Amongst the most important are the Borsang Umbrella Festival and the Baan Tawai Wood Carving Fair, both held in January. Early February brings the lovely Chiang Mai Flower Festival with parades, floats, cultural performances and exhibitions.
In the heat of mid-April, city commerce closes down for nearly a whole week during the Thai New Year Songkran Festival, which is celebrated in Chiang Mai with more fervour and more water throwing than the rest of the country put together.
This is a wonderfully wild time, and unless you are wearing quick-drying clothes and carrying your camera in a plastic bag, you should not leave the waterproof interior of a closed vehicle during the daytime. Evenings bring relative safety, and a host of splendid cultural events in many city venues.
The Chiang Mai Mardi Gras takes place in October at the Night Bazaar, with food festivals, shows, music awards, and general merriment. The most beautiful Loy Kratong (Yeepeng) festival takes place during the November full moon when candlelit handmade floats or "kratongs" are placed reverently on any available stretch of water,
creating an unforgettable backdrop for the processions, celebrations, and performances, which for most foreigners, make this the best-loved event of the year.
Yi Peng Festival : Yi Peng Festival is held annually on Loi Krathong day. It is a very interesting event of Chiang Mai. The festival features launching lanterns into the sky to worship the gods. There are also fireworks, lantern contests, and beauty pageants.
Bo Sang Umbrella Festival : Bo Sang Umbrella Festival is held in January in Bo Sang Handicraft Centre. The festival features paper products, paper parasols in particular, cultural shows, a parade showing traditional ways of life, and several contests.
City Pillar Inthakin Festival : City Pillar Inthakin Festival is held to invoke blessings of peace, happiness and prosperity for the city and its residents. Buddha images are paraded around the city. It is held at Wat Chedi Luang for 7 auspicious days and nights in the 7th lunar month.
Doi Suthep Pilgrimage : On the night of Visakha Bucha Day, worshippers gather to light candles and make the 7-kilometre pilgrimage up to the temple on Doi Suthep.
Flower Festival : Flower Festival is held in February. The festival includes ornamental garden flower contests, floral floats parade in the morning and beauty pageants. The parade begins at Chiang Mai Railway Station and passes Nawarat Bridge and ends at Nong Buak Hat Park.
Songkran Festival : Songkran Festival is held annually from 13 to 15 April. The 13th of April is the Great Songkran day featuring the revered Phra Phutthasihing Buddha image parade around Chiang Mai town for bathing, sand pagoda making, blessing of elders, and water splashing.
Woodcarving Fair : Held in January over four days including the weekend closest to the end of the month, this is another activity that will interest travellers to the area is this fair where items can be bought, demonstrations take place and one can view the craftsmen's exquisite work.
