Eighties pop-rock phenomenon, The Police, are back together and on a world tour. This date finds them performing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs.
The Police enjoyed huge international success in the early Eighties with their infectious pop, driven by Stuart Copeland's phenomenal drumming, Sting's basslines and Andy Summers' wiry guitar riffs.
August
5 - 9,
2008 Great British Beer Festival in London
The Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court is Britain's biggest beer festival and brings together a wide range of real ales, ciders, perries and international beers. There will be at least 450 beers available throughout the festival including golden ales, fruit beers, stouts, bitters and some international real lagers. As well as a great selection of beer, there is also cider and perry: all available in pint, half pint and third pint measures.
There's plenty to occupy you at the festival; you can play on some traditional pub games, enjoy the live music, sample some food including some good traditional pub snacks and also attend tutored beer tastings. The tutored tastings usually sell out in advance, so book these early to avoid disappointment.
August
6,
2008 Radiohead Concert in Montreal, Canada
One of the biggest bands in the world, British quintet Radiohead bring their 2008 tour on the back of new album, In Rainbows, to Montreal's Parc Jean-Drapeau.
After an overtly experimental period when they put out Kid A and Amnesiac, the band released the more traditional and accessible Hail to the Thief in 2003, featuring spiky guitars and rock drumming. Five years later, they merely had to announce on their website that their new album was ready to send shockwaves through the contemporary music scene.
The new release finds the band in an optimistic mood. Stripped-down but as compelling as ever, shimmering layers of guitars and effects over metronomic beats provide the base for Thom Yorke's keening vocals.
Breda Ballon Fiesta is one of the main events of the city of Breda. On August 7, 8 and 9, 2008 Breda will be Ballooning for the 23rd time. Over 35 hot-air balloons, Dutch as well as foreign ones, will sail over the city and her surroundings, depending on the direction of the wind.
Furthermore every day sensational shows will be presented, like parachute jumping, kite-flying and mini ballooning. And of course 'kites in the dark' will be part of the program. It all takes place at the Rietdijk sports grounds (next to the Texas Hoeve) in the district Haagse Beemden in Breda. Free entry.
After departure of the ordinary hot-air balloons special shapes will take off. Special shapes are balloons with an exceptional design like a chicken, an onion, Calimero or an orange. And of course very special; a huge turtle from Belgium will make its first flight in Holland . On Friday and Saturday evening there will be candlelighting. For candlelighting about 10 balloons are lined up in the dark and will be enlightened by their blowers on the rhythm of music. This really looks like giant Chinese lanterns. Other items on the Breda Ballon Fiesta program are parachute jumping, a balloon competition for children, and a demonstration of paramoteurs.
August
8 - 10,
2008 Wine & Food Fair in South Africa
The Wine Village in Hermanus presents the 12th Hermanus Wine & Food Fair, a highlight on the South African wine calendar from 8 – 10 August 2008. This year we're showcasing local wines from Elgin to Elim.
The Fair again coincides with the Kalfiefees – a cultural highlight in the Overstrand. The Hermanus Wine & Food Fair was nominated as one of the 10 best wine festivals in South Africa. An honour indeed and well worth the visit for all wine enthusiasts.
60 Local wineries will present more than 250 wines for tasting at the Hermanus Wine & Food Fair, not forgetting delectable fares from various cheese and olive farms amongst others, as well as the famous Sushi of The Harbour Rock .
All the wines on tasting will be available for purchasing at the Wine Village during the festival at special prices. Do not miss the opportunity to taste and pay for your favourite wines and fill up your wine racks!
Each August, Elvis fans of all ages from around the world gather in Memphis, Tennessee for Elvis Week -- a commemoration of the music, magic and memories associated with the legacy of Elvis Presley. Long-time fans and those who are new to it enjoy a full week of music, dance, sports, social and charitable events -- all in an atmosphere of international friendship and camaraderie. Most fans say it feels like a huge family reunion they all look forward to each year. Everyone is welcome. Everyone belongs. Everyone has a great time. Whoever you are or wherever you're from, if you're into Elvis, then Elvis Week is for you.
The annual Angel Island Run, held in the state park in the middle of San Francisco Bay, offers 12K and 25K races.
The hilly loop trail winds its way around Angel Island, with beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the East Bay and San Francisco. The 12K run is a single loop, the 25K does the loop twice.
If you feel less enegetic, visit the island for a nice day out. Bring a cooler, take the ferry and enjoy the picnic area at Ayala Cove or take a tour of the museum and local sites.
Browse over 200 of the finest arts and crafts vendors in the most beautiful of settings in the Village of Carlsbad, just two blocks from the beach. Held the second Sunday in August, Art in the Village highlights fine art, sculpture, photography, ceramics and handmade jewelry, furniture, clothing and wood crafts. Live onstage soft jazz music helps to cultivate a leisurely atmosphere of the arts. Come join us for great place and time to find the finest quality arts and crafts anywhere.
August
15 - 16,
2008 Scottish Festival in Jackson, WY
Dig out your kilt for the Jackson Hole Scottish Festival. On Friday night the event kicks off with a Ceilidh and bonny knees contest, while Saturday's main event features mass piping and drumming, dancing, clan booths and Highland games events such as the caber toss and the Braemar Stone "put".
August
16 - 24,
2008 Nisei Week Festival in Los Angeles, CA
Last year, Southern Californians came together to witness the premiere of the beautiful Nebuta float from Aomori, Japan, in the Nisei Week Grand Parade. The Nebuta float brought hundreds of thousands of people to Little Tokyo. Everyone who saw the float with the early evening sky as a backdrop was truly amazed not only by the float itself, but also by the hundreds of volunteers manning and dancing around the brightly-lit, colorful float. I remember looking out at the crowd and being caught up in the excitement of the parade. It was something I will never forget.
The parade is just one part of the festival and Nisei Week has so much more to offer: spectacular cultural exhibits, dynamic cultural entertainment, delicious Japanese food, and traditional celebrations. Highlights of these include taiko, sumo, martial arts, tea ceremony, ikebana, odori dancing, and many more. There is something for everyone over the two weekends.
As the Little Tokyo community continues to expand, the goal is to focus on making the Nisei Week Japanese Festival a means to connect the diversify communities of Southern California by sharing the Japanese and Japanese American heritage and traditions through arts and cultural education.
August
17,
2008 August Moon Festival in Boston, MA
According to legend, in 1368 the Chinese overthrew the Mongol Yuan dynasty with the help of messages hidden in mooncakes. These tasty disc-shaped flaky pastries, filled with sweetened bean-paste and marked on top with the symbol of the baker, have thus become the food most associated with the August Moon, or Mid-Autumn festival. The celebration is also traditionally a time for families and neighbours to gather for moon-watching parties and for children to carry brightly colored lanterns.
August
18 - 22,
2008 Weird Contest Week in Ocean City, NJ
Each August, Ocean City invites visitors to partake in their annual Weird Contest Week. Events occur daily at 11am in front of the Music Pier, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace and range from the intriguing to the bizarre.
Previous events have featured Taffy Sculpting, French Fry Sculpting, Artistic Pie Eating (boats, seagulls, the state of New Jersey), Wet T-shirt Tossing (record: 165 feet), Putrid Puns and Celebrity Super Hero Impersonations. The grand finale is the ever-popular Miss Miscellaneous Contest.
August
21,
2008 Concert Under the Stars in San Antonio, TX
Live bands fill the Garden with music the third Thursday of each summer month. $5 admission (free for members). Bring your own seating. No outside food or drink, concessions available. Gates open at 6:00pm. Music at 7:00pm.
August 25 -
September 1,
2008 Burning Man in Black Rock Desert, NV
The history of Burning Man : from its early days on a small beach in San Francisco through its evolution into the bustling city of some 48,000+ people that the Burning Man event has become today, Burning Man has always been a vibrant event. These people make the journey to the Black Rock Desert for one week out of the year to be part of an experimental community, which challenges its members to express themselves and rely on themselves to a degree that is not normally encountered in one's day-to-day life. The result of this experiment is Black Rock City, home to the Burning Man event.
