From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
festival
n 1: a day or period of time set aside for feasting and
celebration
2: an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one
place); "a drama festival" [syn: festival, fete]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Festi-val \Fes"ti-val\, n.
A time of feasting or celebration; an anniversary day of joy,
civil or religious.
[1913 Webster]
The morning trumpets festival proclaimed. --Milton.
Syn: Feast; banquet; carousal. See Feast.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Festival \Fes"ti*val\, a. [OF. festival, fr. L. festivum festive
jollity, fr. festivus festive, gay. See Festive.]
Pertaining to a fest; festive; festal; appropriate to a
festival; joyous; mirthful.
[1913 Webster]
I cannot woo in festival terms. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]