#1 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
New York
Dating back to 1924, the parade is watched by 44 million people around the country each year. The public event draws more than three million people to the city streets. Next: November 28, 2013
#2 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
New York
One million people watch the ball drop in person and another billion follow along at home during an event that has become synonymous with ringing in the New Year. Next: December 31, 2013
#3 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
New Orleans
The annual Fat Tuesday celebration of debauchery is celebrated nationwide, but its home is in the Big Easy. With its krewe-led parades, king cakes, and green, gold, and purple color scheme, the event brings in tourists to the French Quarter and beyond. Next: March 4, 2014
#4 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
Los Angeles
The event has been a New Year's Day tradition since 1980 and includes the flower-filled parade and the Rose Bowl football game. Next: January 1, 2014
#5 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
Dallas
The place where the corn dog was invented, the fair dates back to 1886 and draws more than two million people over a 24-day run. The fair’s icon, a talking 52-foot statue dubbed Big Tex, was destroyed in an electrical fire in 2012 and is being restored for this year’s fair. Next: September 27-October 20, 2013
#6 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
Washington
The celebration of Japan's gift of 3,000 cherry-blossom trees to the capital marked its centennial in 2012 with nearly a month of cultural and creative programming. Next: March 20-April 13, 2014
#7 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
Boston
Hosting several hundred thousand people along the Charles River for a performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the event is the city’s annual Independence Day celebration. Next: July 4, 2014
#10 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
Miami
Turning Little Havana into a three-week street party of Hispanic pride, the celebration attracts more than one million attendees. Next: February 8-March 9, 2014
#11 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
Washington
The holiday music concert, traditionally attended by the president and the first lady, draws A-list talent to the National Building Museum. The show, which airs on TNT, raises money for the National Children’s Medical Center. Next: December 21, 2013
#12 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
Chicago
With 1.8 million spectators and 80,000 participants, the event is the country's second-largest annual parade and the largest African-American parade. Next: August 9, 2014
#13 Festival, Parade & Holiday Event
Washington
Despite the controversy surrounding the organization last year, the parade remains one of the largest gatherings for breast cancer awareness in the country, drawing more than 20,000 participants to the National Mall this year. Next: May 10, 2014
