 I love the lazy days of summer – and the fun-filled festivals that take place across the country and allow us to bask in the warm sunshine and thoroughly enjoy every minute of the longer days.
Here are a few of my favorite festivals. Make the most of your summer travel by scheduling your vacation time around one – or – more of these events.
Warmest regards,
Laura
Lesnie
Editor — Your Travel Insider
 Boston Harborfest
Boston's the place to celebrate Independence Day, the week-long event that includes Revolutionary re-enactments, concerts, historical tours and the popular Chowderfest of the city's signature soup. June 28 to July 4.
Seafair
The entire city of Seattle gets into the spirit of Seafair, a month-long celebration that kicks off with a milk carton derby and includes parades, athletic events, concerts, exhibitions, and an air show. July 7 to August 5.
 Gilroy Garlic Festival
This California food extravaganza is all about the stinking rose – more than two tons will be used to enhance 20,000 pound of beef, 7,000 pounds of pasta, 6,000 pounds of scampi, 5,000 pounds of calamari, and more than three-quarters of a million french fries. July 27 to 29.
Maine Lobster Festival
Now in its 60th year, the Maine Lobster Festival features incredible food, ( much of it cooked in the world's largest lobster cooker), as well as a lobster crate race, cooking contests, and top-notch entertainment. August 1 to 5.
National Buffalo Wing Festival
This Spicy event, which takes place in none other than Buffalo, NY, pays homage to a favorite American finger food. The schedule includes hot sauce recipe contests and wing eating competitions – with the naming of the "wing king." September 1 to 2.
 Pitchfork Music Festival
Chicago's Union Park becomes the stage for a three-day festival showcasing independent music's best bands an artists. This year's line-up includes Yoko Ono, the Sea and Cake, and the Twilight Sad. July 13 to 15.
Summerfest
Billed as "The World's Largest Music Festival," Milwaukee's 40th Summerfest will spotlight Def Leppard, Styx, and Foreigner among the named acts and emerging talent slated to perform.
Ju ne 28 July 8.
 Colorado Shakespeare Festival
The Colorado city of Boulder has presented one of the country's premier Shakespeare festivals for nearly a half century. This season will showcase three productions in an ancient Greek-style outdoor theater – A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Servant of Two Masters, and Julius Caesar. June 22 to August 18.
San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
For nearly three decades, this event celebrated cultural diversity by presenting the dances from different ethnic heritages from around the world. This year's performances will range from chinese lion dances to flamenco and Croation folk dancing. June 9 to 10, 16 to 17, and 23 to 24.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The largest annual cultural event in the U.S. capital, this festival typically attracts more than one million visitors, who seek to experience other regional American and international cultures through dance, music, storytelling, traditional ceremonies, and more. June 27 to July 1. |
