There are lots of fun events in Clearwater that you can add to your vacation itinerary, and you might even look to plan your trip around a specific festival if it interests you. Lots of visitors are known to plan their visits around the annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday, which is the city's featured annual festival, and you can do the same if you are a jazz fan. For those who like food, a number of interesting food festivals figure among the top Clearwater events, and they can add flavor to your vacation experience. Chances are good that there is an ideal Clearwater festival or event for you, so don't forget to check the schedule when planning your visit.

For those who like good music, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday is the Clearwater festival for you. This king of the annual events in Clearwater has been going strong for decades now, and it always features some of the industry's top talents. More than 50,000 people attend this popular jazz event in Clearwater Florida every year, and they all get in free. In recent years, the Clearwater Jazz Festival has not only featured great music, but some fantastic art as well. Jazz 'N Art Walk, which is a relatively new event, coincides with the last two days of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday. It is an art show, effectively, and you can buy some of the pieces if you are interested in bringing home an interesting keepsake.

The Clearwater Jazz Holiday isn't the only Clearwater festival that you can consider attending if you are a jazz fan. There's also the Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic, which is held in November. The Sheraton Sand Key Resort and the Marriott Suites on Sand Key usually serve as the headquarters for this fun music festival, which not only features jazz music, but swing and big band as well. As a side note, if you consider yourself a music fan, you'll want to see what's going on at Ruth Eckerd Hall while in town. This venue hosts some of the top events in Clearwater, including music concerts and theater shows. Speaking of live music, some of the beachfront bars offer it on an almost daily basis during the warmer months, so you can take a break from swimming and sunning for a while to listen to some tunes.

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In addition to stopping by a beach bar to listen to some live music during your day at the beach in Clearwater Beach, you can also head to Pier 60 to enjoy the daily sunset parties. The Sunsets at Pier 60 parties are among the top Clearwater events, and they also tend to feature live music, not to mention some interesting street performers. One of the things that helps to make the Sunsets at Pier 60 parties some of the top events in Clearwater is the fact that they are free. They are also family friendly, as is most every Clearwater festival.

One of the festivals in Clearwater that is definitely family friendly is the Festival of Trees, which is held in November. This interesting festival features more than 100 Christmas trees, which are decorated by talented designers, area civic groups, local businesses, and a number of individuals. These trees are sold to the public, and most of the proceeds to go to charity. If you live in the Clearwater area, buying and displaying one of the trees from the Festival of Trees can be a unique way to show your community support. Maybe you'll even decorate your own tree and see if it sells!

If you can't find a Clearwater festival that interests you, you can always hope to enjoy one of the festivals that are held in nearby destinations like St Pete Beach and Tampa. The Tampa Bay Rays play their Major League Baseball games in St Petersburg, which is something that sports fans will want to keep in mind, and numerous food festivals take place across the land on an almost monthly basis. The Taste of Clearwater and Frenchy's Stone Crab Festival are two Clearwater events that revolve around food, and you might take an interest in other area food festivals, such as the John's Pass Seafood Festival.