Atsuta Festival (June 5) This is the biggest of more than 70 festivals held every year at the Atsuta Jingu shrine. In the main sanctuary solemn ceremonies are held while outside within the compounds children's mikoshi (portable shrine) carrying, martial arts contest, and performance by entertainers are held. In the evening, vendors with paper lanterns on their wagons line the streets and fireworks light the sky.

Minato (Port) Festival (Around July 20) This event is held at the Nagoya Port. Its main attraction is the raftsmen's water logging contest. Since the Yedo period, Nagoya Port has been the distribution center for logs cut in the mountains and floated by raftsmen down the Horikawa River. Other attractions include a marching band, a street dance by more than 1500 dancers, and fireworks at night.

Nagoya Castle Summer Festival (Early August) In the evening when the simmering summer sun sets and the temperature gets a little cooler, people start gathering around Nagoya Castle, where vendors line the streets. Some of the attractions are the big Bon festival dance, a rock concert, and noh play by traditional dancers. Nagoya Castle looks very romantic in the background of the noh bonfire.

Nagoya Festival (Mid-October) This festival is held in Hisaya Ohdori Park. The highlight of the festival is the parade of the three heroes of Nagoya: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. On this day the three heroes come alive and parade through the streets of Nagoya with their soldiers. More than 700 people participate in this parade, which is more than 1.5 km long. There is also a band festival.