture at Loon Mountain Resort in the White Mountains includes athletic challenges (like the traditional caber toss), Highland dancing, pipe bands, whisky tastings, sheepdog trials, and, yes, plenty of haggis. This year, Glaswegian band Albannach will perform at a special Saturday night concert.

West Virginia: Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival

• September 25–27, mhacfestival.org

Nearly 200 crafters and artisans—quilters, toy makers, glass artists, painters, photographers, and potters—will converge on Kearneysville this September for the 50th anniversary of the Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival. Set against the rolling hills of Jefferson County, the three-day juried festival draws some 20,000 visitors for a showcase of Appalachian creativity. Beyond the booths, expect lively bluegrass, West Virginia wine and craft beer, and plenty of small-town flavor from local food trucks.

Photo by Zak Kauth/Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

October

California: “RM x SFMOMA”

• October 2026–February 2027, specific dates TBD; sfmoma.com

You might already know that RM, the leader of the K-pop group BTS, is a fabulous rapper, producer, and pop-and-locker. But were you aware he’s an avid art collector? The 30-year-old partnered with SFMOMA on an exhibition featuring works from his personal collection—including pieces by modern and contemporary Korean artists Yun Hyong-keun, Kwon Okyon, and Chang Ucchin. They’ll be paired with paintings from the museum’s own storied collection (Mark Rothko, Georgia O’Keeffe, Paul Klee) to inspire a conversation between East and West, modern and contemporary. Will BTS be there for the opening? Might as well book flights now just in case.

Nebraska: Junkstock

• October 2–4, 9–11, junkstock.com

Ohio: BLINK

• October 8–12, blinkcincinnati.com

Every other October, BLINK turns Cincinnati (and northern Kentucky, just across the Ohio River) into one of the nation’s most dazzling open-air galleries, presenting a free, four-night festival of light, art, and imagination that spans more than 30 city blocks. The country’s largest immersive art event, it features some 80 large-scale projection mappings, interactive light installations, and monumental murals created by acclaimed artists from around the world. Landmarks across Cincinnati, as well as Covington and Newport, Kentucky, become canvases that pulse, glow, and transform, inviting millions of visitors to wander over bridges and through neighborhoods to experience the region in a completely new way. The BLINK parade kicks things off with a radiant procession of floats, puppets, and performers in illuminated costumes.

Georgia: Chalktoberfest

• October 10 and 11, chalktoberfest.com

Each October, more than 80 award-winning chalk artists take to the streets of Marietta to create larger-than-life, seemingly 3-D masterpieces. While the finished works are astounding, what’s most fun is to watch the artists at work, elevating a childhood pastime to a true art form. Hosted by the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, the festival also features live music and vendors selling crafts, jewelry, and other items. Oh, and there’s beer: A ticket to the Craft Beer Festival on October 11 ensures unlimited tastings of more than 120 brews, ciders, seltzers, and wines.

Tennessee: IBMA World of Bluegrass

• October 20–24, worldofbluegrass.org

The 37th annual IBMA World of Bluegrass returns to Chattanooga this September for its second year in its new Tennessee home—only an hour’s drive from Bonnaroo territory—bringing the global bluegrass community together for five music-filled days. Part conference, part concert, part gear exhibition, the event blends industry showcases, the prestigious IBMA Awards, and a two-day outdoor festival that fills downtown with powerhouse pickers, mandolin virtuosos, and heavenly harmonizing trios. There are also family-friendly activities and food trucks galore. One of the best parts? The spontaneous jams that erupt everywhere so that the festival spills far beyond the stages and into all corners of the city.

November

Oregon: The Portland Book Festival

• November dates TBD, pdxbookfest.org

In general, Portland is a bookish city (it’s home to Powell’s, the world’s largest independent bookstore), but each November it becomes a verified literature-loving playground, on account of the Portland Book Festival. Organized by the nonprofit Literary Arts, this is the Pacific Northwest’s largest literary event, bringing more than 80 authors to six venues, including the Portland Art Museum, for a full day of talks, on-stage conversations, pop-up readings, writing workshops, a bustling book fair, and plenty of food-truck fuel.

The festival’s spirit spills beyond its main stages through Cover to Cover, a weeklong citywide lineup of inventive, partner-led happenings—think poetry karaoke, tea ceremonies, “speed-dating” with poems, and other creative ways to experience storytelling. The 2025 festival included big names such as Stacey Abrams, Melissa Febos, Susan Orlean, Jason De León, and Karen Russell, and 2026’s lineup will surely be a page-turner.

Photo by J. Fusco/Visit Philadelphia

December

Across the country: Holiday markets and festivals

• Throughout December

When December arrives, the country lights up from coast to coast with seasonal festivities, so you don’t have to choose just one state to visit. Philadelphia, Chicago, and Arlington, Texas are a few of the U.S. cities with Christmas markets that will make you feel like you’re in Europe. And if you want something uniquely American, plan an escape to one of these eight U.S. cities that put their own spin on holiday celebrations. Dates for 2026 are yet to be confirmed, but our lists will give you a head start on planning your holiday getaway.