Yasothon Bun Bangfai Rocket Festival
Yasothon, Thailand
Mid MayDescription
Villagers in the remote part of the country spend weeks making rockets of bamboo stuffed with gunpowder, then send them skyward with great amounts of ceremony, humor, and general commotion. Parades with traditional clothing are held the first day and rockets take off the second, but there's pretty much never a dull moment in this festival, which is intended to convince the heavens to send rain to fuel the coming rice season. Yasothon has the biggest rockets (some several meters long) and the biggest festival, but in Ubon and Nong Khai there's also plenty going on. In fact, the entire northeast part of the country moves into high-revelry mode, with folk dancing, stage shows, "roasts" of political figures, and hilarious beauty contests.

Thailand's northeast provinces are a bit off the beaten tourist track and heavily rain-forested, which makes them excellent places to visit for those who have tired of the Chiang Mai - Mae Hong Son - Ko Samui circuit. The culture and food are exceptionally interesting, with many influences of Lao and French, Khmer, Chinese, and hill tribes.

Venue
Phaya Thaen Park
Infophone
66--45-243-770