Which events draw the biggest crowd in every state?

If there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that people love a good party. Throughout the country, from Alabama to Wyoming, states put on annual events that draw crowds and plenty of excitement. Whether a state fair, music festival, sporting event or something else equally fun, people are usually aware of the best things to attend in their own state. But what about everywhere else?

When it comes to the largest, most attended event in the country, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that The Big Apple hosts it each year. That’s right. I’m talking about The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop, where people gather to watch an enormous, lit-up ball drop 141 feet in 60 seconds down a flagpole. Despite freezing temperatures, insane crowds and general chaos, over two million people annually ring in the New Year in this major East Coast city.

As for the smallest fest on the list? That belongs to the smallest state, Rhode Island. Its Newport Folk Fest brings in upwards of 10,000 visitors each summer for its folk-forward music fest that began nearly 60 years ago.

Speaking of music, some of the country’s most popular events involve the world’s most talented musicians and singers. For example, those interested in film, media and jams should check out SXSW in Texas, which draws in around 167,000 each year. Then, of course, there’s Bonnaroo, the four-day festival that brings together music, comedy and art on a rural 700-acre farm in Tennessee. This event brings in around 80,000 people on the regular, and it started 16 years ago.

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Rounding out the list of most attended events are seven state fairs, in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Carolina, Mississippi and Wyoming. Each brings plenty of tasty fried foods and carnival rides to the masses. The largest is the Minnesota State Fair, which began 154 years ago, and draws around two million visitors yearly.

Other unique events that go beyond your average state fair (no offense to the midwest!) include Nevada’s Burning Man, an outrageous art-driven multi-day event in the desert whose organizers describe it as a “temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance.” The event, which brings in around 70,000 annually, culminates in the burning of a giant statute, a tradition that began 31 years ago.

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Another very cool event? The yearly hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during which brightly designed balloons decorate the desert skies.

Of course, when it comes to partying, we can’t forget about Mardi Gras! While New Orleans draws in the most people, a whopping 1.4 million rabble-rousers in the past 237 years, the oldest Mardi Gras party award goes to Mobile, Alabama. This party — fueled by king cake, bead throwing and parade floats — has been going strong since 1703!

For a full list of which events are the largest in each state, check out Genfare’s infographic below:

Which event sounds most interesting?