as in celebrations
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something
tourists flock to the town for its annual strawberry festival
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Recent Examples of festivals
The film also was shown at a number of other festivals before hitting the awards circuit as the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards.
—
Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2026
Videographer Suarez is planning to make a short documentary for film festivals to take the message to a wider audience, said Church.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
The tie-up will see both festivals jointly run a program for emerging filmmakers centered on the use of artificial intelligence in the creative process.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Folk dances abound all across the country, and huge crowds of people can be found dancing at festivals and weddings.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The film played at a host of international festivals and scored wins at Melbourne, San Sebastián, El Gouna, Munich, and in India.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
Lipa has been tapped to steer one of London’s largest literary festivals.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
The international film community—including the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice festivals and the American Cinematheque—spoke out against these persecutions.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
After 97 years of hosting community concerts and festivals, weddings and quinceañeras, Denver’s iconic City Park bandstand along Ferril Lake was burned beyond repair in a fire overnight, city officials said Thursday.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2026
Videographer Suarez is planning to make a short documentary for film festivals to take the message to a wider audience, said Church.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
The tie-up will see both festivals jointly run a program for emerging filmmakers centered on the use of artificial intelligence in the creative process.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Folk dances abound all across the country, and huge crowds of people can be found dancing at festivals and weddings.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The film played at a host of international festivals and scored wins at Melbourne, San Sebastián, El Gouna, Munich, and in India.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
Lipa has been tapped to steer one of London’s largest literary festivals.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
The international film community—including the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice festivals and the American Cinematheque—spoke out against these persecutions.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
After 97 years of hosting community concerts and festivals, weddings and quinceañeras, Denver’s iconic City Park bandstand along Ferril Lake was burned beyond repair in a fire overnight, city officials said Thursday.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festivals
Noun
-
Pakistani weddings are often elaborate, multi-day celebrations that place strong emphasis on visual storytelling, color and cultural symbolism.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Within days, statues were removed and celebrations cancelled or renamed, including events tied to the federal César Chavez Day on March 31.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All the festivities came to a halt in the sixth minute when Austin took the lead on a header by Guilherme Biro off a Facundo Torres corner kick.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Organizers said the event, which also included food and festivities, drew 30,000 people annually.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Spanish colonial government integrated the Santo Niño image into religious processions, music, and dance fiestas as part of efforts to convert the island’s population to Catholicism.—
Laura Payne,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Mar. 2026
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Margarita fans will love this pie for fiestas of all kinds.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Festivals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festivals. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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