Original holidays and festivals: what to see for tourists in the regions
Russia is not just about Moscow, the Kremlin and familiar tourist symbols. There is another, authentic country outside the capitals, where crafts, folk traditions and regional culture are preserved. Dozens of festivals take place all over Russia — gastronomic, ethnographic, musical and historical — which allow you to see familiar cities from a new perspective and feel their authentic character. A trip dedicated to such an event provides more than an ordinary excursion program: it helps to better understand the region, its atmosphere and people. Accor hotels are available in most popular destinations for convenience and comfortable accommodation.
Why you should go to festivals in the regions
Regional events provide an opportunity to see the life of a city or village from the inside. It shows traditions that are carefully passed down from generation to generation. People prepare national dishes, conduct master classes in crafts, arrange rituals or theatrical performances. Standard tourist formats are less common here: each site is filled with lively energy, authentic atmosphere and sincere participation of local residents.
Holiday-themed trips become an occasion to discover new destinations within the country through music, cuisine, crafts, and folk traditions. Before traveling, you should check the calendar of holidays and unusual events in the selected region in advance. This helps you plan your itinerary so that you can combine your trip with a gastronomic fair, an ethnographic ceremony, or a modern art festival to get a more intense experience.
The Golden Ring: gastronomy, culture and traditions
"Feast on the Volga" in Yaroslavl — gastronomic festival for the whole family
Strelka, the confluence of the Volga and Kotorosli, turns into one of the most charismatic venues in the city at the end of each summer. "Feast on the Volga" gathers tens of thousands of guests who come to the festival for regional cuisine, family vacations and the atmosphere of a citywide celebration. There are gastrozones with treats from different regions, workshops, performances by musicians and interactive activities for children. In the evening, the embankment turns into an outdoor stage where concerts and dance programs take place.
The Ibis Yaroslavl Center is suitable for accommodation. The hotel is located in the historical part of the city and allows easy access to the main festival venues.
Cucumber Festival in Suzdal is an unusual festival in Russia
Suzdal has long secured the status of the cucumber capital of Russia. Every July there is a celebration dedicated to this vegetable. Guests will enjoy tastings of fried cucumbers, pies and cucumber jam, contests and gastronomic competitions, craft workshops and theatrical performances. Special attention is drawn to the launch of the symbolic "flying Cucumber" into the sky — a bright element of the program, which is loved by both children and adults.
Samara: the city of art, music and the Volga atmosphere
VolgaFest is one of the largest modern projects in the Volga region
VolgaFest is an annual art and urban festival that takes place on the Volga Embankment in Samara. The format includes music programs, exhibitions, theatrical productions, interactive zones and lectures. The festival works with themes of urban environment, art, design and culture, turning the embankment into a space for relaxation and socializing. Guests can attend concerts, art installations, film screenings, classes for children and workshops.
You can stay at the ibis Samara hotel. It is located in the city center, from where it is convenient to get to the festival locations by public transport or taxi.
Cheboksary: hops, culture and ancient rituals
Russian Green Gold Festival
Chuvashia is one of the main centers of Russian hop growing. The Green Gold of Russia festival is held here annually, which brings together producers, brewers and guests from different regions. The program includes tastings, brewing workshops, gastronomic areas, concerts and folk performances. Special attention is paid to the national cuisine: tourists can taste dishes of traditional Chuvash gastronomy.
To make it easier to plan visits to festival venues, you can stay at the Ibis Cheboksary Center — the hotel is located in the city center, within walking distance from the main events.
Akatui is an ancient agricultural ritual holiday
Akatui is a traditional Chuvash holiday that marks the completion of spring field work. Celebrations usually take place in June in different regions of Chuvashia, including Cheboksary district and the nearest villages, where agricultural customs and folklore traditions are preserved.
The holiday includes folk games, round dances, ritual rituals and sports competitions. The central event is the national belt wrestling "Kereshu", the winner of which is traditionally awarded a live ram. Tourists can see handicraft classes, taste regional dishes and participate in folklore workshops.
Kaliningrad region: gastronomy of the Baltic
Fishtival in Zelenograd
In late April and early May, Zelenogradsk turns into the center of Baltic gastronomy. Fishtival collects dozens of food projects that offer dishes from smelt, herring, mussels, oysters and other Baltic seafood. Themed areas, master classes from chefs, lectures on seafood cuisine and tasting areas are unfolding on the city's embankment. Many guests come to the festival purposefully, combining a vacation by the sea with a rich gastronomic program.
Fishtival received high marks from industry experts and became one of the most recognizable events in the region. The format is suitable for those who want to combine a trip around the Kaliningrad region with exploring local tastes and fishing traditions.
You can stay at Mercure Kaliningrad Center or ibis Kaliningrad Center. Both hotels are located in the center of Kaliningrad, from where it is convenient to get to Zelenogradsk.
Herring Day at the Museum of the World Ocean
The holiday takes place in spring, most often in late April or May, and is dedicated to the first herring expeditions in 1948 and the history of fishing in the region. The program includes a theatrical performance "Fishing Boat", excursions to fishing vessels, fish cutting workshops, interactive activities for children and educational activities about the work of fishermen.
The Museum of the World Ocean is one of the key cultural centers of the Kaliningrad region, so Herring Day attracts a wide range of visitors: tourists, locals and visitors to the city.
Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg: rich cultural program
"Sunset Capital" in Nizhny Novgorod
The Capital of Sunsets summer program takes place in Nizhny Novgorod from May to August and brings together concerts, markets, creative meetings and gastrozones. The main venues are located on the embankment at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, where city panoramas become part of the program. The project received national recognition and won the Grand Prix of the National Event of the Year award.
The format is suitable for those who prefer a calm rhythm and evening walks. For accommodation, it is convenient to choose the Mercure or ibis hotels — they are located close to key venues and make it easy to plan events.
Ural Music Night in Yekaterinburg
Ural Music Night is one of the largest music festivals in the country, which takes place annually in Yekaterinburg at the end of June. On this day, the city turns into a large concert venue: rock, jazz, electronic music, hip-hop and classical programs are played at dozens of locations. Concerts start in the afternoon and continue until dawn, and the entrance to all stages remains open, making the festival accessible to a wide audience.
The hotel Novotel Yekaterinburg Center is suitable for comfortable accommodation. It is located close to the main festival areas and makes it easy to schedule concerts.
Sochi: interesting holidays in Russia on the coast and in the mountains
Yuri Bashmet Winter Festival
Every February, Sochi hosts the International Winter Arts Festival under the direction of Yuri Bashmet. The program combines classical music concerts, theater productions, ballet performances and performances by famous soloists. The events take place at several venues, including the Winter Theater in the center of Sochi and concert halls on Krasnaya Polyana.
Rosa Khutor Mountain Carnival
Competitions and show programs are held at the resort every winter.: descents in carnival costumes, games in the snow, themed performances. In summer, there are active sports festivals such as downhill, paragliding and mountain running. The format is suitable for those who are looking for an active and non-standard vacation.
Accor hotels are available for a comfortable stay after a busy festival program: Swissotel Resort Sochi Camellia, Rixos Krasnaya Polyana Sochi and Mövenpick Krasnaya Polyana.
The strangest holidays in Russia
Events are held in different regions, which are distinguished by unusual themes and non-standard traditions. They are based on local humor, cuisine, or craft practices, so tourists often include such festivals in their itinerary to see the region from an unexpected perspective.
One of the most famous examples is considered to be the "Dumpling Day" in the Perm Region. The festival is held annually in February: different versions of dumplings are prepared at the sites, master classes in modeling and gastronomic competitions are held. The "Gingerbread Day" is held in Tula, where tourists taste dozens of types of Tula gingerbread, participate in interactive programs and get acquainted with traditional techniques of its production. In the Kirov region, in the town of Slobodsky, a "Valenka Festival" is being held with valenka throwing, craft workshops and folk performances.
The annual Fontanka SUP parade in St. Petersburg is one of the funniest and funniest festivals in Russia. Participants go out into the water in costumes — along the route you can see pirates, mermaids, cartoon characters and pop culture characters. The event has become one of the most recognizable summer events in the city.
Conclusion
Original holidays and festivals are an opportunity to see Russia alive, different and modern. From gastronomy on the banks of the Volga River to ballet performances by the Black Sea, from cucumber fun in Suzdal to night concerts in Yekaterinburg, each event reveals the culture of the region in its own way.
Plan your trips in advance and choose Accor hotels to make your trip rich, convenient and truly comfortable.
