I didn’t just visit one festival last year – I jumped into three big ones headfirst! Tokyo’s sushi showdown, Paris’s cheese madness, and Mexico City’s chili chaos. Hadn’t done anything like this before, just regular vacation stuff. Started planning months early, total rookie mistakes everywhere.
The First Steps: Research Chaos
Googled everything like a crazy person. So many blogs, official sites, random travel forums – all yelling different things. Felt completely lost. Took me two whole weeks just to figure out:
- Key dates (some pop-up events lasted, like, two days! Missed a mini ramen fest.)
- Must-eat vendors (not the tourist traps)
- Booking timelines for special workshops
Put it all in one giant messy spreadsheet. Looked like alphabet soup. Slapped myself later – phone apps exist!
Money Talk: Budget Blunders
Thought I was smart bringing extra cash. Tokyo laughed at me. Seriously. Blew half my daily food budget on TWO premium tuna nigiri pieces at Tsukiji. Beautiful melt-in-your-mouth stuff? Sure. Worth skipping three other meals? Nope. Learned fast:
- Set per-meal limits strictly
- Withdraw local currency before the fest crowds hit ATMs
- Track EVERY bite on a simple app – zero math
The Survival Kit: Gear Up!
Mexico City’s chili fest was 35°C, sunny as hell. Wore cute new sandals? Biggest mistake. Limped back blistered after four hours buying overpriced flip-flops. Packed essentials for Paris/Japan:
- Broken-in sneakers (ugly beats painful)
- Reusable collapsible water bottle (festival water costs highway robbery)
- Hand sanitizer & wet wipes (street food = sticky fingers everywhere)
- Foldable mini stool (waiting lines are brutal)
That stool? Worth its weight in gold during the 45-minute cheese tasting queue.
Eating Strategy: Don’t Be an Idiot
Tried eating EVERYTHING shiny in Tokyo first day. Big plates, heavy stuff. Stuffed myself silly by noon, totally missed the legendary afternoon eel place. Gut said “eat more!” Brain? Food coma. Adjusted:
Started splitting dishes with travel buddies immediately. Tiny bites everywhere. Shared that insane $15 foie gras torchon in Paris instead of eating alone. Left space to try TRIPLE the stalls. Also, hit popular stalls EARLY. That Tokyo sushi master ran out by 1pm. My jetlag got me there at 9am – scored!
The People Part: Talk to Humans!
Hung back like a scared tourist initially. Mistake. At Mexico City’s chili fest, finally chatted with abuela selling salsa. Bad English + my terrible Spanish = hilarious sign language. Learned her family recipe secret (add roasted pineapple!). Joined an impromptu cooking demo near her stall. Best moment. Made friends with locals, vendors, even other lost tourists. Shared tips, avoided long lines together.
Final Takeaway? Just Start Messy.
My first fest was an utter disaster. Overplanned budget? Blew it. Outfit? Torture. Eating plan? Nonexistent. But you learn faster DOING. Next time? More talking, less spreadsheet. More sharing dishes, less “must see it all!” stress. Zero regrets – just hungry for the next one. Your turn!
