By: C. William Hanson Jr.
Last week I took a few days off to visit some of New England’s wonderful summer festivals, including Tanglewood, Jacob’s pillow, and Opera Maine.
Reflecting on these visits, I feel blessed that in the USA, despite sinister machinations in DC, we still enjoy much artistic freedom. In a free society, festivals do more than entertain: they make public space available for art, gathering, and self-expression.
One of the prime missions of our gazette is to provide some coverage of literature and theater but also of the other arts. We recognize that these all can help people feel more alive, become more reflective and connected, and experience moral and spiritual growth.
Commentators from Dewey to Bakhtin have treated art and festive life as central to social freedom rather than ornamental extras. Ukraine has long sustained vibrant festivals—from post-independence cultural gatherings to today’s Book Arsenal, GogolFest, and major music and film festivals—showing how such events can flourish as spaces of creative freedom and civic life even amid hardship. In Russia, Belarus, Iran, and other countries with authoritarian regimes, by contrast, festivals are often restricted, censored, or turned into state-managed displays, which limits their role as open spaces for independent art and public participation.
We invite you, our readers around the world, to tell us of your own experiences of favorite festivals, and we present today what some readers have already shared.
Africa:
The Felabration Festival in Lagos, Nigeria was founded in 1998 by Yeni Kuti, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s eldest daughter, one year after Fela’s passing. It was created to honor his life, music, and unapologetic activism. Held every October at the New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos, the week-long festival has grown from a memorial concert into one of Africa’s largest celebrations of art, music, and ideas. The festival treats art as civic life, not decoration. The Shrine becomes a space where Afrobeat, spoken word, theater, film, and visual art are performed without a state script. But it goes further: the days are filled with debates and symposia on politics, justice, governance, and culture.
Artists are not just entertaining, they are arguing, protesting, and imagining alternatives out loud. In a country / where public expression is often policed, Felabration insists that the people still get to occupy space together, speak freely, and define culture on their own terms.
-Emmanuel Chizaram, The Hanson Gazette foreign correspondent for Africa
Thank you Emmanuel; we loved your African update in June and are happy to know that these will be forthcoming trimesterly.
Germany:
Wacken Open Air is a heavy metal music festival, held yearly since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It has been called the world’s biggest metal festival, or the “Mecca of heavy metal”.
-Rainer Brömer Philipps Universität Marburg, Institut für Geschichte der Pharmazie und Medizin, Faculty Member, and Independent Scholar.
Hungary:
Margaret Island in Budapest, the country’s most celebrated open-air summer theater, located in the heart of Budapest and embraced by the Danube River, amid the stunning natural and man-made environment of Margaret Island. Built in 1938 with a capacity of nearly 3000 and equipped with its own dock, the Margaret Island Main Stage is home to Budapest’s largest mixed-arts festival over the summer months.
-Botond Kivács, emerging Hungarian artist known for his performances as a pianist and for his compositions
O.Z.O.R.A. is mentioned by Dr. Barta as an unusual fair highly praised by one of his friends. The Guardian has described Ozora as a kind of “psy-trance pilgrimage,” and explains that people travel there not just for music, but for the full festival experience and community around it. In simple terms, it is a huge outdoor event in Hungary where people gather to enjoy electronic music, art, and a very free-spirited atmosphere. The idea is less about a normal concert and more about spending several days in a creative, colorful, and immersive environment. In reports and public discussion about psytrance festivals like Ozora, drug use is most often mentioned, especially ecstasy/MDMA, cannabis, LSD, and ketamine, though some of these are illegal, and drugs are not officially part of the festival.
-Csaba Barta, MD, PhD, Author and Associate Professor at the Institute of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry at Semmelweis University, Budapest.
Ukraine:
Two outstanding venues, among others, host festivals in Ukraine. The “Khata-Maysternya” Creative Space in the Carpathians provides a remote art residence located in the mountains, perfect for contemporary dance, contact improvisation, and independent artistic retreats; the surrounding mountain peaks and green meadows serve as a natural backdrop for bodily movement and creative research. The Pyrohiv National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine, Europe’s largest open-air ethnographic museum, spread across 130 hectares of scenic hills and valleys, stands as the premier countryside location for grand folklore festivals, ritual dances, traditional round-dances (khorovody), and immersive performances deeply rooted in nature. In addition, a number of castles and historic fortresses monumental open-air venues situated away from major metropolitan areas. During the warm season, these historic courtyards and ancient stone walls turn into majestic stages for grand theatrical performances, historic reenactments, and physical theatre and dance.
-OLEKSANDR HORKUN, The Hanson Gazette foreign correspondent for Kyiv
USA:
Market Days is a popular annual street festival and neighborhood celebration held in the Boystown/Lakeview area of Chicago, typically centered along North Halsted Street. It usually features live music, DJs, food and drink vendors, dancing, local artists, and a festive, welcoming crowd that celebrates LGBTQ+ community and culture. The event is known for its energetic atmosphere, packed streets, and daytime-to-nighttime party vibe, drawing both locals and visitors for a summer weekend of entertainment and community spirit. The event will occur this year from August 7th through the 9th.
-Francisco Melendez, acclaimed ballet star, choreographer, and impresario
Boston Theater Offensive, a nonprofit theater company known for developing and presenting work by and about LGBTQ+ artists including gay playwrights and other creators. Its mission is to unite support LGBTQ+ storytelling, produce original theater, and create space for underrepresented voices on stage.
-Mark at Harvard University
King Richard’s Faire, a Renaissance Faire held in Carver, Massachusetts, which recreates a 16th-century marketplace, including handmade crafts, foods, musicians, singers, dancers, minstrels, mimes, jugglers, whip artists, magicians, comedians, puppeteers, acrobats, animal acts, stilt walkers, knights jousting on horseback, a royal court, and the fictional King Richard.
-Victor Zaporojan, MD, eminent cancer researcher
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires at Becket
-Michael Figueroa- acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and fine arts scholar
Williamstown Theater Festival – a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. It was awarded the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2002 and the Massachusetts Cultural Council Commonwealth Award in 2011.
-Eric Ranvig, internationally acclaimed composer, keyboardist, and psychologist
The Rochester International Jazz Festival is a major event in the global jazz calendar, widely regarded as one of the leading jazz festivals in the world. Each year it attracts top-tier performers, emerging artists, and large audiences, giving Rochester an outsized presence in international jazz culture. Its reputation is strengthened by its connection to the Eastman School of Music, whose students, faculty, and alumni help sustain Rochester’s standing as a serious center for jazz education and performance.
-Daniel Sky Szczepanski
“He plays with soul, fire, and integrity-and always with the kind of sound that cuts through and stays with you.”
-Brian Newman
In closing, we offer two selected streamings, carefully chosen from the staggering quantity we encounter in surfing the internet from day to day. One shows you life these days in the lovely Ukrainian city of Odessa, in which I greatly enjoyed my prewar visit. I think you will find this video both impressive and heartwarming. The second video cuts through the daily headlines which detail events in the Middle East and clarifies some underlying realities.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/irans-fortitude-is-its-decisive-edge-bc4af7cb
Next month we shall continue to provide our readers with any further recommendations we receive of festivals or bookshops, but I shall mainly share what I learn in my visit to Europe this month.
Addendum- Further Reader Mentions of Favorite Bookstores
Germany:
Hugendubel at Marienplatz in Munich is a popular bookstore in the heart of the city, offering a broad selection of books in a lively and welcoming setting. In addition to browsing literature, bestsellers, and travel guides, visitors can also enjoy a refreshment area or café, making it a pleasant place to relax with a drink during a shopping trip or city walk. Its central location makes it a convenient and enjoyable stop for both locals and tourists looking for a quiet break amid the energy of Marienplatz.
-Rainer Brömer, PhD, Göttingen (see above)
USA:
CALIFORNIA
The Last Bookstore in downtown LA, self-proclaimed as “the most photographed and possibly strangest bookshop in the world,” a very large store, selling both new and used books.
-Andrew Glenn Maze, gifted multimedia artist
GEORGIA
Book and Barrel in Ringgold is a bookstore and community gathering spot with a warm, modern feel that makes it stand out from a typical shop. It’s a good place to browse a thoughtfully chosen selection of books, enjoy refreshments, discover new reads, and relax in an atmosphere that invites you to stay a while. If you like bookstores that feel inviting and a little more polished, it’s definitely worth a visit.
-Mary Laband, former Administrative Director of the WISE Foundation
MASSACHUSETTS
Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, Massachusetts is a charming local bookstore worth recommending for its cozy atmosphere and inviting selection of books. It’s a great place to browse, discover new reads, and enjoy a relaxed visit.
-Aurora Martin, known throughout New England for her colorful, warm soprano.
TENNESSEE
Winder Binder Books is a large used-bookstore in Chattanooga with a wide, eclectic selection that makes it fun to browse for hidden gems. Its main strengths are the variety, the relaxed treasure-hunt feel, and the chance to find good books at affordable prices, making it worth a visit if you enjoy exploring shelves and discovering unexpected finds.
-Mary Laband, former Administrative Director of the WISE Foundation
The International Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, near Johnson City, is one of the most celebrated storytelling events in the world. It brings together master storytellers, performers, and audiences from many places to share folktales, personal stories, and oral traditions in a lively, welcoming setting. The festival has helped make Jonesborough a recognized center for storytelling and cultural heritage.
-Nathan Scott Hancock, Talented thespian, vocalist, and widely acclaimed travel consultant
WASHINGTON, DC
Politics and Prose on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, DC is a well-known independent bookstore valued for its carefully chosen selection of books, knowledgeable staff, and regular author events. It has a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere that makes it a favorite spot for readers and writers alike, and it also offers refreshments such as coffee and light snacks, so visitors can relax while browsing or attending an event. Its main merits are its excellent curation, cultural role in the community, and comfortable café setting that encourages people to stay and enjoy the space.
-Mary Laband, former Administrative Director of the WISE Foundation
Reader Response
I love your focus on indie bookstores, which fortunately have been doing well in their fight against the corporations that have our current government on their side.
-Claire van den Broek
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