Everyone parties their own way, but these events take it to another level. They are plain weird. You might think that these strange celebrations take place in cities like Los Angeles and New York, but it is small towns the ones that sometimes approach festivities in a peculiar way.

Barkus Mardi Gras Parade

Just like there is a Mardi Gras parade for humans, there is one for dogs in the town of Lousiana. That is where the name "barkus" comes from, the barks of the dogs. This is not a conventional dog parade, if there is such a thing, but an actual Mardi Gras: each year a Queen is crowned in the event. Then you see dogs running around with colouful clowns. You might even spot these pets dressed up as jesters, also part of the royal paraphernalia. The event takes place annually on Sunday around Mardi Gras in Armstrong Park from 2 to 5pm. This is a great parade to watch, take pictures and have a laugh.

Langley Mystery Weekend

The entire town of Langley on the island of Whidbey take part in this event. Participants pick up a special newspaper which outlines a murder with photos of suspects plus a map showing the crime scene. Then they turn into Sherlock Holmes and set out to solve the murder mystery. The clues are all in this island of the state of Washington and participants must conduct an investigation and solve the mystery before the denouement on Sunday evening. The event takes place during a weekend in late February.

Roswell UFO Festival

UFO nuts from around the world meet in Roswell for five days in July to expand their knowledge on aliens and extra-terrestrials. Festival-goers have the geeky time of their lives by joining the alien parade or grooving to the sounds of the world's only alien drummer in the famous and remote Area 51.

The sun shines, and the music takes over. During the summertime, music festivals of all shapes and sizes take place all over the United States. Indie music, grindcore, folk or hard techno fill the hearts of festival-goers with bliss and excitement. Apart from music, these events also offer other attractions like comedy and food festivals. Check out our list of top summer music festivals in the USA:

1) Bonnarco (Tennessee)

One of the largest summer festivals in the United States, Nonnarco is a four-day event that will sweep you off your feet. The main attractions of the festival are the multiple stages of live music. The festival is also very diverse and features a large diversity of music styles ranging from indie rock to world music, hip hop, jazz, americana, bluegrass, country music, folk, gospel, reggae, electronica and other alternative music. The name of this party translates as "real good time". Apart from the music, you can don your don your tie-die and try carousels, slippery wet slides and silent discos. Past headliners include Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon, The Police, Radiohead, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

2) Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance (New York)

Four days of music, art and evolution, the GrassRoots Festival is a laid-back event that attracts enthusiastic music lovers to rural New York to have the hippy time of their lives. Here you will find hundreds of aficionados of bluegrass, rockabilly, Irish music, rock ‘n‘ roll, country and Native American music, plus a load of other hippy stuff from stripy clown pants stalls to an art barn and healing tent (with herbal highs and remedies). A percentage of the money obtained from the event goes to good causes such as Doctors Without Borders and Musicians for World Harmony.

3) Pitchfork (Chicago)

Named after the hipster publication "Pitchfork", this small festival is a three-day event with exciting headliners that have included Björk, Belle & Sebastian and R. Kelly. Even though Pitchfork festival mainly focuses on artists and bands from alternative rock, rap, hip hop, electronica and dance music, it has also included acts from hardcore punk, experimental/avant-garde rock and jazz in its lineups.

Stretching alongside 75-acre lake,

Summerfest

is the world's largest music festival according to Guinness World Records. Also known as "The Big Gig", this 45-year-old festival takes place in the American state of Wisconsin and attracts over 900,000 people every year.

During 11 glorious days of summer, over 800 acts and more than 1,000 performances take place on 11 different stages in Henry Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee. The music industry's hottest stars, emerging talent and local favourites come together in this world-class festival setting to create unforgettable live music experiences.

Summerfest's nature is eclectic and features music in different genres, from alternative to Zydeco. Since its foundation in 1968, legendary musicians such as Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan, plus popular stars such as Britney Spears, Tina Turner and Maroon 5 have graced the Summerfest stages.

Festival-goers around the world are eagerly looking forward to the next Summerfest.

Although the music performances are the main attraction of the event, festival-goers can take some time out with activities like paddleboating. The event also provides the opportunity to sample a wide variety of food from many Milwaukee-area restaurants. Other attractions include shopping vendors, fireworks - especially "The Big Bang" on opening night - family events and comedy acts. All shows are free with an admission ticket, except for some special acts that take place at the Marcus Amphitheater.

Even before a regular ‘Comedy Showcase' was established in 1975, live comedy acts have also been part of Summerfest's history. Comedians such as Jay Leno and Jon Stewart have made their appearances in their event and filled with the air of Milwaukee with laughs.

Admission is between US$8 and US$17, depending on the time of the day.

80s kid Ferris Bueller once said: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." These words are particularly salient in our world today, because USA life in 2013 is 100mph. In a major international city like San Francisco, it can be particularly difficult to get a moment to yourself, the streets can be jammed with noisy and your head is cluttered with all of life's worries. That is why it is important to take a step back, relax and enjoy the finer things in life.

One co-operative organisation that understands the importance of dislocating yourself every once in a while from the trappings of modern life are the organisers of Slow Art Days, SFMOMA. This is a creative grass roots group that is heavily involved in the modern art scene in San Fran, and they are setting art lovers a challenge.

On Saturday April 27th they want you to join Open Space stalwarts like Tess Thackara, Emily Wilson, and Duane Deterville for an art experience like no other: A slow-look session in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This sounds peculiar, but the organisers want people to really engage with 5 unique pieces of artwork, so they ask you to look at a single piece of art continuously for 10 mins each. Then afterwards you will be able to discuss your thoughts and enjoy the refreshments they have allocated for guests.

Modern Art is too easy to scoff at and many detractors say that it is pointless or useless. But that is what is brilliant about modern art, it challenges the status quo, makes you think about things differently and disgruntles the unimaginative. Slow Art Day is an international movement that embraces long contemplation of art. Enjoying art slowly is a joy in itself, and this helps to promote deep thought and also allows you to engage with art from multiple angles. For more information about the event you can follow this link: http://SlowArtDay.com.