Festa de Gràcia, Barcelona, Spain

While the majority of residents leave Barcelona during the month of August for summer holidays, there is still plenty to do for those who stick around, including one of Barcelona’s most unique and memorable festivals.

Every August, local businesses in the Barcelona neighborhood of Gràcia put their heads together to come up with the most inventive, most creative and most jaw-dropping street art displays they can think of. The annual Festa Major de Gràcia is a chance for them to show off their creativity using nothing but recycled materials.

Throughout the streets of this outer neighborhood, beer stalls sell brews in commemorative cups; local bars and restaurants open their doors and sell cocktails and snacks from their front windows; and sporadic stages are set up to showcase musical acts from every genre imaginable.

For about a week, visitors and locals alike flock to the tiny streets of Gràcia to view the artistic displays, some so popular that lines form on one end of the street so people can pass through in an orderly fashion. The festival lasts pretty much around the clock for seven or so days, allowing enough time for people to see every exhibit and for judges to choose their favorite that best represents that year’s theme.