(CNN) -- Havana has a thriving cultural scene and is the setting for world-class ballet and film festivals. But it's also a city of music, sunshine and rum, and Havana knows how to throw a damn fine party. Here are some of the city's biggest and best annual events. Dancers parade along the Malecon for the Havana Carnival. May Day (May 1) Hundreds of thousands of cheering people march through Havana to celebrate International Workers' Day. This quintessentially Cuban event offers a fascinating insight into a country where politics is woven into every aspect of daily life. Marching Cubans carry placards past images of communist heroes like Marx and Lenin in Plaza de la Revolucion square. The fact that the whole occasion is carefully stage managed by party officials adds to its uniquely Cuban air.
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Hundreds of thousands march through Havana on International Workers' Day
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Crowds pack the Malecon seafront promenade for the Havana Carnival
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The International Ballet Festival attracts world-famous dance stars to the city
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Legendary jazz maestro Chucho Valdes brings jazz to the Cuban capital
@placeholder (August)  One fiesta just isn't enough for a city like Havana, so the Cuban capital has two annual carnivals.