Great Festivals Worth the Crowds and Costs : Book months ahead for annual events like Venice’s Regata Storica, then celebrate with the locals.

On the first Sunday in September, Venice, Italy, drapes itself in the pageantry of the past for the Regata Storica (Historical Regatta). Colorful banners hang from 15th-Century windows along the Grand Canal, and many townsfolk dress in the regal garb of their ancestors--all as backdrop to the magnificent two-hour procession of the city’s cherished ceremonial gondolas and barges, heralded along the way with drum rolls and trumpet fanfares.

The huge crowds that line the banks of the canal see Venice as it must have appeared centuries ago in the triumphant days of the Serene Republic. It is a true spectacle, an event unique to the city that enriches a visitor’s appreciation of Venice and remains fresh in memory for years afterward.

The Regata Storica is but one of dozens of major cultural and historical festivals held annually in this country and abroad that draw travelers from around the world. In the year ahead, for example, one can revel at Winter Carnival in frosty St. Paul, Minn.; hear the strum of gypsy guitars at April Fair in Seville, Spain, and relive the Wild West at Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyo.

And to think that my wife and I stumbled upon the Regata Storica accidentally! The experience taught me several useful lessons.

For years, I avoided big, crowd-drawing events such as festivals, particularly in foreign cities. I preferred to explore when the streets weren’t teeming with tourists, and it was my experience that hotel prices were usually much higher during festival periods--if I could even find a vacancy.

Maybe I should have realized something was afoot a few years back when my wife and I began planning a tour of northern Italy, including three nights in Venice during the first week of September. Months in advance, we gave our travel agent a short list of inexpensive bed-and-breakfast inns in the city that appealed to us. She promptly came back with a report that they were booked solid for the dates we wanted. Full so far in advance? It surprised us, but we naively suspected nothing out of the ordinary. After all, Venice is a popular destination, and September is a beautiful month in Italy.

The only room we could reserve was in a very plush four-star hotel near the Piazza San Marco--at a price about triple what we had hoped to pay.

Not until the moment we checked into the hotel did we discover why booking a room had been so difficult. Almost as an afterthought, the desk clerk asked if we wanted to purchase special viewing seats for the next day’s Regata Storica. The Regata Storica? Suddenly, the mystery was solved. Inadvertently, we had planned a trip to Venice during one of its busiest weeks.

To make the best of the situation, we opted for the hotel’s special seats, which turned out to be aboard a plush power boat docked on the Grand Canal in the shadow of the Rialto Bridge. For a not-too-exorbitant price (about $25 each, as I recall), we perched on the bow of the boat with a front-row view of the parade of gondolas.

Similar boats lined the canal on both sides of us, many of them occupied by families and groups drinking wine and snacking on lavish picnics. Our hotel provided beverages, and a friendly party of regatta enthusiasts in a neighboring boat generously shared a huge platter of homemade polenta with us.

Behind our boat, crowds as thick as 10- and 20-deep lined both sides of the canal, many of them presumably occupying Venice’s cheaper lodgings. In the splendor of the historically inspired regatta, however, all doubts about the expense of our stay vanished. We were seeing the city at its most sumptuous, and in the memories we would retain for years, the price was worth it.

In the course of the parade, which was over almost too quickly, a number of two-man gondolas engaged in a series of strenuous four-mile races near the Rialto Bridge, which kept the crowds cheering. Despite my qualms about foreign festivals, I kept thinking how lucky I was to be there.

In due course, this led me to the following conclusions:

- Even with crowds, higher prices and the need to book early, many festivals are well worth the effort it takes to witness or participate in them--especially one such as the Regata Storica, which has a firm basis in Venetian history and reflects the city’s heritage. Accept the hassles and enjoy.

- To get the lodgings of your choice during a busy festival period, you often must book well in advance--and that could mean months or a full year--or take what’s left. Now is not too soon to begin making reservations for travel next summer.

- When planning a trip, check in advance to see what festivals or other special events are scheduled during your stay. You might find something that turns an ordinary trip into an especially memorable one.

Festivals in the United States and abroad have many origins. Some, such as St. Paul’s Winter Carnival, are organized for good fun, and everyone is invited to join in the activities. Others are primarily religious, among them Spain’s Holy Week, and a visitor is more apt to observe than to participate in the ceremonies. And some celebrate food, usually a local specialty such as crawfish, a delectable shellfish served up by the bucket-loads at the Crawfish Festival in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun Country.

Among the most intriguing festivals of 1993 (in chronological order):

- Winter Carnival, St. Paul, Minn. Now in its 107th year, the weeklong St. Paul Winter Carnival makes the best of the city’s frosty weather with a gala celebration indoors and out, Feb. 5-10. Rice Park in the city center is transformed into Crystal Courtyard, one of the country’s most impressive displays of ice carvings. A Queen of Snows is crowned on the opening Friday, and the King Boreas Grande Day Parade marches through downtown streets the following day. Throughout the festival, the Fun Fair, an indoor carnival for kids, features rides and games at the St. Paul Civic Center; adults can play golf in the snow and everyone can watch the softball-on-ice tournament or take a horse-drawn sleigh ride at one of the city’s lakeside parks. For event information: 101 Norwest Center, 55 E. Fifth St., St. Paul, Minn. 55101, (612) 297-6953.

- April Fair, Seville, Spain. After the somber but impressive religious processions of Holy Week (Palm Sunday to Easter), the city explodes in fun at the April Fair, Andalusia’s most colorful event. It is an extravaganza of local customs and traditions. In a temporary tent city on the fairgrounds, residents don traditional garb and join with visitors in festive days of flamenco dancing, bullfights, wine-drinking, horse and carriage parades, lavish flower displays, fireworks and tapas snacking. Many hotels book a year in advance for both Holy Week and April Fair, and traffic crawls. Go not to see Seville, but to celebrate with it. In 1993, the fair is scheduled April 27-May 2. For information: National Tourist Office of Spain, 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 960, Beverly Hills 90211, (213) 658-7193.

- Crawfish Festival, Breaux Bridge, La. The crawfish are steamed, fried in spicy batter or served up in thick gumbo from vending stands in Parc Hardy in little Breaux Bridge. To work up a hunger, join in the Cajun two-step for nonstop outdoor dancing to the spirited tunes of French Cajun bands. After the festival, to be held the weekend of April 30 and May 1-2, tour Cajun Country for more good food and dancing. Lodging is in nearby Lafayette or Baton Rouge. For information: Crawfish Festival Assn., (318) 332-6655.

- Dragon Boat Festival, Hong Kong. In the 4th Century BC (as the legend goes), Qu Yuan, a government minister beloved by the people, was ousted from office by corrupt officials. Perhaps to call attention to the corruption, he threw himself into the Mi Lo River. Local fishermen raced in their boats to rescue him, but failed. Today, Qu Yuan’s death is commemorated each year at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, an exciting two-day international race drawing as many as 30 teams from 15 countries. In 1993, the festival is July 3-4. The slender boats, about 12 feet long, sport a dragon’s head and tail. They are propelled by 20 paddlers, who are guided by a steersman and a drummer. For lodging and ticket information: Hong Kong Tourist Association, 10940 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1220, Los Angeles 90024, (310) 208-4582.

- Frontier Days, Cheyenne, Wyo. Maybe the biggest Wild West show of them all. From July 23-Aug. 1, Cheyenne will host nine daytime rodeos at Frontier Park; nine big-name night shows featuring chuck wagon races and such country western stars as Garth Brooks; four morning parades in downtown Cheyenne (with lots of horses, cowboys and cowgirls), and free pancake breakfasts (with ham) on three mornings. More than 10,000 people are expected to show up for each breakfast. Hotels and motels tend to fill early for the festival. For information on lodging, rodeo tickets, nights shows and other events: (800) 227-6336 or (307) 778-7200.

- Intertribal Indian Ceremonial, Gallup, N.M. American Indian tribes from throughout the country gather for six days and nights at Red Rock State Park outside Gallup for a powwow; traditional dancing; an arts, crafts and jewelry show; three days of rodeo competition; storytelling and a traditional food fest, featuring Navajo fry bread and tacos. The public is welcome, and many of the crafts are put on sale. In 1993, the ceremonial is scheduled Aug. 10-15. Lodging is available in Gallup and Grants, N.M., and Sanders, Ariz., but can book full for the week. For event and ticket information: P.O. Box 1, Church Rock, N.M. 87311, (800) 233-4528 or (505) 863-3896.

- Regata Storica, Venice, Italy. Historical pomp along the Grand Canal in a two-hour parade of Venice’s antique gondolas. The event is held annually on the first Sunday in September, which will be Sept. 5 this year. There’s no charge to watch, if you can find space along the canal to stand. For information: Italian Government Tourist Board, 12400 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles 90025, (310) 820-0098.

- Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany. Despite its name, the two-week Oktoberfest, a raucous tribute to the pleasures of beer drinking, actually begins in September: This year, it runs Sept. 18-Oct. 1. The city’s breweries erect huge tents at the Munich fairgrounds, and throngs swarm in to drink, nibble on pretzels and roasted chicken and sing their voices hoarse. Outside the tents, parades, folklore shows, concerts, carnival thrill rides and street performances draw families in search of fun. Lodging in Munich can be hard to find during the fair. For information: German National Tourist Office, 11766 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 750, Los Angeles 90025, (310) 575-9799.

Unfortunately, many of the standard guidebooks make only a brief mention, if any, of many important festivals. For example, the Regata Storica still is ignored in most of the guidebooks to Italy I surveyed recently. However, most city, state and foreign tourism offices can provide a calendar of upcoming events.

One new and informative resource is “Festival Europe: Fairs & Celebrations Throughout Europe,” by Margaret M. Johnson (Mustang, $10.95), which was published last year. Another is Events USA, a new publication highlighting upcoming celebrations, festivals, exhibitions and sporting and other events nationwide. The newsstand price is $2.95 for the December/January issue, and a one-year subscription (six issues) is $15 from Events USA, P.O. Box 3000, Denville, N.J. 07834.