as in celebrations
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 festivals
Visit the chestnut, prosciutto and truffle festivals.
—
Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Contemporary galleries like Canyon Road Contemporary Art, Edition One Gallery, and GF Contemporary, all of which are women-owned, add to the mix, highlighting innovative art from around the world and presenting an exciting calendar of art exhibitions, festivals, and shows.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
Until fairly recently, Denver’s literary scene was confined to book stores, niche festivals and writing workshops.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 29 Jan. 2026
Its content features topics on skiing, snowboarding, mountains, ski resorts, travel guides, gear reviews, outdoor events, competitions or festivals and more.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The Killers have sold more than 25 million albums globally while headlining Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury and countless other major music festivals.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Misch first found attention with his Beat Tape mixtape in 2014, and his career success led him to festivals across the globe and headline shows at London’s Brixton Academy and New York City’s Terminal 5.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
The film, which played in festivals in early 2011 before being broadcast on HBO, won an Emmy.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The rebrand comes amid a small wave of new exhibition opportunities for independent films, which have had trouble selling out of film festivals amid Hollywood’s larger contraction.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 22 Jan. 2026
Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Contemporary galleries like Canyon Road Contemporary Art, Edition One Gallery, and GF Contemporary, all of which are women-owned, add to the mix, highlighting innovative art from around the world and presenting an exciting calendar of art exhibitions, festivals, and shows.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
Until fairly recently, Denver’s literary scene was confined to book stores, niche festivals and writing workshops.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 29 Jan. 2026
Its content features topics on skiing, snowboarding, mountains, ski resorts, travel guides, gear reviews, outdoor events, competitions or festivals and more.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The Killers have sold more than 25 million albums globally while headlining Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury and countless other major music festivals.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Misch first found attention with his Beat Tape mixtape in 2014, and his career success led him to festivals across the globe and headline shows at London’s Brixton Academy and New York City’s Terminal 5.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
The film, which played in festivals in early 2011 before being broadcast on HBO, won an Emmy.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The rebrand comes amid a small wave of new exhibition opportunities for independent films, which have had trouble selling out of film festivals amid Hollywood’s larger contraction.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festivals
Noun
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The hospitality area will host medal celebrations, watch parties, sponsored events and meet-and-greets with notable figures from figure skating, hockey and speed skating.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
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Get in the holiday spirit with this precious pink cardigan sweater that’s primed for Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day celebrations alike.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The interception has created countless opportunities for Butler, who has attended Super Bowl festivities and Patriots alumni events over the years.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Richardson, now 45, enjoys All-Star Weekend and is delighted to see the festivities back in the city where his NBA journey started.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For those traveling with children, TAFER’s signature Little Luxuries family program offers activities including face painting, ancestral Mexican games, traditional Mexican Cumbia live dance performances, beachside fiestas and more.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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The Semana Santa processions in Seville date back to the 16th century and are one of Spain's most famous fiestas.—
Nina Aquino,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Festivals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festivals. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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