Spring Pilgrimage on Mississippi Gulf Coast

Some 40 of the most elegant homes, gardens, and historic landmarks along the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Moss Point to Bay St. Louis will be on show (free of charge) for eight days from March 16 to 24.

It is the Mississippi Gulf Coast Council of Garden Clubs’ 61st Spring Pilgrimage.

The opening ceremony will be held at the “Old Brick House” in Biloxi on Saturday, March 16, from 11am to 1pm. The closing ceremony will be at the Blacklidge home in Gulfport on Sunday, March 24 from 2 to 5pm.

The eight days of pilgrimage are packed full of homes, gardens and churches in Biloxi, Gautier, Moss Point, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Gulf Hills, Long Beach, Diamondhead, Pass Christian and Gulfport. Biloxi Historical Day includes 11 sites plus Beauvoir, the historic last home of American statesman Jefferson Davis.

On Friday, March 22, a luncheon and fashion show will be held at historic Gulf Hills Hotel in Ocean Springs. Doors open at 1am.  Lunch will be served at noon.  The event is a fundraiser for the The Mississippi Gulf Coast Council of Garden Clubs and will include a silent auction and jewelry sale.

For more information visit Tour of Homes, Gardens, and Historic Landmarks or call 228-861-5826.

Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast for other events and festivals.

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.

Snowball Fights to Beer Fests in Anchorage, Alaska

Whether you visit Anchorage during the long days of summer or want to enjoy the winter wonderland, visitors are sure to find an event that appeals to them in the year ahead.

Anchorage kicks off 2013 with the Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival on January 18 & 19. Stout, pale ale, amber or nut brown are just a few of the beers to be found at this annual showcase of suds. You'll be able to try beers of the Northwest and beyond with special attention to Alaska's brews. The whole weekend is a celebration of beer, mead and barley wine and gives everyone the opportunity to meet local brewers and try something new.

Celebrating winter like nowhere else, Alaska's largest and oldest winter festival Fur Rendezvous, popularly known as The Rondy, features tons of fun events from February 22 to March 3. Rated the best winter carnival in the world by National Geographic Traveler, there's something for everyone. Running of the Reindeer is a mass dash with sprinting caribou and Yukigassen is a snowball fight like no other. Locals also like to dress up and push outhouses and strap on snowshoes to play softball. These are just a few of the delights in store at Rondy in 2013.

In the "Last Great Race" – the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race® – world-class mushers and their dog teams race toward the Bering Sea coast through rugged mountains and snowcapped forests. The ceremonial start to the Iditarod's 1,049 miles of pure adrenaline is in downtown Anchorage on March 2. The restart is held the next day in Willow, north of Anchorage.

On March 3 strap on the cross country skis and take a tour of Anchorage by trail. Hundreds of skiers take part in the Tour of Anchorage event, which offers a 25K, 40K and 50K route.

If you want information on Anchorage's wild adventures and urban delights and events for the rest of the year visit www.Anchorage.net.

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