World's Most Decadent Parties

Carnival

Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When: Feb. 2-5

Started in the 1840s to mimic similar celebrations in European cities, Carnival has morphed into the world's premier party complete with scantily clad beauties shimmying down spectator-lined streets. Well-heeled partygoers gather in liquor-stocked suites at the Sambadrome, where thousand-member citizen dance troupes called samba schools perform.


Mardi Gras

Where: New Orleans, La.

When: Feb. 2-5

The city's celebration is concentrated around Bourbon Street, where you can enjoy Fat Tuesday Cajun style by sipping Hurricanes and eating King Cakes as floats filled with participants in masquerade parade by. Procrastinators better act now: Over 90% of the city's hotel rooms are already booked.


Oktoberfest

Where: Munich, Germany

When: Sept. 20 through Oct. 5

Dating to the beginning of the 19th century, Oktoberfest has become a cornerstone of German culture. The Munich celebration hosts 14 beer tents capable of housing 6,000 people on a 4.5-million-square-foot open space called the Theresienwiese. But remember food is just as much part of the fun as beer; roasted oxtail is a local favorite.


New Year's Eve

Where: Las Vegas

When: Dec. 31 through Jan. 1

Offering $1,000 bottles and $10,000 bets, Sin City has recently become one of the world's hottest New Year's spots. On Dec. 31, you'll find everything from champagne-swilling celebrities counting down to midnight to all-you-can-eat smörgåsbords run by top-shelf chefs.


The Running of the Bulls

Where: Pamplona, Spain

When: July 6-14

Pamplona's premiere event is a centuries-old, multi-day tradition called the San Fermin Festival in which participants wearing traditional white shirts and red handkerchiefs tease captured bulls who are then let loose to give chase along a cordoned-off section of the town's streets. Professional bullfights are then held at the Plaza de Toros. Come sunset, revelers hit the area's bars and restaurants for late-night partying.


Burning Man

Where: Black Rock City, Black Rock Desert, Nevada

When: Aug. 25 through Sept. 1

Originally started on a beach in San Francisco, Burning Man moved to the Nevada desert when a permit to burn the festival's trademark effigy was denied. Now in its 22nd year, Burning Man is testament to self-expression and pyromania. Unfortunately, if you want easy comfort you're out of luck. Entirely built by volunteers for the festival, Black Rock City doesn't have hotels. Other than grabbing a tent and camping out, your best bet would be to rent an RV. Check out cruiseamerica.com for clearance RVs and rentals.


Bastille Day

Where: Paris, France

When: July 14

Called "La Fete Nationale," or "le quatorze juillet," this one-day party officially marks the "Fete de La Federation," a 1780 feast held to commemorate the end of the French Revolution. To many, though, the celebration is about the anniversary of the 1789 storming of the Bastille. Military parades are held in the morning, with the city's largest on the Champs-Élysées; come evening, the city celebrates with fireworks and "bals" along the Seine.


Gay Pride Parade

Where: San Francisco, Calif.

When: June 28-29

What was originally founded in 1973 as Gay Freedom Day has become one of the hallmarks of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender movement. Now a two-day festival held at and around the city's Civic Center, the San Francisco Pride Parade hosts hundreds of groups bedecked in everything from candy-colored wigs to frothy tutus on floats ambling down Market Street. Evening street parties take place in the Castro.


The Love Parade

Where: Dortmund, Germany

When: To be determined

Stalled in 2004 and 2005 due to lack of funds, the Love Parade returned to Berlin in 2006 with corporate sponsorship, McFit, a German fitness company. In 2007, it was held in Essen. Featuring a parade of trucks outfitted to play dance and electronica music, the Love Parade often draws comparisons to raves. But it's keeping local coffers full; the 2006 parade added nearly $100 million to the local Berlin economy. This year, the parade will be held in Dortmund, near the French border.

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