20 significant festivals that take place in Haiti, representing music, arts, food, and sports:
Music Festivals:
- Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival (PAPJAZZ) – An annual event featuring local and international jazz musicians.
- Carnaval des Fleurs – A music and dance festival held annually in Port-au-Prince.
Art Festivals:
- Festival Film Jakmèl – An annual film festival showcasing Haitian and international films in the city of Jacmel.
- Ghetto Biennale – An arts festival held in Port-au-Prince that showcases the work of local and international artists.
Food Festivals:
- Gouyad Festival – A food and music festival that celebrates Haitian culture and the popular dance, Gouyad.
- Soup Joumou Festival – This festival celebrates the New Year and Haitian Independence Day with the traditional pumpkin soup, Soup Joumou.
Sport Festivals:
- Tour de la Hispaniola – A cycling race that traverses both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
- Marathon de la Caraïbe – A marathon held in Cap-Haïtien featuring a picturesque coastal route.
Cultural Festivals:
- Haitian Carnival (Kanaval) – A festive event held in the capital city of Port-au-Prince featuring music, dance, and grand parades.
- Rara Festival – A traditional street festival that takes place during the Easter Week, with music, parades, and dancing.
- Fête Gédé – A Vodou festival that honors the Gede spirits associated with death and fertility.
- Fête Champêtre – These are popular local patron saint festivals held throughout towns and villages in Haiti.
- Festival of the Ancestors (Fet Zanset yo) – A spiritual festival that honours the spirits of the ancestors.
- Fête de la Mer – A festival held in Cap-Haïtien and other coastal towns to honour Agwe, the Vodou spirit of the sea.
- Champ-de-Mars Festival – This is a week-long celebration of Haitian Flag Day on May 18, filled with concerts and parades.
- Drapo Vodou: Flags of Haiti Festival – A festival celebrating the artistic creation of Vodou flags.
- Bwa Kayiman Festival – A historical reenactment of the ceremony which is widely accepted to have begun the Haitian Revolution.
- Fête de l’Immaculée Conception – A religious celebration on December 8, that’s particularly significant in Milot.
- Crab Festival (Fête Crabe) – Held in the southern town of Les Anglais, this food festival centers around crab dishes.
- Artisanat en Fête – This Port-au-Prince festival is Haiti’s largest arts and crafts fair.
As always, it’s important to verify the dates and details of these festivals, as they can change due to various reasons.
