Summer Festivals

MAY

Portland Rose Festival

This massive celebration takes over the city and includes events like a milk-carton-boat race, a kids' kite festival and a starlight parade on the evening of May 30. Plus, the Waterfront Village hosts a plethora of kid-friendly activities and rides. Even better? Kids under 6 are free.

JUNE

Red Earth American Indian Cultural Festival

Members of nearly a hundred Native American Indian tribes gather for this three-day event to celebrate the rich culture of America's first people. Get your little artists inspired at the youth art exhibit, and don?t miss the incredible dance competition.

Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival

Cheeseheads of all ages unite for this annual event. The cheese-carving contest is impressive, but the main event is the cheesecake contest, which draws bakers from across the nation. Don't forget to sample a famed Wisconsin cheese curd—they squeak when you eat them!

Mackinac Island Lilac Festival

Take a ferry over to Michigan's lovely Mackinac Island for this 10-day celebration. It's an incredible time to see the historic Grand Hotel. Kids will love the dog and pony show, and they can even learn a little about horticulture at the Learning to Care for Lilacs children's program.

National Kids Fest

In the mood for adventure? Go for a scenic train ride or water ride splash fest. Plus, there are more than 100 craftsmen creating everything from soap to glass.

Wild Wild West Fest

Get down with your cowboy alter ego with this festival held in Colorado's scenic Telluride. Be sure to stay for the Heritage Day on June 13—teepee-building demonstrations, stagecoach rides, and a Butch Cassidy reenactment are just some of the day's activities.

Battle Creek Cereal Festival

Battle Creek is home to the Kellogg Company and Post Cereals, so its no surprise that each summer the city celebrates the breakfast staple. The festival features a annual gathering with more than 150 picnic tables, making up the "world's longest breakfast table."

Father's Day Festival

An ode to dads of all ages, this nonstop music fest begins Thursday morning and runs through late afternoon Sunday (Father's Day), with a "full slate of main-stage concerts, workshops and round- the-clock jammin."

The Gettysburg Festival—Celebrating America

Charming Gettysburg hosts this annual event, which showcases America's contributions to art and music. There's plenty of jazz, dance, and art for interested parents, and little ones can attend special Children's Theatre performances and educational activities.

Alexandria Red Cross Waterfront Festival

Head to Old Town Alexandria for the 28^th annual waterfront festival. Kids can wander through the Children's Harbor Tent for activities like Father's Day card making and face painting. Don't miss performances by Agent 23 Skidoo, a kid-friendly hip-hop group, or the kids' band Rocknoceros.

Buffalo Bill Days

Settled into the Big Horn Mountains and surrounded by sprawling open meadows, Sheridan offers a true glance into the Wild Wild West. Past years' activities have included kiddie train rides and pioneer events, so we can't wait to see this year's schedule. Make it a stop on your way to Yellowstone, which is three hours west.

Taste of Chicago

Chicago is the city for fun summer festivals and the Taste is the capstone of them all. Snuggled in along Grant Park, the fest features more than 60 local restaurateurs daily. Take the kids to feast on local favorites like Chicago-style Vienna Beef hot dogs or toasted raviolis.

Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival

This festival has entertainment on five stages, including traditional music, lectures, historical presentations, and reenactments. There are also more than 2,500 quilts and an ox roast.

Boston Harborfest

Celebrate historic Beantown with wicked-awesome activities, ranging from a chowder contest to Revolutionary reenactment.

JULY

National Cherry Fesitval

More than 500,000 people attend this weeklong festival. Families can feast on the world-renowned Michigan cherries; kids can even participate in the Sara Lee Bakery Kid's Cherry Pie Eating Contest. Enjoy the festival before heading off to explore the local beaches and nearby dunes.

75TH Annual Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture

Heading out for a tour of the Great West? Just a short day trip from the Grand Canyon and close to the Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments, Flagstaff hosts one of the nation's oldest Hopi festivals. Browse more than 55 booths of Hopi arts or sample the Hopi bread while the kids listen to traditional storytellers, music and watch the breathtaking dances.

Balloon Fest

Fly high at this festival by watching a 5K balloon race that kicks off the weekend. Festival-goers can also take hot-air-balloon rides.

Northwest Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-In

Take your little airplane enthusiast and head to this four-day event celebrating all that flies, just a 50-minute car ride from Seattle. Kids can explore classic airplanes, marvel at the exciting sky-high tricks of some of the country's most-talented pilots, and even take a ride in a biplane.

Hopkins Raspberry Festival

Celebrate one of nations' favorite berries in "America's Raspberry Capital." Kids can enjoy train rides and magicians, and even join in on the hunt for the Golden Raspberry.

Cheyenne Frontier Days

Check out the largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration, complete with an Indian village, art show, carnival, and no lack of musical entertainment—Bon Jovi will open the concert series.

The Georgia Mountain Fair

Set in the charming town of Hiawassee, the 58th Annual Georgia Mountain Fair boasts musical performances, carnival rides and fun for both parents and adults. The fairgrounds are also home to the Pioneer Village, which offers authentic, antique structures like a one-room schoolhouse, a general store, a blacksmith shop and an "old mountain home." The Village comes alive at events throughout the summer with soap-making and blacksmithing demonstrations.

Lumberjack Championship

Events such as log rolling, hot sawing, axe throwing, and springboard chopping pay homage to old-fashioned hard work.

Gilroy Garlic Festival

This fragrant fest features a Garlic Idol contest, in which amateur musicians compete for the title, and the Great Garlic Cook-off, to crown the best garlic recipe. (Past winners include basil-and-garlic-stuffed sea scallops and garlic seafood soup.)

The Berkeley Kite Festival

More than just a festival, this kite showcase draws in the best artisans from around the world such as Ray Bethell, the one-man team, and the Berkeley Kite Wranglers who performed a nautical formation last year. Winners will be honored by the Bay Area Sport Kite League and the American Kitefliers Associations.

The Great Cardboard Boat Regatta

Think of it as a boxcar derby on water. For this contest, begun in 1974, participants answer this challenge: "Design and build a human-powered boat made of corrugated cardboard that is capable of completing at least three trips around a 200-yard course."

Venetian Night

Top off a beautiful Chicago summer day with a parade of more than 35 boats encrusted in lights followed by a stunning fireworks show. The event is a mainstay on the Chicago Summer Calendar, so get there early to stake out a good spot to watch the boats as they sail between the Shedd Aquarium at Roosevelt Road and the Chicago Yacht Club at Monroe Street.

Maine Lobster Festival

Visit picteresque Maine and enjoy this five-day lobster festival, although there is plenty of corn on the cob too. This year there a few special events for kids such as a tour of the U.S. Coast Guard Station and the navy ship, U.S.S. Nassau. Plus, the Children's Tent offers fun competitions like the lobster eating, the cod fish carry, a Diaper Derby, and costume parade

Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival

Home to the Georgia State Championship Barbeque Cook-off, the festival also boasts the Kids Q, a contest for chefs ages 9 to 17 that can be equally competitive.

AUGUST

Lake City Summer Festival

This festival north of the city has something for everyone: a teen scavenger hunt, a salmon bake, a street fair, even a vintage-car show.

Hope Watermelon Festival

Long before former President Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee put Hope on the map, the town was known for something else—watermelons! The festival attracts more than 50,000 visitors and features games and children?s activities, music, baseball card and antique car shows, a softball tournament and, of course, lots of watermelon. Enjoy the southern celebration, complete with seed-spitting and watermelon-eating competitions.

Bugfest

Bugs are the stars here. Educational crafts, games, and exhibits take the "ew" out of the insect world. Feelin' lucky? Try your hand at Bug Bingo.

50th Annual Chicago Air and Water Show

Three days of daredevil action set along the water at the city's North Avenue Beach and lakefront. One of the largest shows of its kind, more than 2 million people have flocked to the event in past years. The festival draws top military and civilian pilots, with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute team headlining the event.

Palisade Peach Festival

Colorado may not be known for peaches like Georgia or Alabama are, but the state produces some of the sweetest peaches around. Visit the state's "Peach Capital" overlooking the scenic Colorado River for their annual Peach Festival complete with an ice cream social and peach eating contest. While in town, explore the pristine setting, walk along the historic stagecoach trail, or head to the nearby Island Acres for camping, fishing and swimming.

Blueberry Festival

The bluest berry of summer is the inspiration for bake-offs, food races, and pie-eating contests.

61st Annual National Hard Crab Derby Race and Festival

Set along the scenic Chesapeake Bay, the festival is known for its unique local flare. Enjoy rides, games and lots of delicious food before heading over to see hundreds of crabs compete to see which is the fastest.

SEPTEMBER

Indian Summer Festival

Explore the diversity of American Indian culture on a three-day lakefront trip. Children will learn unique tribal customs and dances from local tribe members and be entranced as storytellers tell fables as fireworks pop in the sunset sky.

Oyster Festival

At only $25 for a weekend pass, this annual seafood festival celebrates the city's maritime history with arts and crafts, face painting, and of course lots of oysters.

Portland Pirate Festival

It's a full-fledged village of buccaneers and balladeers. Wander through Maurader's Market or hunt for treasure at Scupper Monkey Island where your little ones can eat shaved ice and stock up on free balloons.

Feast of the Hunter's Moon

Few festivals will satisfy a hankering for historical reenactment like the Feast of Hunter's Moon. Thousands of participants come together to recreate the annual gathering of French and Native Americans that took place at Fort Quiatenon in the mid-1700s. Kids can participate in ropemaking, a costume try-on, historical games, a children's bead booth and more.