Latest Fairs and festivals News

The Singles' Day shopping festival loses its shine under China's lagging economy

Nov. 10, 2024 23:04 PM EST

HONG KONG (AP) — Merchants and consumers alike found the Singles' Day shopping festival Monday less shiny than in years past as e-commerce firms look abroad for growth. The annual event named by the numeric form of its Nov. 11 date was started by e-commerce platform Alibaba, which...

Bolivians carry adorned human skulls asking for favors in the Ñatitas festival in La Paz

Nov. 08, 2024 20:03 PM EST

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Hundreds of Bolivian devotees arrived Friday at the municipal cemetery of La Paz carrying human skulls adorned with flowers for the Ñatitas festival, a custom rooted in the Andean region, but not recognized by the Catholic church. According to Bolivian...

At an art festival in Dakar, artists from both sides of the Atlantic examine the legacy of slavery

Nov. 08, 2024 11:46 AM EST

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A whirlwind of color and art at the opening of this year's Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art in the Senegalese capital stood in stark contrast to the serious topic of slavery featuring in the artworks of guest artists from the United States. The U.S....

AP PHOTOS: Tens of thousands of Hindu devotees flock to rivers for prayers to the sun god

Nov. 08, 2024 01:57 AM EST

NEW DELHI (AP) — Tens of thousands of Hindu devotees flocked to rivers and bodies of water across India to pray to the sun god as part of the Chhath festival this week. In Noida, on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi, families gathered at the Yamuna river, which is covered...

PHOTO COLLECTION: Chhath Puja Festival

Nov. 07, 2024 14:44 PM EST
This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

Fair Isaac: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Nov. 06, 2024 17:01 PM EST

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO) on Wednesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $135.7 million. The Bozeman, Montana-based company said it had net income of $5.44 per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to $6.54...

Miami native 'Cuban Cowboy' Orlando Mendez returns home for Country Bay Musical Festival

Nov. 01, 2024 00:09 AM EDT

MIAMI (AP) — Miami-native Orlando Mendez had been an aspiring actor when a pandemic shut down live entertainment in 2020. But the break gave Mendez a chance to embrace his love of county music and reinvent himself as the “Cuban Cowboy.” After COVID-19 locked the world down,...

AP Photos: Garlands and treats for beloved dogs in Nepal’s annual Kukur Puja festival

Oct. 31, 2024 08:23 AM EDT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Dogs across Nepal were honored during the annual festival of “Kukur Puja” on Thursday, with offerings of flower garlands, treats and vermillion marks on their heads. In Nepal, the second day of Tihar — also known as Diwali — is Kukur Puja, dedicated...

What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights? How is it celebrated in India and the diaspora?

Oct. 31, 2024 07:00 AM EDT

Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India — and for Hindus in particular. It is celebrated across faiths by more than a billion people in the world’s most populous nation and the diaspora. Over five days, people take part in festive gatherings, fireworks...

Indians celebrate Diwali by lighting a record number of clay lamps

Oct. 31, 2024 06:24 AM EDT

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Millions of Indians began celebrating the annual Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, by symbolically lighting a record 2.51 million clay oil lamps at dusk on Wednesday on the banks of the river Saryu in a northern Indian city they believe to be the birthplace of the deity Lord...