When & where: Aug. 18-20 at venues in and around the Ogi district of Niigata Prefecture's Sado Island. Pre-events start Aug. 13.

Crowd: An eclectic and roughly equal mix of Japanese and foreigners, ranging from artsy-craftsy types to newly arrived English teachers and jaded urbanites.

Inside track: In a summer full of carbon-copy music festivals, Earth Celebration dares to be different by booking fewer professional acts and taking a family-friendly, grass-roots approach. If it's nonstop entertainment you seek, you'll have to provide your own by whiling away the day on the Sobama Beach campground, then taking the bus into town for the nightly concert. Or making the rounds of the craft and clothing stalls in the lively Harbour Market before exploring Ogi, a sleepy fishing port. Excursions to Kodo Village, home of the taiko group Kodo, are also offered. Don't miss nearby Shukunegi, a cluster of well-preserved historic homes.