Loy Krathong and Yi Peng ★ 4.7
Chiang Mai's great November festival floats krathong on the Ping and lanterns into the sky, with walking-street stalls piling up khanom and grilled snacks.
Focus: Street food and sweets
Food festivals in Chiang Mai worth planning a trip around, by month.
Festivals through the year
Songkran ★ 4.6
Thailand's April new-year water festival is at its wildest around the Chiang Mai moat, with khao soi stalls and khan tok feasts between the water fights.
Focus: Northern Thai festival food
Thai Vegetarian Festival (Jay) ★ 4.3
For nine October days, yellow-flagged jay stalls take over Warorot and the Chinese quarter, serving meat-free curries, mock-meat noodles and vegetable plates.
Focus: Vegetarian (jay)
Chiang Mai Flower Festival ★ 4.0
The February flower festival fills Suan Buak Haad and the moat road with blooms, parade floats and food stalls selling northern snacks and cool-season sweets.
Focus: Street-food stalls
Inthakin City Pillar Festival ★ 3.9
The city-pillar merit festival at Wat Chedi Luang in late May draws flower offerings and a temple-fair spread of northern sweets, noodles and vegetarian stalls.
Focus: Temple and northern food