Every year on the first weekend of February, the Chiang Mai Flower Festival takes place featuring a parade, flower exhibition and the Miss Chiang Mai Flower Festival competition. On the days that the flower festival takes place, the downtown streets are colored by the flowers that decorate every corner. It is celebrated for three days. The festival is centered at Suan Buak Haad. Chiang Mai is often known as the Rose of the North.

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The Rose Parade is an all-time favorite parades to see, and it kicks off each New Year in Pasadena on January 1, 2015. Pasadena attracts over 1 million spectators to the parade. It is also known as the Tournament of Roses. The 126th Rose Parade presented by Honda, themed “Inspiring Stories,” took place Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, at 8 a.m. (PST) featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands.

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Pride parades for the LGBT community are events celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture. The Chicago Pride two-day Celebration and Parade historically takes place the final weekend in June of each year. There is no fee to attend the Pride Fest or watch the Parade. These event take place in different areas of the metro Chicago area. Numerous gay bars as well as gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops have special events and parties throughout Pride Week.

credit: Benjamin Lipsman

Elephant polo is a game quite similar to the horse polo. Main difference is that players ride elephants instead of horses. Elephant polo is often played in India and Thailand. The game is played with 4 players in every team. Every match is divided into two 10 minutes periods. Matches are played on a playground sized 100 metres by 70 metres.

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