Making up your mind when to come for a visit can be tricky: Not only is the weather almost always good, like any other major city Tel-Aviv has a busy and at times even confusing cultural calendar that offers things to do at almost any time of the year. So to make it easier for you to make up your mind we’ve put together this short list of things to look look forward to in Tel-Aviv:

DocAviv

Since 1999 Tel-Aviv’s very own documentary film festival has been attracting interesting and innovative filmmakers from Israel and around the world to present their works and themselves at Tel-Aviv’s main movie house—the Cinematheque, but also in many of the town open-air screenings. Beginning next year (2012) most screenings will take place in the new and improved Cinematheque just across the street from the old one.

Layla Lavan (White Night)

The annual white night lets no one in Tel-Aviv sleep and that includes you! Bars, clubs, restaurants and shops in the city are open all night, and most offer their services and goods at large discounts. In between shopping and eating you can enjoy free public concerts, shows, theatre and dance performances taking place out in the open all over town.

Fet De La Music

A French import that caught on in Tel-Aviv; the music holiday is the perfect time of year to wander the streets and venues of the city and sample what sonorous pleasures Tel-Aviv has to offer. From classical music in Park Ha’yarkon to headbanging in Gan-Meir, and all for free.

Taam Ha’ir (Taste of the Town)

“Gourmet food at reasonable prices” is the motto of this gastronomic fair, the second biggest in the world, that has grown so popular and big since its inception in 1996 that the city had to move in from midtown to the largest park in town: Park Ha’Yarkon, on the outskirts of the city. The city’s finest eateries offer their delicious goods for cheap in sample size portions reduced along with plenty of music and alcohol.

Yom Kippur

This may not sound like the kind of day you’d normally consider a cultural event, but if you happen to be in Tel-Aviv on this holy day of repentance and you don’t take offence, you can catch a glimpse of how the Tel-Avivians do it. At night the city turns to a ghost town with most residents gone and no commerce or cars. By morning people return, as well as bicycles, skateboards and random furniture that take back the streets and make them look oddly inviting untill the cars and buses come back.

DocAviv

Between April and May

At the Cinematheque and various venues around town.

Layla Lavan

Annually at June

All around town

Fet De La Music

Annually at October

All around town

Taam Ha’ir

Annually at June/July

Yom Kippur

Annually, around September.