March festivals part 1

February is almost done with – it is the smallest month of the year after all, so we’re going to get a running start on the March festivals that you can visit, starting today.

Night of the Witches – Noche De Brujas – Mexico

This festival takes place in Cerro Mono Blanco in Catemaco, Mexico a very pretty town on the shore of the Laguna Catemaco thought to be the country’s centre for the witchcraft and witch-doctor industry. These witchcraft traditions go back in this part of the country hundreds of years, resulting from a blending of ancient indigenous beliefs, Spanish medieval traditions and voodoo practices from West African immigrants.

The festival started in 1970 when a local shaman had the idea of hosting a witchcraft convention, that stuck around and now hundreds of shamans, witches and healers descend upon Catemaco, and with them quite a bit of tourists.

The organizers are quite conscious of the economic potential of the event and as such it has become quite a commercial festival, an event that you can eat, drink and be merry in a very weird and interesting mix of semi-ocultic and hedonistic indulgence.

South By Southwest – SXSW – Austin, Texas

This music festival has become such a massive endeavor that it has pretty much single-handedly earned the Texan city the title of ‘live music capital of the world’.

The ten-day event brings together performers, music industry representatives and fans of solid live music. The day is filled with talks and conventions while during the night over a thousand acts perform at about fifty venues across the city.

In recent years the festival has grown so large and diverse that it now also includes a film festival as well as a conference and festival for interactive media.

Keep some worldwide car rental services in mind if you plan on visiting any of these places during March.