as in celebration
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something
tourists flock to the town for its annual strawberry festival
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Recent Examples of festival
Martin also worked as the director of programming and projection at the Cleveland film festival before being elevated into the Artistic Director role.
—
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
Outdoor lovers can explore Monroe Lake, the Hoosier National Forest, historic limestone quarries, and year-round festivals just an hour from Indianapolis.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026
Major musical acts like Blink-182, Twenty One Pilots, and Mumford and Sons were selected to headline the three-day festival.
—Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
This Tet celebration has been going for more than 30 years, according to festival co-chair Bao Thien Ngo.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for festival
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
Outdoor lovers can explore Monroe Lake, the Hoosier National Forest, historic limestone quarries, and year-round festivals just an hour from Indianapolis.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026
Major musical acts like Blink-182, Twenty One Pilots, and Mumford and Sons were selected to headline the three-day festival.
—Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
This Tet celebration has been going for more than 30 years, according to festival co-chair Bao Thien Ngo.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for festival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festival
Noun
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The death of medieval theocratic dictator of Iran Ayatollah Khamenei--a diabolical fanatic who pursued nuclear weapons--is a moment of celebration.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Yes, celebrations are ahead for one of the more monotonous roster moves a team can make, and the Cowboys are gearing up to make a large handful this week.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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More than 8,000 athletes competed across the four events in 2025, and Little Rock Marathon Race Director Geneva Lamm says there are more than 12,000 registered for this year's festivities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The festivities will include food, drinks, a DJ and giveaways.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The 18-course Devoro tasting menu (290 Euros, or around $340), which lasts three-and-a-half hours in the serving, is a fascinating fiesta of miniature dishes in which Salazar’s Andalusian origins mix and match with island inspirations.—
Paul Richardson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
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All of us have definitely been to a fiesta of some sort.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Festival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festival. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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