Belgium is big on festivals. You could arrive in a town or village to find that the populace has turned out, some of them in costume, to honor with all due solemnity (followed by some fun and games) the local cheese. The country has a lively and colorful Carnival tradition, which includes, in the otherwise unprepossessing town of Binche, one that's among the most spectacular in Europe.
The Festival of Flanders is a program of cultural events that runs at venues throughout Flanders from September to June. Contact Festival van Vlaanderen (tel. 012/23-57-19; www.festival.be).
The Festival of Wallonia is a program of classical music that runs at venues throughout Wallonia from September to June. Contact Festival de Wallonie (tel. 081/73-37-81; www.festivaldewallonie.be).
For more information about what's on and where, visit www.agenda.be.
January
Festival of Fools, Ronse. Zotte Maandag (Crazy Monday) festivities, with masked characters called Bommels, actually take place on a Saturday. Contact VVV Ronse (tel. 055/23-28-16). Saturday after the Epiphany (Jan 6).
Snow and Ice Sculptures, Bruges. Cool works of art with a too-short shelf life can be viewed on Stationsplein in front of the rail station. Contact In & Uit Brugge (tel. 050/44-86-86; www.brugge.be). For 2 weeks from the end of December.
Antiques Fair, Tour & Taxis, av. du Port, Brussels. The top Belgian antiques dealers and selected dealers from abroad get together to show off their wares. Contact Foire des Antiquaires de Belgique (tel. 02/513-48-31; www.antiques-fair.be). Last 10 days of January.
February
Carnival, Eupen. Five days of pre-Lenten revelry in the capital town of Belgium's German-speaking district. Highlight is the Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) Procession. Contact Verkehrsamt Eupen (tel. 087/55-34-50; www.eastbelgium.com). Thursday to Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday).
Carnival, Malmédy. The pre-Lenten festival brings good-natured mayhem to the streets of this otherwise sober town. Sunday is the day of the big parade, when costumed characters called Banes Courants chase people through the streets and others called Haguètes snare passersby with long wooden pincers. Contact Office du Tourisme de Malmédy (tel. 080/33-02-50). Saturday to Shrove Tuesday.
Carnival, Aalst. Three days of pre-Lenten festivities, including the Giants' Parade with the horse Bayard, onion-throwing from the roofs of the Grote Markt, and the parade of Vuil Jeannetten -- men dressed as women. Contact VVV Aalst (tel. 053/73-22-70). Sunday to Shrove Tuesday.
Carnival, Binche. One of Europe's most colorful street carnivals, led on Shrove Tuesday by the sumptuously costumed Gilles of Binche, modeled, or so it is believed, on Inca nobles. Contact Office du Tourisme de Binche (tel. 064/33-67-27). Sunday to Shrove Tuesday.
March
Bal du Rat Mort, Ostend. This outrageous fancy-dress event takes its grisly name from a chic Paris cafe. Proceeds go to charity. Contact Toerisme Ostend (tel. 059/70-11-99; www.toerisme-oostende.be). First Saturday in March.
Carnival, Stavelot. The Blancs Moussis, characters with long red noses and hooded white costumes, are the stars of the town's Laetere procession. Contact Office du Tourisme de Stavelot (tel. 080/86-27-06). Sunday (3 weeks before Easter).
Carnival, Fosses-la-Ville. Costumed characters called Chinels parade through the streets. Contact Syndicat d'Initiative Fosses-la-Ville (tel. 071/71-46-24; www.fosses-la-ville.be). Saturday and Sunday (3 weeks before Easter).
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film, Passage 44 and Cinema Nova, Brussels. Screens science fiction and fantasy films. Contact BIFFF (tel. 02/204-00-13; www.bifff.org). Mid-March.
April
Sablon Spring Baroque Music Festival, place du Grand Sablon, Brussels. Open-air concerts on the square. Contact Brussels International Tourism (tel. 02/513-89-40; www.brusselsinternational.be). April/May.
May Day's Eve Festival, Hasselt. Participants in the Meieavondviering plant a May Tree in the Grote Markt and burn dummies representing winter, while "witches" dance. Contact VVV Hasselt (tel. 011/23-95-40; www.hasselt.be). April 30.
May
Queen Elisabeth Contest, Brussels. For promising young musicians, featuring a different instrument each year. Generally at Bozar (Palais des Beaux-Arts), and a few other venues. Contact Concours Reine Elisabeth (tel. 02/213-40-50; www.concours-reine-elisabeth.be). First 4 weeks in May.
KunstenFESTIVALdesArts (KFDA), Brussels. Arts festival famed across the cultural universe for its irritatingly scrunched-up name, which means -- brilliantly original, this -- Arts Festival, in both Dutch and French. It spotlights stage events, putting an emphasis on opera, theater, and dance, but finds space for cinema, music concerts, and fine-arts exhibits. Various auditoriums and venues around town. Contact KFDA (tel. 02/219-07-07; www.kfda.be). Three weeks in May.
Festival of the Cats, Ypres (Ieper). During the traditional Kattestoet, toy cats (it used to be live ones!) are thrown from the town hall belfry. Contact Toerisme Ieper (tel. 057/23-92-00; www.ieper.be). Every third year on the second Sunday in May. May 13, 2007; May 11, 2008.
Procession of the Holy Blood, Bruges. The bishop of Bruges carries a relic of the Holy Blood through the streets, while costumed characters act out biblical scenes. Contact In & Uit Brugge (tel. 050/44-86-86; www.brugge.be). Ascension Day (fifth Thurs after Easter).
Chariot of Gold Procession, Mons. Religious procession of guilds and the reliquary of St. Waudru, followed by a street performance, the Lumeçon, in which St. George slays the dragon. Contact Office du Tourisme de Mons (tel. 065/33-55-80; www.mons.be). Holy Trinity Sunday (first Sun after Pentecost).
Brussels Jazz Marathon, Brussels. Enjoy a long weekend of jazz, all kinds, at a slew of concerts on the Grand-Place, place du Grand Sablon, and place Ste-Catherine; at other open-air venues around town; and in jazz clubs, cafes, and hotel bars. Contact Jazztronaut (tel. 0900/00-750 or 02/456-04-82; www.brusselsjazzmarathon.be). Third week in May.
June
Day of the Four Processions, Tournai. Features flower-decked floats, a military band, and the highlight, a procession of giants representing historical characters, including King ChÃlderic of the Franks and France's King Louis XIV. Contact Office du Tourisme de Tournai (tel. 069/22-20-45; www.tournai.be). Second Sunday in June.
International Cartoon Festival, Knokke-Heist. Belgium is a big producer and consumer of cartoons and comic strips for both adults and children. Here it celebrates the national fascination with the "Ninth Art." Contact Cultuurcentrum Knokke-Heist (tel. 050/63-04-30; www.cartoonfestival.be). Mid-June to early September.
Carillon Concerts at St. Rombout's Tower, Mechelen. Home to Belgium's Royal Carillon School, Mechelen is one of the world's centers of carillon music, in which a classically trained musician employs a keyboard to play music on clusters of bells hanging in belfries. Contact VVV Mechelen (tel. 015/29-76-55). Saturday to Monday evenings, mid-June to August.
Couleur Café Festival, Brussels. Three days of Afro, Caribbean, and Latin music and dance, ably supported by heaps of soul food, at the Tour & Taxis cultural complex, in a former warehouse zone next to the Willebroeck Canal dock. Contact Couleur Café (www.couleurcafe.be). June 1 to July 31, 2007; June 1 to July 31, 2008.
July
Entertainment, Grand-Place, Brussels. Concerts, theater, dance, exhibits, and other forms of entertainment animate the Grand-Place. Contact Brussels International Tourism (tel. 02/513-89-40; www.brusselsinternationaltourism.be). Entire month.
Ommegang, Brussels. A dramatic annual historical pageant that dates from the 13th century and represents the city guilds, magistrates, and nobles honoring the Virgin Mary. Participants wearing period costume from the time of the "joyous entry" of Emperor Charles V into Brussels in 1549, escorted by a mounted cavalcade and waving medieval banners, go in procession from place du Grand Sablon to the Grand-Place. Contact Ommegang de Bruxelles (www.ommegang.be). First Tuesday and Thursday in July.
Brosella Folk and Jazz Festival, Brussels. A small-scale specialized music fest that takes place over a weekend at the Théâtre de Verdure in Parc d'Osseghem. Contact Les Amis de Brosella (tel. 02/270-98-56; www.brosella.be). Mid-July.
Belgian National Day, Brussels. Marked throughout Belgium but celebrated most in Brussels, with a military procession and music at the Royal Palace. Contact Brussels International Tourism (tel. 02/513-89-40; www.brusselsinternationaltourism.be). July 21.
Gentse Feesten, Ghent. Free street entertainment of music, dance, theater, puppet shows, and general fun and games marks the annual Ghent Festivities. Contact Dienst Feestelijkheeden (tel. 09/269-46-00; www.gentsefeesten.be). July 14 to July 23, 2007; July 19 to July 28, 2008.
August
Visiting the Royal Palace, Brussels. Exceptionally, the Royal Palace on place des Palais is open to free guided tours. King Albert and Queen Paola won't be there! Contact Palais Royal (www.monarchie.be). Throughout August (dates vary year by year but generally include the last week or so of July and the first week or so of Sept).
Planting of the Meiboom (May Pole), Brussels. Despite the name, this does happen in August, on the Feast of St. Lawrence, on the Grand-Place, and celebrates Brussels's victory over Leuven in 1213 (nowadays it's more a celebration of summer). Contact Société Royale des Compagnons de Saint-Laurent (tel. 02/217-39-43). August 9.
Tapis des Fleurs, Grand-Place, Brussels. The historic square is carpeted with two-thirds of a million begonias arranged in a kind of tapestry. Contact Brussels International Tourism (tel. 02/513-89-40; www.brusselsinternationaltourism.be). Mid-August in even-numbered years.
Marktrock Rock Festival, Leuven. Three days of rock and jazz on the square in front of the Stadhuis (Town Hall). Contact Dienst Toerisme Leuven (tel. 016/20-30-20; www.leuven.be) or visit www.marktrock.be. Mid-August.
Outre-Meuse Folklore Festival, Liège. Music, dance, and theater performances. Contact Office du Tourisme de Liège (tel. 04/221-92-21; www.liege.be). Mid-August.
September
Liberation Parade, Brussels. The Manneken-Pis statue is dressed in a Welsh Guard's uniform in honor of the city's liberation in 1944. Contact Brussels International Tourism (tel. 02/513-89-40; www.brusselsinternationaltourism.be). September 3.
Procession of the Plague, Tournai. Commemorates the terrible epidemic of 1090. Contact Office du Tourisme de Tournai (tel. 069/22-20-45; www.tournai.be). Second or third Sunday in September.
Brussels Heritage Days. Taking a different theme each year, this program allows you to visit some of the finest buildings in town that are usually closed to visitors. Contact or visit the Centre d'Information, Les Halles de St-Géry, place St-Géry (tel. 0800/40-400; Métro: Bourse), open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Third weekend of September.
October
Flanders International Film Festival, Ghent. Belgium's top international film festival, and an event that has grown in stature over the past 3 decades to become one of Europe's premier movie showcases. As many as 150 full-length movies and 100 shorts are screened each year. Contact Internationaal Filmfestival van Vlaanderen-Gent (tel. 09/242-80-60; www.filmfestival.be). During 11 days, midmonth.
December
Christmas Market, Brussels. Stands selling seasonal trinkets, traditional craft items, and food and drink are set up on place Ste-Catherine. Contact Brussels International Tourism (tel. 02/513-89-40; www.brusselsinternationaltourism.be). Throughout the month, daily from 11am to 10pm.
Christmas Market, Bruges. Stands selling seasonal trinkets, craft items, and food and drink, alongside an ice-skating rink, are set up on the Markt. Throughout the month, daily from 11am to 10pm. A second market is on Simon Stevinplein, daily from 11am to 7pm. Contact In & Uit Brugge (tel. 050/44-86-86; www.brugge.be).
Christmas Market, Ghent. Stands selling seasonal trinkets, craft items, and food and drink are set up on Sint-Baafsplein. Contact Dienst Toerisme Gent (tel. 09/266-52-32; www.gent.be). Throughout the month, daily from 11am to 10pm.
Nativity Scene and Christmas Tree, Grand-Place, Brussels. The crib has real animals. Contact Brussels International Tourism (tel. 02/513-89-40; www.brusselsinternationaltourism.be). Throughout the month.
Winter Fun, Brussels. An ice-skating rink and a big wheel are set up on the Marché aux Poissons; on neighboring place Ste-Catherine there's a baroque carousel. Contact Brussels International Tourism (tel. 02/513-89-40; www.brusselsinternational.be) or visit www.plaisirsdhiver.be. Throughout the month.
