The Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival) in Sao Paulo

People take part at Tanabata Festival on 16 July 2017 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Tanabata Matsuri or Star Festival is a festival that usually takes place on the first weekend of July. During the festival the streets are filled with paper or bamboo embellishments, with dances, music and typical foods. Desires are written on the Tanzaku - paper strips that are also known as 'wish strips' - which are then burned along with bamboos, believing that the smoke would carry the desires to the stars. For more than 30 years in the Liberdade district, the Tanabata Matsuri has gathered dozens of attractions and attracts thousands of tourists every year. There are almost 100 thousand people who visit the event every year in São Paulo. (Photo by Cris Faga/NurPhoto via Getty Images)