What are your favorite festivals in US?
 

Summerfest in Milwaukee, including all the ethnic festivals on the summerfest grounds. Summerfest is from late June to early July, with the ethnic festivals occuring the rest of the summer.

Buffalo has so many festivals....Hellenic, Italian, Polish, Irish, Taste of Buffalo (2nd largest in the US), chicken wing festivals (a local one and a national one), the Allentown Art Festival (one of the largest in the U.S.)and on and on an on.......

My favorite is the Italian Festival (for the food, of course). Last year Dominic Chianese (Uncle Junior of the Sopranos) was the guest entertainer. He has a beautiful voice!

I like Honolulu's Okinawan festival, plus the Aloha Week festivities are lots of fun. Also Taste of Honolulu and the Greek Festival. Uh oh, this is making me hungry!

I second Tim and Liz on Summerfest in Milwaukee. Music, food and right on Lake Michigan. Milwaukee is a great town with free concerts in their vast park system all summer and fabulous public golf courses.

The Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. Started Friday and runs through June 6th.

Features some of the greatest artists in the world. Opera, ballet, musicans, writers, painters, etc.

Some of the highlights this year are Mikhail Baryshinikov in Revo Gabriadze's "The Doctor and the Patient" and Wendy Speoros one woman performance of "Whos Your Daddy".

Truly a world class festival.

www.SpoletoUSA.org

Tamale Festival in Indio, CA
Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, CA
Shakespeare Festival In Ashland, OR
Aloha Festivals, especially the closing weekend in Hana
The East Maui Taro Festival
And the International Festival of Canoes, which is just wrapping up this weekend in Lahaina

French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, held the middle of April.

Jean

I agree about Milwaukee's Summerfest. Of the ethnic festivals, my favorites are Festa Italiana and Irish Fest.

Yet another vote for Milwaukee's Summerfest. Beautiful location by the lake and great music, although this years lineup in my opinion is the worst in years.

A big thumbs down for Taste of Chicago. Unbelievably crowded, and expensive warmed over ill prepared food. I didn't know too many people from the city that went there, just suburbanites and tourists.

Gilroy Garlic Festival, although it's becoming more and more of a zoo in recent years.

My favorite is the smaller, lesser known Valyermo Fall Festival. It's on the grounds of a Catholic abbey and they have music, food and crafts made by the monks. There's only one strict rule at the festival: "All guests who present themselves are to be received as christ." It creates an amazing environment -- it feels like an extended family of several thousand people.

Chicgal--are ya'll ok in Chicago. We've been hearing about all the storms and tornados up there. Hope you're o.k.

Vicky

The Watermelon Thump in Luling Texas!

Rich

Taste of Chicago is always fun. Sorry "other" Dan but I love this event!

New Orleans has the jazz festival (2 weeks), FQ Festival and Mardi Gras. What a great six weeks or so to be here!!!

Bel Chere--every July in Ashville, NC.

Hot Air Baloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM in the Fall.

Chicgal--We'll be there soon. Hopefully the storms will move on out and the Cubs will get back on track. Maybe this is the start of a long win streak! Can't wait to get there. You and others on this board have been so helpful. I'll write a report when we get back.

Vicky

Cranberry fest in Warrens Wisconsin Mid september (2 hours northwest of Madison. Art Fair on the square 2nd sat in July in Madison. (500 of the nations best artists) Milwaukee's summerfest especially Irish and Italian fest too.

I agree that Spoleto Festival in Charleston is wonderful!! The Saucelito Arts Festival is a good visual arts event.

BuffaloGirl - Do you know when the chicken wing festivals are? I grew up in the Buffalo area (Grand Island) and now live in MA. We have yet to find good wings here and my DH now makes his own! Might be a good opportunity to visit relatives (some in Hamburg, some in Niagara Falls) and go to the festival! Thank you!

I have always wanted to go to the Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Anyone ever been there?
http://www.storytellingcenter.com/festival/festival.htm