Jaunted - Tag: Parades

Three Summer Solstice Celebrations to Welcome the Season

kjb — 2011-06-21T08:29:26-05:00

Today is going to be a long day—literally—as the sun does its thing in the northern hemisphere longer than any other day this year. All that sunshine brings out the crazy and fun in people across the country, and there are plenty of festivals and gatherings to celebrate the season. Here’s just three of the best that you can attend this week and this weekend:

· Skandia Folkdance Society's Midsommarfest:
Citizens of the Seattle area are ready to celebrate the summer solstice this weekend along with their Swedish heritage at this year’s Midsommarfest. The area’s Skandia Folkdance Society is responsible for the seasonal celebration this weekend, as visitors and locals are invited to welcome the arrival of summer at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore, Washington.

The fun begins around 11am local time on Sunday, June 26 with plenty of music, folk dancing, flower crowns, and food; however, the main event happens at about 2:30 in the afternoon. That’s when the grand parade is in full swing and everyone gathers around to witness the raising of the majst�ng—that’s the garlanded midsommar pole and not something from IKEA. Admission to the event is free, as is parking, so if you’re in the area and want to celebrate a little summer and a little Scandinavia this is probably a must see.

Where to Party for the Boston Bruins' Stanley Cup Celebration on Saturday

kjb — 2011-06-16T15:45:02-05:00

Boston has had quite the decade when it comes to sports victories, and last night’s win by the Boston Bruins in the final game of the Stanley Cup Finals adds a hockey championship to the city’s trophy case. The fans in Vancouver haven’t been taking the loss too well, but on Saturday, Bruins fans in Boston will be happily hitting the streets to celebrate and honor the city’s latest championship.

At this point the city knows how to throw a victory parade, since like 2002 there have been three parties for the Patriots, two for the Red Sox, and one most recently for the Celtics. The fun will begin at 11am on Saturday—which means quite the crowd as most will be out of work—and will wind its way through the city.

Dallas: Where to Celebrate the Mavericks' NBA Championship Win in Dallas Tomorrow

kjb — 2011-06-15T08:50:37-05:00

Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks on becoming this year’s NBA champions after they won game six Sunday evening in South Florida against the Miami Heat. The team has already been out partying and celebrating in South Beach—apparently living it up at LIV nightclub at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Which is a little funny—if we do say so ourselves—because that’s where LeBron James’ mom got arrested just a few months ago for slapping a valet (guess that means no tip!)

The team is now back in Big D and is getting ready to celebrate with the city this Thursday. Of course there’s going to be a parade—and probably more—and we’re expecting quite a celebration since owner Mark Cuban is paying for the whole shindig. Expect everyone from Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki to the city’s mayor to be in attendance.

Three of the Best US Cities for Welcoming the Chinese New Year

kjb — 2011-01-17T09:30:38-05:00

Despite what the traditional calendar says, the New Year is actually still a few weeks away. So we say put off the resolutions a little longer and prepare for Chinese Lunar New Year on February 3. There’s probably a celebration or parade near your hometown, but if you’re looking for the best, check out our three picks:

· New York City:
Welcome the year of the rabbit in Chinatown's Sara D. Roosevelt Park on February 3 between 11am and around 3:30pm as the locals will set off plenty of firecrackers and other things that go boom and pow to ward off evil spirits. Besides the fireworks there will be plenty of dancers, performers, and other cultural events to get you in the mood to celebrate—and you might even learn a thing or two.

The party continues through the weekend when the parade hits the streets on February 6. Expect crazy awesome floats, marching bands, more fireworks, and plenty of lions and dragons winding their way up and down the city streets. Organizers expect at least 5,000 people to march in the parade, so the spectators are probably way more than that—so get there early!

The Top Three Cities for St. Patrick's Day Parades (That Aren't NYC or Boston)

Jennifer Kester — 2010-03-11T09:35:04-05:00

Savannah's St. Patrick's Day Parade

The United State's biggest and oldest St. Patrick's Day celebration takes place on the streets of New York, but there are tons of other cities that throw similarly huge parades, complete with floats, bagpipes and tons of revelers decked out in green. It just goes to show that you don't always have to jump the Atlantic Ocean to celebrate St. Patrick's Day properly in Ireland; in fact, some US cities make a bigger deal out of the holiday than the homeland does, and we've found the Top 3.

Crack open a Guinness and see the Top 3 Cities for St. Patrick's Day (that aren't New York or Boston), after the jump!

New York: A Hell of a Halloween Weekend in New York

Victor Ozols — 2009-11-01T15:26:38-05:00

Halloween is always a party in New York, but this year several forces combined to make it even wilder than usual. First of all, it happened to fall on a Saturday this year, drawing that many more people out of their apartments and into the night. Second, the Yankees played the Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series - and won! - giving the barroom crowds a grand reason to order a few ill-advised rounds of shots. And third, the New York City Marathon took place the very next morning, giving the Halloween revelers some great human drama to wake up and soothe their hangovers to. Add to that the extra hour of weekend we got because of the end of Daylight Savings Time and you've got a city with every reason to cut loose.

New York: It's Halloween, Do You Have Your Silver Shamrock Mask Yet?

Victor Ozols — 2009-10-31T15:35:59-05:00

Happy Halloween 2009, everybody! I've always loved Halloween, because it's one of those all-fun, no baggage holidays where you're pretty much required to party and be ridiculous. As the Geto Boys point out, this year Halloween falls on a weekend, ramping up the crazy factor in cities around the world. I'm fortunate to live in New York, home of the legendary Village Halloween Parade, and even luckier to have a friend who lives along the parade route, so we'll be watching from above the fray. It's fun to stand along the sidewalk too, but be prepared for a crush of bodies akin to Times Square on New Years Eve.