People enjoy various free time activities during summer season. Some people like staying by the sea and sunbathing but other prefer to participate in some of the amazing festivals that take place during the season. One can for example take part in a tomato battle in Spain, watch hundreds of wrestlers fighting in Turkey or admire balloons at European balloon championship.
If you are fond of balloons you should visit Spanish town of Igualada between 8th and 11th July. An international balloon festival takes place there and about 50 balloons take part in the contest. The festival lures some 25 000 people every year. Visitors can not only watch the balloons but also fly in them; and in the evening they can watch fireworks.
Another Spanish town Buñol is the place of La Tomatina, the world's biggest tomato battle. Some 30 000 people come to the city every year to participate in this grandiose battle during which 125 tonnes of tomatoes are used as ammunition.
Tourists coming to the USA may visit the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert. The founder of the festival Larry Harvey once decided to burn a figurine with his friends. Little did they know that the 'event' they started in the 80s would grow into huge proportions. These days the festival takes place in an 'instant' city that is built just for the event every year. It is a festival of self-expression as you can see there various odd creations such as colored-muffin buildings or a mutant vehicle in the shape of an eight-legged spider, some of which are made by the participants themselves. Many interesting and sometimes bizzare activities take place at the festival. And at the end of the festival the figurine is burnt.
Yet another exciting non-conventional event takes place in a Turkish town Edirne. 1000 professional wrestlers meet there every year to fight one another because everybody wants to win a golden belt that is worth $37,000. The Turkish type of wrestling goes back to 14th century and the men who fight in tight leather pants and whose bare chest is covered in olive oil are trying to throw the opponent to the ground in the most effective way possible.