Held to celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent, and Buddha’s return back to earth, the annual Lai Ruea Fai Festival sees locals decorate boats with thousands of candles, lanterns, flowers and incense before setting fire to them and launching them down the Mekong River at night. The festival runs from Oct 12-20 and will involve lots of festivities from food stalls to boat races and cultural performances. The main boat procession will take place on Oct 19, which is a Saturday, so expect large crowds. For more information, contact TAT Nakhon Phanom on 042 513 490-1.