While travelers around the world may be familiar with Rio's Carnival and Mexico's Dia de los Muertos celebrations, there are plenty more festivals worth traveling for across Latin America. The lineup is robust—from a breathtaking Guatemalan kite festival to the ultimate polar-bear plunge in the freezing waters off the Falkland Islands. Each one of the below celebrations offers unique moments of joy and a special opportunity to dig into cultural experiences with local communities. Here, a few of my favorites, plus what to do once the festivities wrap up.