National Mustard Day is celebrated annually at the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum on the first Saturday in August. It is a fun-filled day for the whole family and has traditionally included free Oscar Mayer hot dogs (make sure you add some flavorful mustard!) The Mustard Museum has been the official sponsor of this event since 1991. Enjoy the mustard-themed music, games, shows, and contests with the whole family!
African World Festival is a celebration of African heritage and culture held on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan at Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, WI. Since its inception in 1982, the festivals mission has been to promote and share the culture and heritage of all people of African descent with the global community. Known as “The Meeting Place” African World Festival is not only an entertaining event but an educational experience. Come and explore the cultural village, sample a variety of ethnic foods, shop around the Marketplace, let the kids play in the Children’s Village and enjoy lots of great entertainment. African World Festival can also serve as the backdrop for your next family reunion, church, corporate or group outing. See you at The Meeting Place, August 1st-2nd!
This year's theme for the "Venice Effect" festival in Livorno, Italy is "The Voice." As described on the festival's website, "The Voice" is not only that of singers, but also the more secret voice of the body and of images. It is an instrument of struggles, freedom, desire. The festival will give voice to the need to listen, to think, to enjoy the words of a song. You'll be captivated by Italian and international artists as they present their music to you in free shows throughout the festival. Come soak up the atmosphere of beautiful Venice, brought to Livorno through music. The district of La Venezia welcomes all with its bridges, canals, and songs.
The Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court, Britain's biggest beer festival, brings together a wide range of real ales, ciders, perries and international beers. At least 450 beers available throughout, including golden ales, fruit beers, stouts, bitters and some international real lagers. As well as 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 live music, sample some food, including good traditional pub snacks, and also attend tutored beer tastings. The tutored tastings usually sell out in advance so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Come to the Ventura County Fair for its great music and family-friendly events. You'll see performers like Huey Lewis and the News, Gretchen Wilson, David Cook, Good Charlotte, and more. Watch the Ultimate Doo Wop Show and Motorsports. See art exhibitions, agriculture, and gemstone/mineral shows. Bring the whole family and have a wonderful time.
During the Hiroshima Lantern Floating Memorial, thousands of cube-shaped paper lights float along the Motoyasu River to bring peace to the souls of the victims who died in the 1945 atomic bombing. The annual ritual promotes world peace. Families gather along the banks of the river on the evening of the anniversary to launch decorated lanterns with their own personal messages inscribed. As the lanterns float downstream, the water shimmers and reflects the flickering lights, creating an atmosphere of contemplation and tranquillity. Purchase and float your own lantern from the platform in front of the eerie Atomic Bomb Dome.
You're not seeing double - Twins Days are here! Come to Twinsburg, Ohio and bring your twin or more if you're a triplet, quadruplet, and upward. Twins Days takes place on the first full weekend of August each year. For 2009, that's August 7,8, and 9. The Twins Days Festival is open to all multiples -- identical, fraternal, young and old, twins, triplets, quads - and their families. Preparations are underway for Twins Days 2009. The theme for this year is a 50s theme: "Twins Days Rocks!"
August
8 - 9,
2009 Gatesway International Balloon Festival
The Gatesway Foundation will host a hot air balloon festival from August 7-9th, featuring 30 plus hot air balloons from four states, the weekend is filled with balloon competitions, family activities, live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, and great food. The main attraction at the festival is the beauty and mystery of the hot air balloons. IT’S FUN FOR ALL AGES-no one is ever too old or too young to enjoy the uniqueness, the mystery, and the spectacle of balloons inflating and filling the beautiful Oklahoma skies with a brilliant array of colors. Anticipation, followed by excitement, gleams from the faces of young and old alike as they are able to walk up to the balloons and talk to the pilots who enjoy sharing their fun stories with others. This year marks the 14th year Gatesway has hosted this great family event. The festival was created as a one-time event in celebration of Gatesway’s 30th anniversary in 1994. The festival quickly became Gatesway’s major fund raising event of the year and a great opportunity to raise public awareness about developmental
disabilities.
Come to Memphis August 8th-16th and join in a weeklong tribute to the King of Rock N' Roll. Dance the night away at Club Elvis; enjoy BlueHawaii on the big screen at The Orpheum Theater and test your Elvis knowledge in a trivia contest (if you win a prize, don't forget to say "Thank you, thank you very much"). You can also attend Malco Theater's Elvis film fest, where Jailhouse Rock starts the series and has two showings. And for you fans who can curl your lips and swivel your hips like the King, enter the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest at the Peabody Hotel. Get to one of the Elvis fan Meet Ups for dinner; you'll see special guests and greet fellow fans. Enter the Graceland Scavenger Hunt for even more fun. Elvis Week has a packed schedule of exciting events; come and revel in this Elvis fan paradise!
The most widely mentioned story relating to the origin of King Puck, associates him with the English Ironside Leader Oliver Cromwell. It is related that while the "Roundheads" were pillaging the countryside, they routed a herd of goats grazing on the upland. The animals took flight before the raiders, and the he-goat or "Puck" broke away on his own and lost contact with the herd. While the others headed for the mountains he went towards Cill Orglain (Killorglin) on the banks of the Laune. His arrival there in a state of semi exhaustion alerted the inhabitants of the approaching danger and they immediately set about protecting themselves and their stock. It is said that in recognition of the service rendered by the goat, the people decided to institute a special festival in his honour and this festival has been held ever since. Come celebrate in Killorglin and enjoy a horse fair, parade, children's competitions, street entertainment, Irish dancing and singing, and shopping for local products. And don't miss the main event: the coronation of the goat who will be this year's King Puck. The King reigns over the town for three days, and festival goers will enjoy magnificent celebrations.
Come get a glimpse into the past August 8th-14th. The Medieval Ages are a reality in the village of Tenno in Trento, Italy. Take a look at the style of architecture and the narrow streets; not much has changed in the look of the village since 1200. At that time, Tenno had well developed systems of agriculture and defense that exist today just as they were centuries ago. Come and enjoy the rustic charm; its history has been preserved for you, the visitor! You'll see exhibitions, theatre productions, reenactments and films.
Join a Scottish dance party on August 5th or 12th in the Linlithgow Palace Courtyard! Linlithgow Palace was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. This event is steeped in Scottish traditon, and lots of fun. You'll enjoy dozens of pipe bands and cheerful displays of Scottish dance. Join in if you like, or take some photographs of the dancers amidst the historic scenery of Linlithgow Palace. The Palace is 20 miles West of Edinburgh.
If you couldn't make it to one of the other Scottish Games events this month and find yourself craving some Scottish entertainment, come to Tain Highland Gathering, sponsored by Glenmorangie Whisky and approaching its 14th year. Each year this huge event attracts pipers, dancers and athletes from around the world as well as thousands of visitors. The event is preceded by the Chieftain’s Parade through the town centre led by the British Legion Pipe Band. This celebrated annual event is only possible thanks to the helpers, competitors and members of the community who, over the years, have supported the event in a number of ways. Tain Community Council hosts a tent for visitors providing food, drinks and entertainment. Tain Scouts are the main group who put together the tents and camp out in the field the night before to ensure that everything is secure and in place.
August
14 - 15,
2009 Jackson Hole Scottish Festival
Visit Wyoming August 14th through 15th for Jackson Hole's Scottish Festival. You'll enjoy watching the Scottish Heavy Athletics contest, Kids' Athletics, Irish Dancing, Highland Dancing, and the dramatic Scottish Battle Reenactment. Listen to the sounds of Scotland with individual piping and drumming competitions, and of course plenty of Bagpipe music will be on hand. Enjoy Scottish refreshments, and shop the Celtic vendors' stalls. It's sure to be a splendid time for all.
This nine-day festival in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo district highlights Japanese and Japanese American culture and 2009 marks the 69th year. This year's festival will be held August 15-23. This year's Nisei Week Japanese Festival theme is "A Year of Celebrations" celebrating many centennial milestone anniversaries of community-based organizations and the golden anniversary of the first ever sister-city of the City of Los Angeles, Nagoya, Japan. Exciting and fun activities await for the entire family to enjoy during the Nisei Week festival. Included are 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. Finally, don't forget to come out and watch the amazing Annual Nisei Week Grand Parade! This year's parade is special and will feature several Kodomo (Children) Nebuta floats. These beautifully handmade floats will light their way through the streets of Little Tokyo dancing to the beat of the taiko drums and flute playing musicians followed by over 100 Haneto dancers. A must see event!
Il Palio di Siena is an Italian tradition possibly starting as early as the 1400s. The Palio's main event is a bare-back horserace around Siena's Piazza del Campo, but visitors and locals alike also find thrills in the ceremonies and the intense rivalries between competitors. Participants enter the race and represent their district, or contrada, out of seventeen in the city. The winner of the race is honored with a Palio, a painting mounted on a silver plate. After the day's festivities, wander the seventeen districts of the city (contrade). See the Palio displayed in a place of honor at a church in the winning contrada. In that section of the city, you will find residents participating in fantastic celebrations with brass bands, fireworks, and more! Anyone else picture some great photo ops?
Get to Furth, Bavaria from August 6th through 17th and see a dragon slaying! The Drachenstich Festival reenacts the slaying of a ferocious dragon that is said to have put the town in danger during the Middle Ages. While you're there, don't miss the parades, children's events, and costumed actors as they take you back to a time of drama and excitement.
It is the 18th time this year that the Budafest Festival will be organized in Budapest's three exclusive locations. The festival has grown out to be the most successful and popular summer cultural event in Budapest.
A main goal of the Festival is the popularization of Hungarian music culture, the quality entertainment of the audience and the bringing of foreign guests to Budapest. The website announces: "For the first time, in the 2009 season we plan to present the best productions three times. Concerts of the Budapest Klezmer Band have always all been in front of full house in the past years. Next to this we also count on a full house on the Primas Kings performance of the "Hundred Member" Gipsy Orchestra, the folklore night and the Operetta Gala as well. We are inviting opera fans to the St. Stephen Square in front of the Basilica. While in 2008 men took the leading role, we devote 2009 to the most popular operettas. Those in favour of symphonic music won't be disappointed either, since Máté Sipos Szabó will conduct the Budapest Philharmonic Orhcestra in front of the Basilica. The premiere of Verdi's famous opera Rigoletto will take place on August the 6th and the 8th, with Andrea Rost in the role of Gilda. This is a truly must see performance for all who love opera – it's the 20th anniversary of her career and the last time she will be singing Gilda!
From August 17th through 19th, enjoy "The Landing of the Saracens," at sunset in Positano, Italy. This event reenacts the battle that took place on 15 August 1558 in the town of Positano, on the Amalfi Coast. Actors in costume, music and the almost-guaranteed spectacular sunset make for an entertaining family event. Enjoy the electric atmosphere and the fantastic show!
The Veszprém Summer Festival began in 2001, and each year it offers open air concerts, dance performances, and folklore performances in the Castle Holy Trinity Square (Szentháromság tér) to all art fans visiting the town. Musicals, jazz, brass and folk music, ballet and folk dances make up the program of the Summer Nights in the Castle. Go and enjoy great music and dancing. It is advised to those attending this year's event to book tickets online. August 20th is the very last day of this music festival, which begins July 31st.
Mark your calendar for a sizzling summer lineup of nationally acclaimed music acts performing under our waterfront tent at the Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series. Discover the deal of a lifetime at the Newport Spring Boat Show. Indulge in our endless supply of chowder at everyone’s favorite International Chowder Championship, the Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-Off. Stroll through the colorful marketplace of art at the Newport Arts Festival. Experience three days of continuous Celtic shenanigans at the Newport Waterfront Irish Festival. Bring your appetite and your Rhody pride to the Stop & Shop Taste of Rhode Island, showcasing Little Rhody’s finest fare. Explore over fifteen acres of maritime marvels, including over 750 new powerboats and sailboats, at the Newport International Boat Show. And finally, order yourself a knockwurst and raise your stein for the rousing International Oktoberfest… Oans, zwoa, g’suffa! On August 21st, see The Temptations and Jan Luby perform!
Head out to Long Island for the annual Scottish Games at Old Westbury Gardens. You'll be entertained with bagpipes, Celtic music, and traditional Scottish dancing. Watch the Caber toss and Putting the Stone and be awed by these feats of strength. Indulge in some crisp Fish & Chips with Tarter Sauce or traditional Malt Vinegar - delicious! And don't forget dessert - there's an abundance of shortbread (hit up the free sample tent!) and Eccles cakes, a delicate, flaky pastry with honey and currants. Browse the many stalls and shop for a memento of your day. Kilts will be for sale, as well as Scottish souvenirs, artisan jewelry, wool blankets, scarves, and sweaters, and British treats galore! You never know what treasures you'll find. While you're there, why not check out the Vintage Automobile Display, or the Old Westbury Gardens estate? Come on out for a fun-filled day to celebrate your love of all things Scottish. You won't want to miss it! Experience the Games on August 22nd.
Attend a vibrant Spanish festival August 14th through 23rd. See the locals in traditional costume; listen to live music and watch flamenco dancing. Buy a delicious lunch at food stalls dishing up typical Andalusian cuisine. At night, music is everywhere and fireworks light up the sky. It's sure to be a grand time for all.
Sandkerwa, a German folk festival, lasts from August 20th through August 24th. You'll see a duck race and theFischerstechen, or Fisherman's Joust. The Joust takes place on boats in a river, where two men battle to see who is the last to fall into the river. There will be plenty of local beer on tap. On the 24th, the festivities conclude with a spectacular fireworks display. Enjoy the fun!
Recapture the fun of the Drive-In movie with Chicago's magnificent skyline as your backdrop. Classic American films are shown on a gigantic screen plus a state-of-the-art sound system. Films are shown on Tuesday evenings in the summer at dusk, ending on the 25th. That night, the festival screens Tootsie, featuring Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, and Bill Murray. Hoffman convinced late director Sydney Pollack to portray Michael Dorsey’s agent, which wound up being one of his most memorable roles of his acting career.
It is said that La Tomatina began when a confrontation at a parade in 1945 escalated into a battle of flying produce. The battle was repeated the next year, and it has been a local tradition since. The festival organizers recommend diving masks to protect your eyes from the acidic sting of the tomato juice. However, they add that the acids in the juice will also make your skin smooth, so there's an added bonus of a tomato facial. Don't forget to pack your aquatic camera, and enjoy the lighthearted freedom of La Tomatina.
This year at the Bucks County Fair in Weedon, England, the program is packed with fun and entertainment! You'll enjoy attractions like The Bolddog Lings Moto Cross Team, The Sheep Show, Shopping Marquee, Rural Crafts, and Show Jumping. These events are available along with much, much more for all the family and all ages and interests, so do not miss out and visit us this year for another fantastic day out.
Foxtrots, quicksteps, cha chas and many more…..whether this will be your first experience or you are more expert at tripping the light fantastic, release those inhibitions and join the acclaimed Covent Garden Dance Orchestra, the musicians that re-introduced the tradition of social dancing back to the Royal Opera House, in a feast of popular tea dance classics through the summer.
August
29 - 30,
2009 Maryland Renaissance Festival
The Maryland Renaissance Festival is a recreation of a 16th century English village. Our village is named Revel Grove, and is set on a beautiful 25-acre wooded site with 85 acres of free parking. The village consists of craft and food booths, five pubs, ten major stages, a Jousting Arena and lots of games. Every day is a Festival Day in Revel Grove, in honor of a visit by Henry VIII and his Royal Court. As such, the village will have entertainment, crafts, food, and frivolity fit for a king! As you wander through the village, pause for a moment to listen to a musician. Watch a demonstration of glass blowing. Quench your thirst with a mug of ale and whet your appetite with a gigantic turkey leg. Pick up the latest gossip from the fishmonger. Thrill to the combat joust and then browse through the wares at one of the many fine craft booths. There's too much to do in a single day!Performers from across the North America entertain on the Festival's many stages while the streets and woods are filled with characters to amuse and delight. Watch authentic jousting in full armor, listen to music and choral groups, thrill at jugglers, magicians, and comely wenches. Our streets and stages are filled with nonstop entertainment for all ages. Shops, displaying the finest crafts and works of art, invite you to see their wares. Stained glass, sculptures, original jewelry, pottery, wood-butchery, leather-work, inlay, clothing, glass-blowing, original prints, and soft sculpture are but some of the artistry displayed. The Maryland Renaissance Festival is a perfect family outing, in easy reach from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. We are in operation from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Come early, for a full day of fun awaits!
August
30,
2009 New York International Fringe Festival
The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) is the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues – that's a total of more than 1300 performances! FringeNYC generates an atmosphere of extreme excitement, and our energy is contagious! August 30th is the last day to experience the festival, which begins August 14th.
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.
Come get a glimpse into the past August 8th-14th. The Medieval Ages are a reality in the village of Tenno in Trento, Italy. Take a look at the style of architecture and the narrow streets; not much has changed in the look of the village since 1200. At that time, Tenno had well developed systems of agriculture and defense that exist today just as they were centuries ago. Come and enjoy the rustic charm; its history has been preserved for you, the visitor! You'll see exhibitions, theatre productions, reenactments and films.
