Javiera and Ai-Eisha

1. Popular Events in Chile &
America
Javiera Lopez Gonzalez & Ai-Eisha Robertson

2. Burning Man: Black Rock Desert, Nevada
Every August, a part of the Nevada desert about 228
kilometers north of Reno, is transformed into Black Rock
City, home to the Burning Man festival. For this event that
lasts nine days, tens of thousands of people created a
temporary metropolis based on the principles of
community, art, self-expression and independence.
Surrealist works and sculptures come to life when the
techno music plays and, thus, a more creative than any
culture is born again. The closing of the festival? Burning as
a ritual of the sculpture of a man.

3. The Santiago a Mil International Theatre Festival
The Santiago a Mil International Theatre
Festival is the biggest arts festival in Chile
that occurs annually in the month of January.
This festival of theatre, visual art, music and
dance rages on for approximately three
weeks. Santiago a Mil was founded two
decades ago in 1994. The main purpose of
the event is to bring the performing arts
closer to the people in conventional parks,
theatres and the streets of the Chilean capital.

4. Comic-Con International: San diego.
International Conference on comics Comic-Con
International in San Diego, California. Over 100,000
participants, several of them with elaborate costumes,
come to the center of the city every month from July.
The event lasts four days and attracts writers and artists,
as well as to the most famous editors of the comic world,
executives of movie studios and Hollywood stars. You
can meet your heroes and other super fans in session of
questions and answers, film screenings, sessions of
signing autographs and fancy dress competitions.

5. Fiestas Patrias
On September 18th locals all across Chile proudly display
their national flag in preparation for Fiestas Patrias
(Chile’s annual celebration of independence). The people
of Chile celebrate this important day in two forms,
formally and informally. Formally, the holiday is a two-
day event ending in a military parade viewed by millions
of families on television. Informally, Fiestas Patrias is a
week-long event filled with rodeos, barbecue, as well as
Caribbean and Cumbia influenced music performances by
mariachi bands. Crowds gather from all over to
congregate in town squares and food halls called Fondas
to compete in Cueca dance competitions.

6. ECU Pirate Fest
Greenville, North Carolina is a college town that proudly embraces East
Carolina University. Every store, bank, gas station and restaurant
displays ECU’s purple and gold colors or some other article of Pirate
paraphernalia. Greenville’s annual Pirate Fest is no exception. The
event takes place in April and is a welcome back to returning students
and a fun semester kick-off for new incoming students. Festivities
usually begin on a Friday with the Buccaneer Bash a family centered
event with food from local restaurants, music and kids activities On
Saturday there is a large street festival that expands from the uptown
commons down to the town common area by the river. There is a
parade of pirates, craft vendors, food trucks and BMX demonstrations.
At the end of the festival there is a final musical performance by the
Tar River, this year one of my favorite bands the Plain White T’s
performed.

7. The Grape Harvest Festival
The Grape Harvest Festival celebrates the reputation of
Chilean wine and takes place in the city of Curicó. The
festival begins with a ceremonial blessing of the first
batch of pulped grapes. The festival starts with the arrival
of summer and goes on until the final weeks of March.
During the festival a queen is chosen and is then weighed
on a balance against bottles of wine while a competition is
held between grape stompers. Each competing team must
stomp approximately 20kg of grapes for ten minutes until
the fruit has been converted into juice. Whichever team
produces the largest quantity of juice possible reigns
victorious.

8. San Francisco Pride, california.
It is the largest and most colorful of america LGBT
pride celebration. The event lasts for two days and
attracts more than one million people to honor the
experience gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender 200
groups that parade, 300 exhibitors and more than 20
scenarios and spaces managed by the community. Held
in the last weeks of June, the attraction of the event is
the parade, a large display of color and unique
costumes, music and dance.

9. Fiesta Tapati
Easter Island (a remote volcanic Island in Polynesia
within the territory of Chile) is home to prehistoric
statues and the Rapa Nui people; Easter Island is also
home to Fiesta Tapati, a festival that celebrates
indigenous Chilean people and culture during the
month of February. Locals use body paint to cover
themselves in traditional markings and sing tribal folk
songs to celebrate their heritage. A festival queen
supervises several parades and performances while
young men compete in the Haka Pei competition,
hurling themselves down the side of a mountain in
homemade toboggans.

10. Dirty Dancing Festival
Lake Lure is the location of breathtaking mountains, a
quaint town and home of the Dirty Dancing Festival. In 1987
the cult classic film Dirty Dancing graced the screens of
movie theatres everywhere with the iconic lake lift scene
which left its mark on pop culture history. What most people
don’t know is the lake pictured in the movie was Lake Lure
a town located in Rutherford county of North Carolina. The
residents of Lake Lure have created a 1-day annual event in
honor of the movie showcasing bands, fun family
competitions, watermelon races, dance classes and
performances with a lake lifting competition at the end

11. Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The Viña del Mar International Song
Festival is the oldest and biggest music
event in Latin America. Audiences from all
over travel to visit the Quinta Vergara
Arena located in the town of Viña del Mar
which holds fifteen thousand people. This
event is broadcasted on television so
viewers at home can tune in and watch
performers compete in pop and folk song
categories along with appearances from
international guests.