Junkanoo is the defining cultural event of the Bahamas — a street parade of extraordinary scale and color that takes place in the early hours of Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day. Competing groups of up to a thousand people parade down Bay Street in Nassau in elaborate costumes made from cardboard and crepe paper, accompanied by goatskin drums, cowbells, whistles, and horns. Groups spend almost the entire year preparing their costumes and choreography.
Junkanoo has roots in the enslaved African population who were given three days of holiday at Christmas and used the time to celebrate with music, dance, and costume. Today it is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Nassau parades are the biggest, but Freeport and several Family Islands hold their own rushes.
If you're in Nassau for Christmas or New Year, going to Junkanoo is mandatory. Viewing stands are set up along Bay Street; arrive well before 2am if you want a decent spot. The parade runs until dawn.
Bahamas Carnival runs for three days in May in Nassau, a newer event modeled on Trinidad Carnival with masquerade bands, soca music, and a grand parade. It's grown significantly since its launch in 2015.
Goombay Summer Festival runs through the summer months in Freeport (and sometimes Nassau), with outdoor concerts, food stalls, and craft vendors — a more relaxed celebration of Bahamian music and culture aimed partly at off-season visitors.
Eleuthera Pineapple Festival is held in Gregory Town every June, celebrating the island's famous pineapple with food, craft competitions, a pineapple recipe contest, and local music. It's a genuinely local event, not a tourist spectacle.