Winter is coming to an end and spring is springing up all over the place! The snow is beginning to melt away and be replaced by flowers, which can only mean one thing: festival season is here!

Burlesque conventions are a great way to not only network with fellow performers but also to see some great up-and-coming talent, perhaps see a living legend of burlesque and to witness the top burlesque performers that are touring the convention circuit. You can get a few tips, perhaps pick up some stage gear, and hob-nob with your burlesque idols.

This year, Brown Paper Tickets is ticketing more burlesque conventions and festivals than ever before and the first batch are going on sale already with the PA Burlesque Festival coming up this weekend, quickly followed by BPT newcomers, the Southern Fried Burlesque Fest and The Great Burlesque Exposition in Boston, where Brown Paper Tickets will have a table set up and where we’ll be teaching a class on the Sunday of the conference. If you’re planning on attending the Expo, be sure and come up and say hi!

As we get closer to summer, we’ll feature more festivals but be sure and get your travel plans in order for these incredible festivals and conventions. Just judging by this list, it’s going to be HOT this Spring!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Friday, March 8 to Saturday March 9 | PA Burlesque Festival (Second Annual)  Now in its second year, The PA Burlesque Festival comes to the historic Plays and Players Theatre at 1714 Delancey Place (Rittenhouse Square) Philadelphia. Join the ever-effervescent Madame Corsetiere (Jim Thorpe) as she hosts two world-class shows, bursting with the USA’s most mesmerizing and most flavorful Burlesque talent.

Atlanta, Georgia

Thursday, March 21 to Saturday, March 23 | 3rd Annual Southern Fried Burlesque Fest with Burlesque Star Roxi D’lite  Headlined by Reigning Queen of Burlesque 2010 Roxie D’lite with special guests Reigning King of Burlesque 2012 Russell Bruner and Mistress of Ceremonies Cora Vette! With special events including the Atlanta Premiere of the movie Burlesque Assassins, 4 Amazing Burlesque shows including Just Hatched Newcomers Showcase, Free Range Burlesque Show with performers from all over the world, 2013 Southern Fried Pageant, and the Southern Scorcher Showcase. As well as 2 Full Days of Classes from Burlesque Beginner to Professional Performers and more!

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Friday, March 29 | The Great Burlesque Exposition – Rhinestone Revue  Legendary burlesque performers, modern superstars, and previous winners of The Main Event burlesque competition, strut their stuff on stage just for you! This year’s show features winners from last year and beyond. Featuring performances by Burgundy Brixx, Cherokee Rose, Paco Fish, St. Stella & James and The Giant Pastie, Dot Mitzvah, Jacqueline Hyde, Scarlett Letter and Scandal from Bohemia. As well as invited guests April March, Toni Elling, Jo Weldon, The Shanghai Pearl and The Boston Babydolls. This event is part of part of the seventh annual Great Burlesque Exposition.

Saturday, March 30 | The Great Burlesque Exposition – Main Event The Main Event is also part of The Great Burlesque Exposition, featuring dozens of burlesque performers from all over the world competing to be crowned Best of the Best!

Seattle, Washington

Friday, March 29 through Saturday April 6 | 2013 Moisture Festival Libertease Burlesque at Broadway Performance Hall  The Moisture Festival returns for its 10th annual springtime celebration of comedy/varietè and burlesque.  For an adult evening, The Moisture Festival presents Libertease Burlesque at the beautiful Broadway Performance Hall on Capitol Hill. Featuring a tantalizing mix of burlesque stars and ribald comedy/varietè acts, these shows seduce and delight. This unique brand of burlesque show is presented in a daring and beautiful new way. A live show band provides the underlying pulse that propels the show and the audience is encouraged to be comfortable, loose and loud.

To find and purchase tickets to more Moisture Festival events You can visit their Profile page.

Friday, May 24 | Crypticon  Seattle is teaming up with Dark Dolls Productions  for the first time. Crypticon is the Pacific Northwest’s largest horror convention and will be coming into town May 24-26, 2013 and Dark Dolls is selling discounted weekend passes to this event and offering a killer (wink) all ages Vaudeville Horror show on Saturday Night!

Brooklyn, New York

Friday, April 26 | The 2nd Annual New York Boylesque Festival Teaser Party  The festival kicks off Friday April 26th with nightlife icon World Famous *BOB* as emcee at Williamsburg hot spot, Public Assembly. This Friday night Teaser Party, DJ’d by boylesque historian Scott Ewalt features over a dozen national and international performers and is sure to get your motor started for a weekend of non-stop boylesque hotness! Performances by Christopher Bousquet (NYC), Manchego (NYC), Captain Elastico (MA), Jacques Patriaque (Austria), Creamed Stu (NYC), El Toro (Toronto) GoGo Gadget (NYC), Hard Cory (NYC), Bobby Barnaby (CA), James & The Giant Pastie (Toronto), Rique Shaw (NYC), Lewd Alfred Douglas (NYC), Lucking Charming (NYC), Wrong Note Rusty (Toronoto), Barely Legal Leelando (Canada), Matt Knife (NYC), Teddy Turnaround (NYC) and Tito Bonito (LA)!

Asheville , North Carolina

Friday, May 24 | Asheville Americana Burlesque and Sideshow Festival  Seven years into bringing the Vaudeville Revival to Asheville, ABSfest offers a three day immersion that no lover of these arts can afford to miss. Savor our 7th year as we voyage the Seven Seas in a quest for the Seven Sins, with satin-sparkled starlets and fish-eyed zombie boys!