America’s festival calendar is, in large part, an immigration map. Wave after wave of newcomers brought their feast days, foods, and traditions — and a century or two later, those celebrations are among the country’s biggest annual events. Here are a few of the most iconic.
German — Oktoberfest Zinzinnati (Ohio River Valley)
In the mid-1800s a huge wave of German immigrants settled Cincinnati’s “Over-the-Rhine” neighborhood. That legacy now fuels Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands for bratwurst, beer, and the world’s largest chicken dance.
Dutch — Tulip Time (West Michigan)
Dutch Calvinist settlers founded Holland, Michigan, in 1847. In 1929 the community planted tens of thousands of imported tulip bulbs and launched the Tulip Time Festival; today it features millions of blooms and traditional Klompen (wooden-shoe) dancing in the streets.
Italian — The Feast of San Gennaro (New York)
Begun in 1926 by immigrants from Naples on Manhattan’s Mulberry Street, the Feast of San Gennaro started as a one-day religious procession honoring the patron saint of Naples. It’s now an 11-day celebration of Italian-American food and culture in the heart of Little Italy.
Scottish & Czech roots, too
- Scots-Irish Appalachia — the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina recreate traditional clan gatherings with caber tossing and bagpipes, honoring the region’s 18th-century Scottish settlers.
- Czech Texas — Czech immigrants who farmed the Texas plains from the 1850s brought the kolache, a fruit- or cheese-filled pastry now beloved across Central Texas fairs and festivals.
- Chinese San Francisco — dating to the 1860s, San Francisco’s Chinese New Year parade fused Lunar New Year traditions with the American parade format and remains the largest Asian cultural event in North America.
You don’t have to travel to a famous one to taste this heritage. Browse cultural festivals across the USA and find a celebration of someone’s roots near you.