The 20 Best Places to Visit in August

Canmore is one of those underrated Canadian towns you really need to visit. A great time to come is from August 3 to 5, when Canmore hosts one of Alberta’s longest-running music festivals. This year’s Canmore Folk Music Festival artists include Quebec trio Bon Débarras, Connie Kaldor, Willie Watson and so many others.

Memphis is one of the best destinations for music lovers and from August 9 to August 17, the city’s most famous house celebrates the city’s most famous son. Elvis Week at Graceland is a week of tours, talks, concerts, memorabilia auctions and of course lots of Elvis impersonators paying tribute to The King, making it the perfect time to plan a vacation to Memphis, Tennessee.

In August, Tuscany is usually hot, dry and super busy with tourists. However, if you avoid the large cities, you can escape the worst of the crowds and have some unforgettable experiences. Many Tuscan towns host food festivals, medieval fairs or quirky events like donkey races. Even in high season there are ways you can save money while travelling in Europe.

Croatia isn’t the off-the-beaten-path Mediterranean destination it used to be but with most tourists going to Dubrovnik or Hvar, you can avoid the crowds if you opt for Split this August instead. This is the second largest city in the country and offers everything from beaches and sailing to Roman ruins and streets dating from medieval times.

Do you want to express yourself in an anything-goes atmosphere? Every year, thousands of people flock to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada for Burning Man, one of the most talked-about events on the festival calendar. This year’s Burning Man is held from August 25 to September 2.

RELATED: Festival fashion for summer 2019.

On August 28, Buñol in Valencia gives you the perfect way to get rid of pent-up stress. This is when the town hosts La Tomatina, one of the world’s biggest and messiest food fights, which involves thousands of people pelting one another with squishy tomatoes. Add this stop in Spain to your summer bucket list, stat.

August is festival month in Edinburgh, Scotland, with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Edinburgh Art Festival and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. If you want to vacation there this August, it’s best to book your hotel ahead of time but remember these red flags you need to look for when booking online.

If your taste in music tends toward the heavy and loud rather than bubblegum pop, you’ll want to look for cheap flights and head to Chicago from August 1 to 4. Lollapalooza is one of the world’s premier festivals for indie, rock, punk rock, hip hop and metal and this year’s headlining acts include Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino, The Strokes, The Chainsmokers and more.

Have you always dreamed of being a famous rock guitarist but just never mastered the instrument? In Oulu, Finland you get the chance to have the audience at your feet regardless. From August 21 to 23, the city in Northern Finland hosts the Air Guitar World Championships, so start working on your moves!

SEE ALSO: The 20 richest rock stars.

The department of Savoie in eastern France offers excellent wine and cheese, towns straight from a fairy tale and stunning mountain scenery at lower prices and without the crowds of Provence and the Riviera if you're visiting in August. If you’d still like some beach time, head to Lac du Bourget, France’s largest lake.

In August, Winnipeg generally enjoys warm and mostly sunny days and you’ll truly see why it’s one of the most beautiful Canadian cities. During the month, the city also hosts a variety of festivals and events, including Folklorama 50, the Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition from August 4 to 17, the Downtown Winnipeg Night Market carries on until the end of August and Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella is on from August 13 to August 30.

You can visit one of the most beautiful flower markets in the world or you can go all out and head to Medellín for the Feria de las Flores, or Festival of the Flowers. It’s one of the biggest events on the city’s social calendar and is held from August 2 to 11 this year.

August is winter in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the cooler months in Buenos Aires but you can warm up with the world’s hottest dance. From August 15 to 18, the city hosts the Buenos Aires Tango Festival, which includes workshops and free master classes, as well as the World Tango Championship.

The winelands of Baja California are one of the hidden gems of Mexico and one of the region’s biggest events is the Fiesta de la Vendimia, the grape harvest festival (this year it's on at the end of July). The port city offers culture, gray whales and so much more.

One of life’s biggest pleasures is lazing on a Caribbean beach. One of life’s other biggest pleasures is chocolate and in St. Lucia, the two make the perfect combination in August, which is Chocolate Heritage Month. All across the island you’ll find good deals on plantation tours, chocolaty spa treatments and of course culinary delights.

SEE ALSO: These are the 10 most affordable beaches in the world.

If you didn’t make it to one of the best places to attend Carnival in February, August is when you’ll find one of the most surprising places to attend Carnival. The Notting Hill Carnival is held from August 25 to 26 and brings colourful street parades, outrageous costumes and Caribbean rhythms to the heart of London.

August is one of the nicest months to visit Bali, since it’s drier than the rest of the year and temperatures are more bearable. You can also find good deals if you opt for smaller guest houses rather than big, fancy resorts.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 10 amazing wellness retreats you can actually afford.

Only the Irish could take something as gruelling as a half marathon and turn it into an excuse for a shindig. The Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon is held on August 10 and all along the way, runners are serenaded by live bands. Naturally there’s a concert afterwards. The event is just one of the many things you probably didn’t know about Dublin.

If you believe that summer is all about building sandcastles on the beach, you’ll want to be in Parksville on Vancouver Island from July 15 to August 18. As part of the Parksville Beach Festival, you may get to show off your skills at the Quality Foods Sand Sculpture Competition and Exhibition.

RELATED: 20 stunning landscapes you won't believe are in Canada.

If you can’t wait for winter, New Zealand is a great option for your vacation. In August, the country’s mountain regions get snow, the ski resorts are open and you may even see the Southern Lights. The flight to New Zealand is long, yes, but we've got some simple tricks for fighting boredom on a plane.