Onam: Onam is the most famous festival of Kerala. All Malayali's irrespective of religion celebrates it. It falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (Aug-Sept). It is the harvest festival of Kerala. Legend states that Onam is celebrated as the home coming of Mahabali, the king who ruled over Kerala in the age of plenty and was pushed down to the infernal regions (Patala) by Lord Vishnu in the form of Vamana. Onam is celebrated as a national festival of Kerala. It synchronizes with the tourist week celebration, which starts formally on the day of Atham asterism. The image of Thrikkakara Appan (Vishnu in the form of Vamana) is installed in every Hindu home during the Onam season. Children go around collecting flowers and decorate them in the front portion of the house in various designs and patterns. The most important days of the Onam festival are Uthradom and Thiruvonam days.

Kerala Boat Races Festival: The backwaters of Kerala apart from being a major tourist attraction are also venues for yet another splendid, unparalleled attraction of God's Own Country - Boat Races. The boat festivals of Kerala are one of the chief and popular festivals of Kerala that tourist must experience during their Kerala travel and tour. Kerala boat races are an event that is as much part of the land's ethos and is a sport that signifies the excellent team spirit, integration and amity of the people.
The vibrant fiestas that bring alive the tranquil Kerala backwaters, when fierce Vallom Kallies (boat races) and water carnivals erupt every year in a dramatic spectacle and hold tens of thousands of people spell-bound, cheering the action, laying bets, goading the boatmen to row faster.