Succot has always been a festive holiday, but this year it is truly the holiday of festivals. Here’s a very partial list:

Yotvata — a Kibbutz near Eilat, and home of the best chocolate milk in Israel — is hosting a festival of flying balloons in the desert.

Shanti lovers have 3 different festivals to choose from this year: Sagol (“purple”) in the coastal plane, Zorba the Buddha in the south, and Bereshit (“genesis”) in the north.

Are you looking for music? In-di-Negev is a whole weekend of alternative music, happening for the second time this year in the Negev desert. The Guitar Festival is the place to go if you enjoy jamming near the campfire. And if you want to enjoy quality performances by big-name mainstream artists, the Tamar Festival (“palm festival”) is offering just that.

Still want more? Well-established sci-fi festival Icon is drawing geeks from across the universe, who arrive to congregate at the Cinemateque in Tel Aviv.

And what about the kids? The Virtuoso Festival in Jerusalem (happening today and tomorrow) offers a mishmash of circus performances for only 20 Shekels.

With so much to do, and such great weather, please, please, don’t stay at home! 🙂