Tag Archives: festival

DEAR DIARY – NOV 3

A fabulous festival happening now at Lincoln Center, sports, and a little celebrity access for your Tuesday.

CHOC FULL OF GOOD STUFF – OCT 14

Have a hump day treat, see a show, or get innovative at Tech Week.

Take a jog around the Washington monuments during sunrise

Experience the serenity of the monuments at sunrise. Start with the sun behind you at the Grant Memorial (just in front of the U.S. Capitol), and jog the 2 miles down to the Lincoln Memorial, passing the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial along the way.

Charro Days Feb. 24 – March 3, 2013

Staged each February since 1938, Brownsville’s Charro Days is a weeklong, traditional Mexican “pachanga,” with parades, dances and a variety of fun events for the entire family. The 2013 edition is set for Feb. 24 – March 3.

Feb. 24 – March 3, 2013 will mark the 75th anniversary of Charro Days, the hugely popular “fiesta” staged in the border town of Brownsville each year. Although Charro Days has been around in its current format since 1938, it is rumored that the first “unofficial” Charro Days took place in the early to mid-1800s, when citizens of Brownsville and Matamoros, just across the Rio Grande River in Mexico, came together to celebrate a cooperative climate between the two nations.

The traditions of this “two-nation fiesta” continue today. Those in attendance at this year’s festival will have plenty of opportunity to “baile” as dances are scheduled for both weekends of the event. In addition, there will be a flour tortilla eating contest, folkloric dancing, a golf tournament, parades, and more.

In short, Charro Days is an festival that provides fun for the whole family. And, while you’re in town, don’t miss the chance to stop by the world famous Gladys Porter Zoo, tour historic Port Isabel, or hop over to sunny South Padre Island. But, be warned, once you get a taste of what South Texas has to offer, you may not want to leave.

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Champagne Festival at Geja’s

Toast to the holidays and a fabulous New Year in style at the annual Champagne festival with wine and bubbly from France and California at Geja’s Café in Chicago. The three month festival starts December 1st. Don’t miss your chance to sample from the Roederer portfolio, Roederer is one of the leading Champagne “boutiques” in the world and the producer of celebrity favorite, Cristal. On Toasting Tuesdays, you’ll even receive 31% off any bottle in celebration of the 31st year of the festival. And stay for dinner… Geja’s is one of the most romantic spots in Chicago with fondue and live classical and flamenco guitar.

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The Sacred Thread of Yoga Festival October 11-19

The Sacred Thread of Yoga Festival

October 11-19

Imagine yourself practicing yoga and along with each pose comes a crisp sea breeze and the distant sound of the ocean. Sacred Thread presents the alluring opportunity to do exactly that. This San Francisco yoga festival is the only one of its kind in the city and the leading yoga festival in Northern California. Not only does this festival cater to those interested in yoga, but also to those interested in meditation and health and wellness events. If you’re interested in a healthy body and mind The Sacred Thread of Yoga Festival is for you.

http://www.sanfrancisco.com/sacred-thread-yoga/

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Chicago International Film Festival

Chicago International Film Festival 10/7 – 10/21

This year, the Chicago International Film Festival kicks off with ‘Stone’, a crime drama starring Robert De Niro and Edward Norton. But Stone is just the beginning. The festival will be packed with excellent films to please anyone’s taste.

http://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/

filmToronto FF Red Carpet

Takoma Park Folk Festival September 12, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Takoma Park Folk Festival is a free annual festival featuring music and dance from around the world on eight stages in Takoma Park, Maryland. The festival also includes dance workshops, children’s activities, a crafts show and ethnic food from around the world. Takoma Park Middle School 7611 Piney Branch Rd. (near Rt. 410) Takoma Park, MD

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Arts on N Street Festival

August 7-8 and 14-15, 2010. Washington Convention Center. The Arts on N Festival is a new summer event in Washington DC sponsored by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to provide a free affordable art festival featuring work by District artists, organizations and local businesses.

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3. 10 Premieres at Lincoln Center Festival July 7-25

Picture 11The goal of the Lincoln Center Festival is to bring to audiences something they could not see anywhere else in the world. In a city as culturally crazy as New York, this is a lofty task, but this festival always delivers- and this year is no exception. In 18 days there will be 10 premieres and debuts, and 45 performances from 12 countries in over seven venues across New York City.

The Lincoln Center Festival kicks off with the U.S. premiere of Musashi, a lavish production based on a legendary samurai story. Another highlight includes the works of Edgard Varese by Maestro Alan Gilbert and The New York Philharmonic. This festival is heralded by nearly every New York critic as one of summer’s highlights.

3. Modern Dance Festival at the Modern July 10-25

Picture 2For the seventh year in a row, Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth teams up with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for the Modern Dance Festival at the Modern. With dance performances to lectures to site-specific events and even screenings of films from the Dance On Camera Festival, dance is taken to the next level with so many artistic venues for expression. The festival kicks off with the CD/FW Dance Exchange: A Choreographer’s Showcase, featuring special guest Dan Halquiet who will perform choreography from Bill Evans (who has his own workshop and lecture a few days later). It’s 15 days of free events, making this festival repeatedly one of the most popular.

2. Jazz Around Town at DC Jazz Festival June 1-13

Picture 109With over 100 performances in over a dozen places in the city, it’s safe to say the DC Jazz Festival is taking over the nation’s capital for the first two weeks of June. This is DC’s largest music festival and one of the most highly-anticipated events of the summer. Venues go from famous jazz joints like Georgetown’s Blues Alley to clubs like Tryst. Other events within the festival include the all-day jazz extravaganza- that’s free- at the Lisner Auditorium as well as the Jazz ‘N Families Fun Day and Jazz Under the Stars.

1. Premier Dallas Wine & Food Fest April 21-25

Screen shot 2010-03-24 at 12.44.12 PMCome and taste the best wine that Dallas has to offer at the 26th annual Dallas Wine & Food Festival. This is the premier food and wine event in Dallas, taking place over five days at landmark settings in and around the city. The festival showcases local and national talent and is the only festival in Dallas to feature award-winning wines from the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, the largest national wine competition outside of California. There are various events throughout the festival, from a movie & dinner ticket to cooking seminars to an over-the-top five-course winemaker’s dinner featuring the top winners of the annual Rising Stars Chefs’ Contest.

4. 300 Different Beers SF Beer Fest April 25

Sample over 300 incredible beers from some of the best Screen shot 2010-03-24 at 4.13.26 PMcraft brewers from around the world as well as taste a delicious variety of offerings from some of San Francisco’s best restaurants. Admission includes unlimited beer tasting and food, basically a dream come true.
And, you can get your fill without a lot of guilt. The money raised from the admissions tickets will go entirely to fund the teaching and learning programs at the Telegraph Hill Cooperative Nursery School for an entire year!

5. Coral Gables Wine & Food Fest April 10

Screen shot 2010-03-24 at 5.33.07 PMWhat do Grey Goose vodka, Martini vermouth, Premier Beverage Company, and Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables all have in common? They are all sponsors for the 7th Annual Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida Coral Gables Wine & Food Festival; a one-day street festival where you can enjoy world class cuisine, exquisite wines, and live entertainment. At a $50 ticket price, don’t let that turn you away, because all proceeds benefit The American Lung Association in Florida-South Area’s lung research, education and patient assistance programs and The International Bronchitis Center at The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

1. Sundance Caliber at DC Indie Film Fest March 4-14

Picture 13Hailed by Washingtonpost.com as the “Sundance of the east coast,” this award-winning film festival is the place to be for all the film lovers out there. Showcasing more than 100 feature, short, animation, and documentary films by local, national, and international filmmakers, this festival is an indie film paradise. Many of these films have even won awards at the Academy Awards, Sundance, Toronto and Cannes.

At each program, participants can view a range of films, each of which is followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers and executives. The festival also offers a Music Festival, Master Classes, Seminars and Workshops conducted by industry professionals. The festival also presents the “Independent Summit on the Hill” on the first day, where filmmakers and policymakers discuss the state of the industry on Capitol Hill.

1. St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival March 13

Picture 19What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than to spend it at an exciting parade and festival? This year marks the 158th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco, which draws huge attendees from all different demographics and ethnicities. With historic ties to the city, this is the parade that you must see if you are in the area, with more than 5,000 participants from all over the country.

After the parade, enjoy the events at the Festival, including live performances and entertainment, arts and crafts exhibitors, food and beverage concessions, children’s rides and inflatables, cultural displays, a petting zoo and pony rides, and a number of non-profit booths representing the Irish community. Many of these events showcase Irish culture and history, so everyone can learn a thing or two.

1. Atlanta’s Awesome St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 13

Picture 10There’s not better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Atlanta than attending a parade, especially when that parade will be the largest and best attended St. Patrick’s Parade & Festival since the first was held is 1858. The 2010 Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade will be comprised of over 200 elements, including clowns, military units, bagpipers & drum corps, Irish dancers, high tech firefighting equipment, police units, drill teams, dogs, horses, antique cars, dignitaries from Ireland and local government leaders. Not to mention the thousands of fresh faced on lookers who are sure to be lining the streets.

After a day of events throughout the city the parade ends at Fabulous Underground Atlanta with vendors, food and free entertainment, which should result in plenty of music, dancing and drinking.

2. Best of SF at Switchboard Music Fest March 28

Want toPicture 20 hear the newest local artists from San Francisco? Be sure to check out the Switchboard Music Festival. Featuring musicians primarily based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the festival consists of an eight-hour marathon concert with big name artists as well as younger, less established groups with great potential. Much of the music is also focused on blurring the lines between genres. This festival is great for those who want to hear new and interesting music from up and coming local artists; its unpredictability makes the festival fresh. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite artist here.

2. Celebrate St. Paddy’s at Nat’l Shamrock Fest March 13

With 1Picture 140 stages, 40+ bands and DJ’s, and dozens of party areas, this is what you’ll find at the National Shamrock Fest, the largest Saint Paddy’s festival in the Mid-Atlantic Region. This day long street festival is full of live music, food, drinks and dozens of activities for all ages. To be more specific, there are carnival rides, games, strolling entertainers, Shamrock Pub Games, tons of beer trucks, dozens of craft vendors, and much more. This year, there will even be an attempt to break the world record of chest bumps at the festival to raise money against cancer. The music consists of Rock, Irish, Blues, Retro and Folk music. Come and join over 40,000 people at this fun festival.

2. Laughing Skull Comedy Fest March 3-7

Picture 13Nearly 60 of the nation’s most hilarious stand up comics are coming to Atlanta for The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, with 12 comedians giving their best work at each show every night of the week. There will be different headliners closing each show throughout the week and even a few surprise guests to spice things up.

This festival is also part contest, where after each of the preliminary shows Wednesday through Friday, two winners will be selected that move on to the semi-finals on Saturday night at 8pm and finals just a few hours later. Only one comedian will survive as they compete to the comic death: four comedians will enter, but only one will leave.

Just remember,18 and older to enter, as things may get a bit racy!

3. Movies & Music at CIMMfest March 4-7

Picture 9Movies and music go hand in hand and the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival celebrates the partnership. Created by filmmakers and musicians, the CIMMfest (as it’s affectionately known) showcases cutting edge films, videos, exhibitions and concerts from all over the globe. It was a huge hit in its inaugural year last year, world premiering Camera War, Richard Bellia’s first US show and much more. This year, it’s destined to have even bigger special guests and better music and movies

3. Diverse Art at Intersections Arts Fest March 5-7

Picture 15If you go to one art festival this year, make it the Intersections Arts Festival. Hosted at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, this new arts festival features visual art, film screenings, literary readings, as well as dance, musical, and dramatic productions by more than 30 artists and cultural institutions. There is a strong focus on the intersection of diverse races, ages, and cultures through art.

Pick from a diverse range of events: a world premier from Washington hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon, a concert from legendary folk singer and activist Tom Chapin, a high-voltage performance by the hip-hop dance ensemble DCypher Dance, an exhibition introducing the work of artist José Allen, literary events hosted by the Folger Shakespeare Library, and much more. There are also plenty of interactive performances, classes, and happenings. Be sure to check out the café, lobby performances and late-night dance parties as well.

3. North Texas Irish Festival March 5-7

Picture 20A week before the official St. Patrick’s Day holiday, Texans can begin to start the party thanks to the North Texas Irish Festival. In its 28th year as a staple in Dallas, this festival features world-class entertainers including Irish dancers, musicians, Celtic storytellers and horse performers on nine stages throughout the weekend celebration.

This year the theme is Celtic Music of the Eastern Coast of Canada, so don’t be surprised to see a Maple Leaf or two mixed in with all the green. On top of a great way to celebrate, this festival also offers workshops for those who want to bring the Irish spirit home!

4. Chocolate Lovers Rejoice at Festival March 6-7

Chocolate, chocolate, andPicture 17 more chocolate. That’s what you’ll find here at the annual two-day Chocolate Lovers Festival in Old Town Fairfax. There are plenty of events to participate in: buy chocolates from vendors at the Taste of Chocolate; create a work of art using chocolate as the medium at the Chocolate Challenge; devour the chocolate chip pancakes at the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast. There are also historic re-enactments, children’s activities, craft shows, open houses at historic buildings and many more chocolate themed events. Some of the events do require a fee, while other ones are free to all visitors. Whether you’re bringing a date or the whole family, there’s plenty to do here.

4. Lion Dancing & Firecrackers for the Chinese New Year Feb. 14

Picture 25It’s the year of Tiger in 2010, which means that it’s going to be fiery year. Start it of with the New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival- one of the few days a year you can legally set off firecrackers and rockets in Manhattan. Along with the amazing explosions will be lion dances, drumming, and giveaways/contests of traditional Chinese New Year items. After the Firecracker Ceremony, make sure to join in on the festival parade through the streets of Chinatown.

1. Chicago Sketch Fest 1/7-1/17/10

One of the biggest draws in Chicago’s theaPicture 3ter scene is sketch comedy and 2010 marks the ninth year for the Chicago Sketch Fest. The 100+ participating comedy troupes, including homegrown Chicago talent, and troupes as far afield as Seattle, Austin and Denver, will offer audiences close to 150 shows over the festival’s eight day run.

This year’s theme? “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  As with improv, sketch comedy is satirical, but unlike improv, sketches are scripted.  So ready yourself for sharp wit, biting commentary and humorous takes on today’s world, courtesy of some of the funniest people in the country.

1. Hawkeyes v. Yellow Jackets at Orange Bowl 1/5/10

Fill up the ice chest, gas up the grill and get ready for the 25th Annual FedEx Orange Bowl. As always, it’s aPicture 20n all day event at Landshark Stadium with the Budweiser Tailgate Party beginning at 11:30 in the Northwest Parking Lot as fans get revved up to watch the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets go head-to-head with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
But this isn’t any ordinary tailgating party. The Orange Bowl is known for motivating their fans with interactive games, sports memorabilia, contests, and more. Budweiser also brings in some of Miami’s hottest local talent to get the party started. Don’t want to dirty up all your dishes? Not a problem, as delicious food and a wide variety of beverages will be provided.

1. Comic Greats at SF Sketchfest 1/14-2/2/10

Picture 13“Weird Al” Yankovic, an evening with the Reno 911! Department, and a Sketchfest tribute to Conan O’Brien are some of the main events at the Ninth Annual San Francisco Sketchfest. The comedy festival is always one of the highlights of the year taking over various venues across the Bay area. Check out hilarious local comedians as well as comedic celebrities performing improv, stand up, and more.

4. Family Friendly Films at KidFilm Festival 1/23-1/24/10

Picture 16Enjoy films fit for the whole family? The 26th Annual KidFilm Festival is the place to be.  With genres ranging from animated features and shorts to children’s features and shorts, you’re sure to find just what you’re looking for at this two day festival. Organized by USA Film Festival, a year-round film and arts organization, KidFilm is the oldest and largest family film festival in the U.S.

Last year’s festival featured a modern telling of Mark Twain’s “The Prince and the Pauper” as well as a sing-along version of the great American classic “The Wizard of Oz”.  What great films will be modernized at this year’s festival? Head over to Angelinka Film Center to find out.