Classic Car and Motorcycle Events at Glenwood Springs

Classic cars, classic rock and roll, classic summertime fun; it’s an unbeatable combination that will get your motor runnin’, and it all happens in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a scenic 150-mile drive from Denver through Glenwood Canyon.  

On June 10 to 12, the 59^th annual MG Car Club Rallye rolls into town; this is the nation’s oldest continuous road rally. The three-day event starts Friday, June 10, with the rally departing Arvada for Glenwood Springs. The following day is a driving tour and scavenger hunt that starts and ends in Glenwood Springs. The final event of the weekend includes a car show at Two Rivers Park and a funkhana, or driving skills competition similar to an obstacle course.

On July 29 to 31, the Grand River Classic Car and Motorcycle Days shifts into high gear, showcasing original and restored vehicles that represent nearly every decade since the early 1900s. 

The 8^th annual Grand River Classic Car and Motorcycle Days begins Friday, July 29, with a ‘cruise night’ and a street dance and barbeque that is open to the community. Festivities are centered around Vicco’s Charcoalburger Drive-In, located along Highway 6 in West Glenwood Springs. On Saturday morning, up to 150 cars and motorcycles are expected to line up along 7^th Street in downtown Glenwood Springs, making it easy for spectators to admire, possibly peek under the hood, and even ask owners questions about their unique hobby. Adding to the small-town charm, the local Kiwanis Club will be serving a pancake breakfast. Enjoy the show all day from 9am to 4pm. 

Glenwood Springs is located between Aspen and Vail, 165 miles west of Denver or 90 miles east of Grand Junction on I-70 off Exit 116.

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

To learn more about with these classic car events, please visit  http://www.visitglenwood.com/

Top Events and Festivals in Canada

The festivals and events you are looking for are not just taking place in the USA.

This is why the brand new site of Top Events Canada showcases the wide selection of top events and festivals that are on offer in Canada.

The best events are not just in the USA. A short way across the border, travellers to the region will be happy to see that Canada has a huge offering of events and festivals covering every topic and interest and taking place in every Province of the country including:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland & Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan

and even the northern territories of

• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut
• Yukon

Don't miss out on world class events and festivals just across the border.

Canton Blues Festival

The rhythm and blues will be rolling into downtown Canton, Ohio, this June for the annual Canton Blues Fest. This 2-day affair – this year celebrating 10 years of rockin’ and rollin’ – boasts major musicmakers on Friday June 10 and Saturday June 11.

Presented by the Canton Development Partnership (a department of the Canton Regional Chamber) the free outdoor summer jam is happening in downtown Canton with incredible headliners guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Michael Burks and Chicago guitar-hero Ronnie Baker Brooks, and music all day from noon to 10.30pm

Boogie woogie your way downtown, kickback with a refreshing, ice cold drink, delicious midway fare, super cool tunes and great friends, and enjoy the best outdoor music festival north of Memphis! Want the best seats in town? Buy a two-day Blues Fest VIP Pass online for $75 and take advantage of FREE food, beer and incredible views of the stage.

Canton and Stark County lay claim to national attractions such as the Professional Football Hall of Fame, the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, and the National First Ladies Historical Site, but the hidden treasures of Ohio's Amish Country and the quaint shops of Hartville and Canal Fulton also entice tourists of all ages. Every weekend is filled with exciting events such as the Yankee Peddler Festival, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival and OHSAA State Football Championship to name just a few. 

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

For more information on the Blues Festival in Canton visit www.downtowncantonevents.com/canton-blues-festival/

Livermore Celebrates Cowboy Past

Tri-Valley, a five-city region in San Francisco’s East Bay, is planning a month-long celebration of Livermore’s western roots in June, including the 93rd Annual Livermore Rodeo, the Chili Shooters Stampede & Western Heritage Celebration and an exclusive Western Heritage get-away package. 

Downtown Livermore will transform into a scene from the Wild West on Saturday, June 4, from 11 am to 4pm when more than 15 restaurants participate in the Chili Shooters Stampede. They’ll be creating signature chili samples reflecting each restaurant culinary twist, served up in a shot glass. Western traditions and activities will be showcased throughout the downtown: live entertainment, wagon rides, cast iron cooking and blacksmithing demonstrations, rodeo and western art exhibit, square dancing, kids corral with pee-wee stick horse races, roping lessons, chalk brands, mini farm animal experience and more. The Western Heritage Celebration is an admission-free event. 

Touted as “The World’s Fastest Rodeo,” the Livermore Rodeo returns for its 93rd year on June 11 and 12 at Robertson Park in Livermore. Spectators can enjoy bronco riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing and bull riding. Festivities kick off with the annual Mixer on Wednesday, June 8, while an admission-free family night featuring team roping is on Thursday, June 9. 

The ‘Western Heritage Rodeo Package’ includes two tickets for the Livermore Rodeo and Rodeo Parade, two tickets for Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams performing at the Bankhead Theater, and an overnight stay at the DoubleTree Hotel in Livermore for $169 (a $282 value), available June 10-11. 

The Tri-Valley, California Convention & Visitors Bureau is the destination marketing organization for the cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, San Ramon, Danville and the surrounding region. 

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 on the Tri-Valley area visit www.trivalleycvb.com/ 

Historic Tredegar

The Richmond Region, Virginia, an area that occupied center stage during the Civil War and throughout African-Americans’ struggle for freedom, plays a starring role in the nation’s commemoration of dual 150^th anniversaries of the Civil War and the beginning of Emancipation from 2011-2015.

The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar and the Richmond National Battlefield Park/National Park Service have designated Historic Tredegar as “Your Gateway to the Civil War”, with the 8.3-acre site serving as the Region’s official Civil War 150^th Visitor Center under the banner, “The Story Starts Here”. The designation expands upon an existing partnership between The American Civil War Center and the National Park Service, which share the Historic Tredegar campus, once the largest munitions foundry in the South.

As the official Gateway to the Civil War, the Civil War and Emancipation 150^th Visitor Center will not only orient visitors to Historic Tredegar and the Region’s 13 Civil War battlefields, but NPS Park Rangers and Center staff also will help direct tourists and locals alike to the Region’s other historic sites, such as the Virginia Historical Society, the Museum & White House of the Confederacy, Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia and Richmond Slave Trail among others. The Center also will provide information on visiting other historic Civil War sites beyond Central Virginia.

In addition to the existing museum resources at The American Civil War Center and the Richmond National Battlefield Park Civil War Visitor Center, the expanded Tredegar facility will include a broader selection of brochures for area Civil War and Emancipation venues and trails, more comprehensive information about Virginia Civil War and Emancipation 150^th events and new banners displayed outside the Center to highlight its role as the gateway site. 

 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. 

For more information on historic Richmond visit www.visitrichmondva.com/

Cape Fear Coast Beach Music festivals

Do you love beach music, shag-dancing, and good old-fashioned summer fun? Then boogie on down to Wilmington and North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast during the month of June for back-to-back weekends of beach music festivals.  Two summer festivals will feature the best in beach music, a laid-back style of rhythm-and-blues with roots on the Carolina coast. 

On Saturday, June 4 Carolina Beach is the place to be during 26th annual Carolina Beach Music Festival. The Festival (formerly Pleasure Island Beach Music Festival) is held on the beach near the Carolina Beach Boardwalk between Harper and Hamlet Avenues.

A lineup of acclaimed beach music artists is also on tap the following Saturday, June 11 when the Battleship North Carolina holds a Beach Music Festival at Battleship Park to celebrate the ship’s 50^th anniversary as a World War II attraction in Wilmington. 

  

Make plans to experience both beach music festivals with a week-long vacation to Wilmington & North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast (Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach). With more than 50 attractions, tours and cruises from the river to the sea, there’s plenty to see and do between festivals. Dozens more events include: the Cape Fear Shakespeare on the Green festival each weekend in June, and farmer’s markets at Wrightsville Beach (Mondays), Carolina Beach (Saturday), and on the riverfront in Downtown Wilmington (Saturday). Free family movies screen weekly at Carolina Beach Lake (Sundays). Concerts and fireworks rock the Carolina Beach Boardwalk (Thursday evenings). Audubon NC offers free bird tours at Wrightsville Beach (Friday mornings). And on Friday nights, there’s live music from the river to the sea. 

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 North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast visit  www.capefearcoast.com/

Revitalized Lower Manhattan

The campaign to promote the rebirth of Lower Manhattan, one of New York City’s most iconic neighborhoods, begins June 1.

“Get More NYC: Lower Manhattan” has been designed to illustrate the recovery and revitalization of Lower Manhattan in the last decade.

The campaign will encourage visitors to stay in Lower Manhattan’s hotels, eat in its restaurants, shop in its stores and experience all the neighborhood has to offer. Lower Manhattan continues to grow with new residents, businesses, cultural attractions and open space, including the 9/11 Memorial, which will open to visitors on Sept. 12, 2011. 

“Get More NYC: Lower Manhattan” will include new travel itineraries; consumer hotel offers promoting weekend stays with a complimentary Downtown Culture Pass; 20-percent-off offers at Lower Manhattan shops, restaurants, attractions and cultural institutions.  

Cultural events and festivals will again enliven Lower Manhattan this summer. The latest Public Art Fund exhibit in City Hall Park, Sol LeWitt: Structures, 1965–2006, the first outdoor career survey of the artist’s sculptures and featuring 27 works, some as tall as 26 feet, has opened in City Hall Park. 

Governors Island – just a free ferry ride away – will again feature a diverse array of art exhibits and cultural and recreational programs that are free to the public, including the exhibition Mark di Suvero at Governors Island: Presented by the Storm King Art Center, the largest outdoor presentation of di Suvero’s sculptures to be shown in New York City since 1975. 

The 10th anniversary of the River to River Festival, Lower Manhattan’s largest free summer arts festival, will again feature music, film, dance, theater and art in a variety of public venues. 

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

Complete information on the Get More NYC: Lower Manhattan campaign can be accessed from June 1 at www.nycgo.com/getmorenyc

Columbus Arts Festival

It may be celebrating its 50th year of bringing the best in fine art and fine craft to Columbus on June 3, 4 and 5 this year but the Columbus Arts Festival remains young in spirit with exciting new programs.. 

To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Columbus Arts Festival is creating a BIG festival experience – diverse, inclusive and creative with an emphasis on engaging a broader spectrum of the community. The 2011 celebration incorporates more community partners – local artists, local collectors and patrons, local restaurants and small businesses.

Presented by Time Warner Cable and produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the overall Festival ambiance and atmosphere will be enhanced through lighting inside and outside tents at night, standing cabaret tables, landscaping throughout the Discovery District including plant and flower placement around stages and special activity tents. The Discovery District – just east of downtown – is home to some of the city’s great cultural institutions and attractions including the Columbus Museum of Art, Thurber House, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Columbus College of Art & Design and more.

The community can enjoy the history of the Festival at a mini-museum of Festival artifacts (50th Anniversary Festival video, photos, posters, pins etc. from prior Festivals) and also sneak a peek into the future by highlighting the much-anticipated move back to Columbus’ Riverfront for the 2012 Columbus Arts Festival. The newly revitalized Scioto Mile Park along the river will feature lush green spaces, a charming promenade and mesmerizing water features along with plazas, paths and bikeways.

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

For more information on the Columbus Arts Festival visit www.columbusartsfestival.org

Santa Barbara's Summer Heats up

Whichever time of year you visit, the cultural calendar of Santa Barbara, California, is packed with eclectic events feting everything from food and wine to sun goddesses and the city’s Spanish heritage with signature festivals like epicure.sb, the infamous Summer Solstice Parade and Fiesta’s Old Spanish Days. 

Its peak festival season is summer, when visitors can count on a free festival or cultural celebration nearly every weekend. Summer kicks off with the I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival (May 28 – 30), a Memorial Day weekend tradition at Mission Santa Barbara. 

Santa Barbara celebrates its cherished sunshine during the colorful Summer Solstice Parade and Festival (June 24 – 26). Independence Day (July 4) festivities include a parade on State Street, a Pops concert in the Courthouse Sunken Gardens and fireworks on the waterfront. Santa Barbara’s Pacific Pride Festival  (July 9) at Chase Palm Park is the region’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer Pride celebration. 

The largest Bastille Day celebration west of the Mississippi, Santa Barbara’s French Festival (July 16 – 17) attracts over 20,000 Francophiles for two days of French food, music and dance. Old Spanish Days Fiesta (August 3 – 7) spices things up with a five-day celebration of Santa Barbara’s American Indian, Spanish and Mexican heritage. The annual culinary extravaganza “epicure.sb: a month to savor santa barbara” (October 1 – 31) marks the transition to Indian Summer with 100-plus events including food and drink festivals, cooking classes, winemaker dinners and more.

Considered the northernmost point of Southern California and the southernmost point of Northern California, Santa Barbara spans 100 miles of pristine coastline. Santa Barbara is known as The American Riviera® thanks to its Spanish-Revival architecture, rich heritage, world-renowned food-and-wine scene, stunning natural beauty and near-perfect weather. 

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 on events and festivals in Santa Barbara visit www.santabarbaraca.com

Kalispel Tribe of Indians Honors US Military

The Kalispel Tribe of Indians which operates Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Spokane, Washington State, is showing its appreciation for the sacrifices made by the nation’s men and women in the military with its “We Salute Package” this coming Memorial Day (May 30) and beyond.

All members of the military are being invited to enjoy some well-deserved R&R at the 250-room luxury property. The “We Salute Package” prices start at $169 and include a one-night stay in a classic guestroom, a $50 food credit to be used at one of the property’s 14 restaurants and lounges, a $15 spa credit at the luxurious Current Spa & Salon, and $20 match play at the property’s Las Vegas style casino.  Also included in the package is complimentary overnight valet and garage service, round-trip airport and area-wide transportation, complimentary wireless internet, evening turndown service, and access to the property’s pool and fitness center.

And from June to August Northern Quest Resort & Casino hosts a series of outdoor summer concerts at its outdoor pavilion, a brand new intimate outdoor concert and event venue. 

The Pepsi Outdoor Summer Concerts at Northern Quest Resort & Casino kicks off in late June with seven exciting concerts featuring a variety of entertainment’s most exceptional talents – The Judds (June 25), the Steve Miller Band (July 14), Willie Nelson and Family (July 31), The Beach Boys (August 6), Reba McEntire (August 12), Toby Keith(August 18), Santana (August 26).

Northern Quest Resort & Casino sits on the West Plains in the town of Airway Heights, just 10 minutes west of downtown Spokane, Washington, and five minutes from Spokane International Airport.

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

Reservations for the Northern Quest Resort & Casino’s “We Salute Package” can be made by calling 1-877-871-6772 or on-line at www.northernquest.com

Loggers and Artists of Hoquiam, Washington

Historically a logging town, Hoquiam preserves its heritage with events like its internationally famous Loggers’ Playday  .... while not forgetting to honor its artists too.

It celebrates its arts every year with the On Track Art Festival, held the last weekend of August each year (August 27 and 28 this year) on 8^th and Levee Streets in downtown Hoquiam. 

At this 2-day outdoor festival visitors can view and purchase original art from outstanding local and regional artists. No commercial products are allowed – all booths are original art products. Therre is great food, great artists and great opportunity for the artists who attend.

The Loggers Playday, held the Saturday following Labor day each year (this year September 10), is in its 47^th year. It is a day full of great fun. It makes a 6a.m. start with the Rotary Pancake Breakfast which competitors can work off on the 2 mile, 5K or 10K fun runs at 8a.m. The day proceeds with a vendor fair held in downtown Hoquiam beginning at 10a.m. The Loggers Playday parade begins at 12 noon with marching bands, logging trucks and other great entries. In the afternoon there is a Salmon Bake  outside the historic Olympic Stadium from 2 to 7p.m. The day ends with the one-of-a kind-logging show at the Olympic Stadium and a wonderful fireworks display.

Part of Grays Harbor County, Washington State’s gateway to the Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Peninsula, Hoquiam and its Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge is a stopover for hundreds of thousands of shorebirds during their spring and fall migrations. 

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

For more information on Hoquiam and its attractions and events visit www.cityofhoquiam.com/

Montana Events and Festivals

High Steppin' & Road Trippin’ in Montana

In Montana, locals weather six months of rugged beauty (read: snow & ice) for the gift of summer in Big Sky Country. Like annual rites of passage, they await certain perennial shindigs that punctuate Montana’s warm season calendars. Visitors, however, can zero-in on specific, summery dates and tap into the heart of Montana's cultural pulse. 

Here’s a short list of some of Montana’s most anticipated events in the coming season. 

The Beartooth Highway is celebrating its 75th anniversary. This iconic, alpine ribbon of road connects Red Lodge, MT with Cooke City, MT at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park and they’ll be celebrating the Highway’s 75th anniversary there from June 10 to 12.

After three wildly successful years of hosting the National Folk Festival, the denizens of Butte have decided to carry on the tradition by kicking off the 1st annual Montana Folk Festival. Featuring multiple stages with continuous musical performances by performers from across the nation, festivalgoers can tap into folk artists, great ethnic foods and a lively family area from July 8 to 10.

Red Ants Pants, makers of work wear for real women, are throwing a mid-summer bash that’s not to be missed. Dubbed a “dance your pants off” gathering to celebrate the hard working side of Montana, performers like Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark and many others will take the stage on the Jackson Ranch outside of White Sulphur Springs, MT from July 29 to 31.

The Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation brings together the finest guitar playing and one of the most exquisite natural landscapes in the world. These two passions – music & nature – take center stage at the Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork during this weeklong workshop and festival from August 28 to September 4. 

The Going To The Sun Rally is a charitable event for vintage sports car enthusiasts. This year’s Rally from September 8 to 13 starts and finishes in Montana’s capital city of Helena by way of Waterton, Canada and Whitefish, Montana. 

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

For more information on Montana events visit www.visitmt.com/

Toms River Food Fest

If you’re looking for good food, fun and fellowship on Saturday, May 14 (rain date May 15 in case), look no further than Toms River, New Jersey. 

The Township of Toms River and the Toms River–Ocean County Chamber of Commerce are co-sponsoring the 1^st Annual Toms River Food Fest along Washington Street, between Main Street and Hooper Avenue in downtown Toms River.  

The Toms River Food Fest starts with a parade at 11am followed by opening ceremonies. There will be food to purchase at booths sponsored by local restaurants and vendors, children’s activities, crafts, entertainment on stage, and a beer tent sponsored by Toms River Fire Company #1.  

The music roundup from 12.30 includes White Rabbit, Luv Krazy, Jobonnano and the Godsons of Soul, and CPR Band. 

A Craft and Music event is taking place the same day a block away in Huddy Park, sponsored by the Toms River Business Improvement District.  

Local chefs will be doing half-hour demonstrations on stage between band set-ups. Some others will do demos at their respective booths.

Ocean County has over 50 miles of white sandy beaches and ocean, a myriad of recreational attractions and facilities at the boardwalk; visitors will enjoy historic downtown Toms River’s shops and restaurants, take a cruise on The River Lady, visit historic Hangar 1 at the Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station, or take a 45 minute drive to Six Flags Great Adventure Amusement Park in Jackson.

   

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

For more information on the Toms River Food Fest and on Toms River and Ocean County visit www.oc-chamber.com/

Indian Arts and Culture Festival

Featured as a “must-attend festival” in Patricia Schultz's best-seller, 1000 Places to See Before You Die, the 11^th annual Indian Arts and Culture Festival takes place from May 27 to June 5 in southwest Colorado’s Mesa Verde Country®.

The celebration begins on Memorial Day Weekend with events in Mesa Verde National Park. An authentic juried Indian art market features world-renowned Pueblo, Zuni, Hopi, Navajo, Ute and Apache artists; all representing tribes who claim a cultural affiliation with Mesa Verde National Park. This year’s festival featured artist is the exceptional Hopi potter, Valerie Namoki. 

The festival, recognized as one of the “Top 100 Events in North America” by the American Bus Association, also features a Navajo rug seminar and auction, a Native American concert, Native American dancers, traditional foods, and cultural programs. The Anasazi Heritage Center will feature a special exhibit, Sacred Images: A Vision of Native American Rock Art. This photographic exhibit joins the talents of three wilderness photographers with the storytelling skills of indigenous peoples to present the visionary power of Utah’s rock art.

Guides from Ute Mountain Tribal Park will offer special archaeological tours during the festival, including a Porcupine House and Ute Petroglyph Tour and an Anasazi Sun Calendars and Petroglyphs Tour in Mancos Canyon. 

Mesa Verde Country® is the southwest Colorado travel destination surrounding Mesa Verde National Park. The towns of Cortez, Dolores, Mancos and Towaoc, and the entire Mesa Verde Country® area, comprise the archaeological center of America. 

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

For a full schedule of festival events, visit: www.mesaverdecountry.com/tourism/festivals/iacf/iacfschedule.html

Sounds of the Mississippi South

It’s true: Mississippi is the True South. It’s also true that Mississippi is the birthplace of America’s music. Country, blues, rock ‘n’ roll .... they all started in Mississippi. 

“From the father of country music, Jimmie Rodgers, and the king of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley, to the originators of blues like Son House, Robert Johnson and B.B. King, Mississippi is home to the ones who started it all,” said Mary Beth Wilkerson, director of the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Division. “Come to Mississippi in May and experience our authentic musical heritage as we celebrate some of the finest musicians, festivals and venues in the world.”

The Mississippi Blues Trail continues its incredible journey of bringing to life the history of blues music all across the state. Blues Trail markers have been placed at sites where blues musicians lived and entertained. Others are situated at historic streets, train depots, blues clubs, cemeteries and even churches where blues musicians made their mark.

This month – May 8 to be exact – marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of one of the most famous bluesmen of all time, Robert Johnson. His life and legend have served as inspiration for musicians and storytellers around the world. 

Several Robert Johnson 100^th anniversary events are scheduled this year including the Official Centennial Concert from May 5 to 8 in Greenwood with free concerts and more to commemorate this historic year and musician.  

No musical journey to Mississippi is complete without a visit to the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo and true fans of Elvis will want to be sure to attend the Elvis Festival in Tupelo during June 2 to 5 this year. 

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

To learn even more to help you plan your musical trip to Mississippi in May, go to www.VisitMississippi.org