Snake River Birds of Prey Festival

Southwest Idaho is a region filled with adventures and one-of-a-kind experiences for travelers. From May 13 to 15 the 3rd Annual Snake River Birds of Prey Festival will provide the unique opportunity to learn about the region’s dense populations of birds of prey through field trips, lectures, tours, exhibits, guest speakers, demonstrations, and interactive activities. 

Festival headquarters will be Reed Elementary School in Kuna, Idaho, about 20 miles south of Boise.

Festival event highlights include float and paddle trips along part of the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, wildlife photography lectures, falconry demonstrations, raptor banding, interactive field lectures to see burrowing owl and Golden Eagle nesting areas, a historic tour of Southwest Idaho, and a barbeque banquet with keynote speaker Leon Powers. 

Families with younger children will particularly enjoy a movie night with live raptors, numerous educational booths, crafts and origami, special children’s activities and projects, and a youth art contest. Many lectures will include live animals and demonstrations, offering the chance to experience birds of prey up close.

Festival fee is $5 per family, $3 per individual, and free for children under 12 with a paying adult. Individual events may have additional fees.

Nearby, Boise is home to the World Center for Birds of Prtey. Year round visitors can learn about birds of prey from the area and around the world. Educational programs, behind the scenes tours, and volunteer opportunities are available. Birds of prey include falcons, eagles, hawks, condors, and owls.

For more information about top events in Idaho take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Idaho. 

To learn more about the Snake River Birds of Prey Festival visit www.snakeriverbirdsofpreyfestival.com.

El Reno Fried Onion Burger Festival

The 150 pounds of onions are peeled, the Big Burger –  850 pounds and 8.5 ft. in diameter – is almost ready to be cooked and the preparations downtown are in full swing for the Fried Onion Burger Day Festival El Reno, Oklahoma, on Saturday May 7 from 10am to 6pm.

Fun events include the Burger Eating Contest (one 10-and-under and one adult contest) from 10am to noon at the Big Burger Arena and the crowning of the “King of the Big Burger”. 

The Oklahoma Commemorative Wing Air Force will be making flyovers in World War II vintage aircraft. Check out some 200 classic cars and 100 cycles at Cycle World. Nearly 30 craft booths are expected this year, offering a variety of handmade crafts and various items. 

There will be headliner bands on the Main Stage - the EHS Jazz Band, The Wurlybirds, Truck, Blues Tiger, Greater Than Zero, One Armed Bandit and 4-1-1. There is plenty of entertainment for the children – choirs and dance groups on the Kid Stage, clowns, hula hoop contests and much else.

And of course there are enough Burgers (and other food) for at least 30,000 people.

The El Reno Main Street Program, host and organizer of the festival, is among only 50 communities nationwide to be honored with the Great American Main Street Award. Downtown El Reno plays host to an average of 30,000 people annually when the Main Street Program stages its volunteer-run Fried Onion Burger Day Festival, which has occurred on the first Saturday in May for the past 22 years. 

For more information about top events in Oklahoma take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Oklahoma.

For more information on the Fried Onion Burger Day Festival visit www.elrenoburgerday.com

Crystal Coast Blue Marlin

Fishing for Blue Marlin off the Crystal Coast

North Carolina’s Crystal Coast is home to the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament and in June the intensity will be at its highest when it is decided who takes home the grand Big Rock prize. 

Ever since the first big catch of marlin in 1957, fishermen have flocked to North Carolina’s coastal waters to see if they too could catch big game. The 53^rd annual fishing tournament kicks off on June 10 to 18 in Morehead City. Fishermen from all over the country join in on the tournament in hopes of winning big.             

The tournament offers a variety of festivities including a captain’s party, sponsored dinners, an awards banquet with an auction and a lady angler event. Prizes for the competition vary with each level as the opportunities to win increase. Daily release prizes include $5,300 for the 53^rd billfish release during the tournament and $2,000 each day for the first billfish released that day. 

The Big Rock Tournament has provided more than $1million to winners for the past 13 years and the competition continues to grow each year. With all this prize money, the board still finds a way to give back. Supporting numerous charities, they have donated more than $2,300,000.

The “gems” of the Crystal Coast include Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Emerald Isle, Harker’s Island and Morehead City. Dangling like a delicate strand of pearls off the coast of North Carolina, the favored Atlantic beach destination represents one of the only remaining natural barrier island systems in the world. 

 For more information about top events in North Carolina take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in North Carolina. 

For more information on the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament visit www.thebigrock.com 

Pets in Annapolis

Ranked the 13th most dog-friendly city in the nation, Annapolis (& Anne Arundel County) has invited all pet lovers to “Bring Your Pets to Play” there during National Tourism Week May 7 to 15. 

Recognizing the fact that 49-percent of U.S. adult leisure travelers consider pets to be a part of the family, and 18-percent of this same group usually take their pets with them when they travel, the Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau (AAACCVB) will help to make traveling with four-legged friends in tow more enjoyable than ever during National Tourism Week. 

AAACCVB President and CEO Connie Del Signore says it is fitting that Annapolis roll out the red carpet for its four-legged friends during National Tourism Week. “We welcome pets to Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay, and we’ll be spreading the word in a special way with events, contests, giveaways, and activities that thank pet owners for choosing our destination.” 

The AAACCVB will be celebrating resident and visiting furry friends throughout the month of May. 

Throughout National Tourism Week, pet owners are invited to stop by the AAACCVB’s 26 West Street Visitors Center to pick up doggy treats provided compliments of Paws Pet Boutique and bandanas sponsored by Peppers. 

For more information about top events in Maryland take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Maryland. 

Visitors to AAACCVB’s www.VisitAnnapolis.org homepage will gain immediate access to information about accommodations, attractions, restaurants, retail outlets, parks, trails, deals, and specials that cater to pets and their humans. 

Napa Valley Vineyard to Vintner

Napa’s Vineyard to Vintner Party

Join the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association at its annual neighborhood block party Vineyard to Vintner (V2V 2011). 

V2V 2011 promises to be both more festive and more informative, as it has been extended to encompass the entire last weekend of April. The party begins with four intimate vintner-hosted “Friday Night Dinners” on April 29, followed on Saturday morning with “Style and Strength: A Stags Leap District Cabernet Seminar” hosted by Saveur Magazine’s wine editor David Rosengarten, continuing on to exclusive “Winery Open Houses” at 18 Stags Leap District properties. On Sunday participants welcome guests back for one last bit of complimentary tasting.

The four Friday night dinners will be the most intimate and, perhaps for some, the most memorable part of the weekend. Each dinner will be held at a separate Stags Leap District winery, with cuisine provided by a top chef, and limited space allowing only 45 guests each.  

During the winery open houses on Saturday April 30, guests can experience the 18 beautiful properties located within the appellation at V2V’s “Open Houses”, enjoying personal access to vintners and winemakers as they showcase their caves, barrels and cellars for special tours and tastings unavailable to the public. 

On Sunday May 1, guests will have an opportunity to enjoy a series of bonus complimentary tastings at participating retail rooms.

The Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association is a non-profit association of neighboring vintners and growers who work together to grow the reputation of their wines and appellation, and share the appellation’s quality with the wine loving world.    

For more information about top events in California take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in California. 

For more information visit the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association at www.stagsleapdistrict.com

Branson Veterans Homecoming

Every day of the year, Branson, Missouri, honors its Veterans, but November 5 to 11 each year, Branson hosts Veterans Homecoming, the largest veterans celebration in the nation. 

During this week, which concludes with a Veterans Day parade in historic downtown Branson, thousands of veterans, active duty military personnel and their families attend more than 50 special events honoring their service and sacrifice. 

This seven-day tribute includes many special events, many of which are free and all of which present patriotic salutes to Veterans. Some of the events include military reunions, an annual Military Gala and Banquet, tributes to women veterans, a veteran’s village, traveling art displays and tribute exhibits, free live shows and much more. 

Several places honoring veterans are open year round, but are celebrated even more during Veterans week. The Veterans Memorial Museum is located on highway 76 and hosts exhibits that cover WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and all other conflicts during the 20th Century. 

Veterans discounts and group rates are available. The Veterans Memorial Garden is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Hwy. 76 and Roark Valley Road, this beautiful garden serves as a living tribute to the sacrifices of America’s Veterans, active duty military personnel and their families. Veterans Memorial Garden was created by Branson resident and Master Gardener Ben Kinel, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. 

Avenue of Freedom Designated by the Branson Board of Aldermen in 2001, in honor of the nation’s Veterans, heroes who gave their lives for freedom, and those who died in the attacks on September 11, 2001. 

For more information about top events in Missouri take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Missouri. 

For more information on the Branson Veterans Homecoming visit www.explorebranson.com/ 

Historic Garden Week in Richmond, Virginia

Virginia’s Richmond Region invites visitors to experience a rich mosaic of some of the country’s finest properties during Historic Garden Week, April 16- to 23, presented by the Garden Club of Virginia. 

Visitors will help celebrate 78 years of preserving Virginia’s heritage with three tours in the Richmond Region. 

During “America’s Largest Open House,” the Richmond Region will highlight four centuries of design with three tours that will feature more than 30 different homes, gardens and grounds:

• April 19, Hampton Gardens/Cary Street Road Tour: Guests will tour stately homes designed in the Georgian Revival, English Tudor, and Colonial style. A highlight of the tour includes a brick and frame Colonial, constructed in 1923, that is one of the oldest houses in Hampton Gardens.

• April 20, Monument Avenue Tour: Guests can visit handsome townhouses more than a century old, lining Monument Avenue, long regarded as one of the most beautiful avenues in America. Adorned with monumental statues of historic figures, Monument Avenue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark District.

•April 21, Westmoreland Place/Windsor Farms: Guests visiting Windsor Farms will see one of Richmond's first planned neighborhoods, with homes mostly designed in the Colonial Revival and Cape Cod styles.

All are walking tours through some of Richmond’s most historic neighborhoods. 

For more information about top events in Virginia take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Virginia. 

Tickets for the Historic Garden Week tours range from $15 to $40 per event and may be purchased on the day of the tour at any of the open properties, at designated information centers and in advance at www.VAGardenweek.org

Red Fern Oklahoma

Red Fern Reminiscent of Less Hectic Times

Come back to a time of searching for crawdads, hound dog field trials and just plain fun at the 5th annual Red Fern Festival on  April 29 and 30 at Norris Park in downtown Tahlequah, Oklahoma. 

Materializing as a way to honor native son Wilson Rawls and his best-selling book, “Where the Red Fern Grows,” the Red Fern Festival has matured into an award-winning event recognized nationally.

“We are proud that our event went from an intangible thing to a popular festival that so many visitors enjoy,” said Kate Kelly, tourism director with the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone in the state should be proud that one of our native sons authored ‘Where the Red Fern Grows,’ she added.

Author Wilson Rawls grew up in the Tahlequah area where the story is set. Many may not realize the impact this story has had, and continues to have, said Kelly. The book is in the curriculum of at least fifty percent of schools in the United States, and its popularity does not seem to be waning.

            

The Festival is composed of some of the best aspects of the story with one of the highlights being the hound Dog Field Trials, held throughout the two-day event. 

            

Children’s activities are many and varied and range from old-fashioned 1930s-era games to modern art activities, and of course, catching crawdads.

            

Other events include Red Fern Chili Cook Off and Barbeque Extravaganza; live entertainment; 5K Run and One Mile Dog Jog; 5C’s Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show; Red Fern Poker Run; Tahlequack Duck Rack and more.

            

For more information about top events in Oklahoma take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Oklahoma. 

For more information on the Red Fern Festival, visit www.RedFernFestival.com 

50 Years in Fort Smith

Fort Smith's Heritage Festival is Multicultural

Fort Smith, Arkansas, is known for its Wild West origins, but don't assume the city's 2011 Heritage Festival on Saturday, April 9 is limited to that piece of history alone.

"It's truly a comprehensive heritage festival," explained Jennifer Boulden, communications and event services manager for the Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It's also sort of a multicultural festival."

The event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, and is headquartered at Immaculate Conception Church Parish Hall and Gymnasium in downtown Fort Smith. Entertainers inside the Parish Hall will be the Cherokee National Youth Choir, Irish dancers, Vietnamese dancers, Laotian dancers, and Story Teller Teddy Duncan. An antique car show will be set up in the church parking lot. Children's activities will take place inside and outside.

Vendors will sell beadwork, Native American art and jewelry, special occasion dresses for little girls, hair bows, handmade crafts, and Native American crafts. Groups such as 4-H, Girls, Inc., Western Arkansas Ballet, and Cultural Ambassadors will have exhibits.

While the festival is free, it is also a fundraiser for the Meals For Kids program.

The festival takes place throughout the downtown, and includes a Heritage Festival Tour of historic and entertainment areas. 

The Fort Smith National Historic Site will feature African American soldiers from the Civil War era. The national award-winning garden replicating the one planted by the Fort's officers' wives will be open as well.

While the main events of the Heritage Festival will be on Saturday, April 9, a free gospel concert will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 10 in Pendergraft Park. 

For more information about top events in Arkansas take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Arkansas. 

For more information on Fort Smith visit www.Fortsmith.org

Springtime Festivals in Maine

Spring in Maine means mountains changing from white to green, moose beginning to make public appearances, and the start of fun community festivals around the state.

The 38th annual Boothbay Harbor Fisherman’s Festival happens April 29 to May 1 with fun head-to-head events like the on-water trap hauling competition and dory bailing contest.

Greenville celebrates the start of moose watching season with MooseMainea on May 14 to June 12. Moose outnumber people 3 to 1 in the region, and events include a canoe race, craft fair, moose tale telling, a kids fun day and a moose photo contest.

The town of South Paris' signature spring event is the Lilac Festival at McLaughlin Garden from May 27 to 30. 

The event formerly known as the Kennebunkport Fine Living Festival is now the Kennebunkport Festival happening May 31 to June 4. The celebration of food, wine and art will feature ticketed wine-paired dinners, a mini beer and music festival and nightly after parties.

These annual birding festivals attract birders from around the country seeking unique sightings on land and water. 

The 5th annual Wings, Waves and Woods Festival takes place May 20-22 on Deer Isle. Puffin and pelagic boat trips, eagle spotting, daytime and evening bird walks, and a lecture series will make up the event.

Cobscook Bay is the setting for the 8th annual Down East Spring Birding Festival from May 27 to 30. Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and coastal boat trips are popular adventures, along with hikes, a kayak tour, workshops, and activities for children.

For more information about top events in Maine take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Maine. 

For more events coming up this spring, go to www.visitmaine.com

Gettysburg Festival

Face-to-Face with America's Most Beloved Presidents

Join Abe, George, Teddy and Thomas when The Presidents of Mount Rushmore takes the stage this June as part of the Gettysburg Festival, a 10-day festival from June 10 celebrating American arts, culture and cuisine.

The Presidents of Mount Rushmore, held Friday, June 17, at 8 p.m. at Gettysburg's historic Majestic Theater, brings together the top historical characters on one stage for a one-of-a-kind presentation and performance on the United States Constitution.

"Gettysburg is so often referred to as a town located at the crossroads of Civil War history; this June Gettysburg is also located at the crossroads of arts and culture," said Festival Executive Director Alice Estrada. "What better place than Gettysburg, an iconic place in American history, to feature all four of these celebrated presidents 'in person' and portrayed by the country's most esteemed talent?"

The audience will learn about the Constitution, the views held by these former presidents and the impact this historic document had on four of America's most revered presidents.

George Washington is portrayed by Dean Malissa, the official George Washington at Mount Vernon and the most sought-after portrayer of Washington on the country. Thomas Jefferson is presented by Bill Barker, who portrays the third president at Monticello, the Virginia home of Jefferson. 

Lincoln is portrayed by Jim Getty of Gettysburg. Known as "America's foremost Lincoln portrayer," Getty has been traveling the world presenting the 16th president to millions. Roosevelt is portrayed by Jim Foote, a New Yorker who's been presenting Roosevelt for more than 30 years and traveling thousands of miles around the country each year entertaining and teaching audiences, including the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site.

For more information about top events in Pennsylvania take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Pennsylvania.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through the Gettysburg Festival website - www.gettysburgfestival.org. 

Passport DC

Around the World in 31 Days 

Passport DC, a month-long celebration of international culture, returns this May to take DC visitors and residents on a global journey though Washington, DC. 

Now in its fourth year, Cultural Tourism DC’s Passport DC explores the international community that is a vital part of DC culture though street festivals, open houses, embassy events, special performances, and much more. All Passport DC events are open to the public and most are either free or at a low cost. 

The capstone event of Passport DC, the Around the World Embassy Tour, will be on Saturday May 14. From 10 am to 4 pm, more than 30 embassies representing six continents will open their doors to DC visitors and residents. Participants can travel the world as they experience the food, art, dance, fashion, and music of different countries. Last year visitors were treated to wine tastings, karate demonstrations, sari wrapping lessons, henna demonstrations, and authentic tea room tours. The Around the World Embassy Tour is free event.

Last year, more than 160,000 people participated in Passport DC by visiting the 60 embassies that participated in open houses, participating in the two major festivals, or attending the 37 international events of during May. This year’s signature events include: Short Cut to Europe: European Union Embassies’ Open House (May 7), Around the World Embassy Tour (May 14), National Aisan Heritage Festival: Fiesta Asia Street Fair (May 21), and Meridian International Children’s Festival (May 21). 

In addition to its signature events, Passport DC includes international programming including performances, lectures, concerts, and much more throughout the month.

For more information about top events in Washington DC take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Washington DC. 

For complete list of Passport DC events visit www.CulturalTourismDC.org.