Urgh, how can we even think about traveling at a time like this? We've barely made it back to where we belong, but our need for celebrating goes unsated, and since travel's what we do, follow along on the Fall Festivals Map.
Nostalgic for the eras or latitudes where winter begins on Halloween and lasts until May Day? Hie thee to Bozeman, Montana for this weekend's Bozeman Ice Festival.
Kick off the ice climbing season (we bet you never knew there was a season) with demonstrations, master classes and, on Saturday, the Grivel North American Ice Breaker Climbing Competition. Compete for a $3,000 purse by climbing as many routes as possible, or attend an open climb to get some pointers from the pros.
Just promise us you won't forget to pack in layers--polypro or fleece, never cotton. And hand and toe warmers wouldn't be a bad investment either.
Our parents were wrong: They never should have donated our once-beloved Pac-Man games to the Goodwill because Pac-Man and all his buddies have made a comeback. The now-archaic games we played growing up were called 8-bit, and their designs have made their way on to T-shirts, skateboards, and have influenced countless young designers and artists.
From November 29-December 2, artist collectives The Tank and 8bitpeoples collaborate to celebrate all things 8-bit for the four-day Blip Festival in New York. In addition to visual art, the festival also includes musicians and filmmakers inspired by games.
The festival's complete schedule is forthcoming, but every day follows the same agenda: screenings and artists' workshops take place during the day, with concerts happening every night. Attending every session and concert within the four days is cheap as far as NYC festivals go at $35, and tickets to individual events cost just $10, with all ticket purchases including a one-year subscription to Time Out New York and free Singha Beer during evening/nighttime events.
What could be better? Revisiting your Atari glory days and free beer, all under the guise of art!
You don't have to stay at home just because the leaves are changing. Follow along on our Fall Culture Map to discover what's happening this autumn.
Visitors to Santa Fe, New Mexico, may not realize movies like "3:10 to Yuma" and television shows like "Kid Nation" have been filmed in and around the city. But this fall's Santa Fe Film Festival, from November 28th to December 2nd, ought to remedy that, or at least draw in cineastes to see Rutger Hauer accept a lifetime achievement award, as well as sneak previews of prestige films to be announced.
Last year's showcase films included the highly acclaimed "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Venus." If you missed Toronto and don't have the dough (or the boots) for Sundance, get to this fest before it gets big. As Christian Bale sings in the most important musical of our time, "Dreams come true, yes they do in Santa Fe."
You don't have to stay at home just because the leaves are changing. Follow along on our Fall Culture Map to discover what's happening this autumn.
While Americans fawn over events dedicated to cookie jars, butter sculptures and the art of sausage-making, a European festival needs some heft in order to distinguish itself in the culture glut of The Old World. Luckily Festival de Otoño (Autumn Festival) in Madrid has the stats to set it above the rest.
For five weeks every autumn, invited companies take the stage daily and nightly. This year's shows include 73 theatre, 21 dance, 13 music and 39 circus performances. The 28 international productions hail from world-renowned companies from a host of European countries, the United States, South America and Asia. To find that kind of diversity stateside, you'd have to ride "It's a Small World" at Disneyland.
La Comédie-Française, which claims the title of the western world's oldest theater company, just wrapped the first Spanish performance of Molière's Le Misanthrope. And while it's too late to catch the French comedy of manners, ¡Piratas, Piratas! might be more fun anyway: 60 acrobats from Mongolia, Russia, India, Malaysia and China flip and fly in a Cirque-like battle between good and bad pirates.
Now in its 24th year, the Autumn Festival started October 15 and lasts until November 18.
You don't have to stay at home just because the leaves are changing. Follow along on our Fall Culture Map to discover what's happening this autumn.
There's some truly scary news coming out of Chicago -- but don't worry, you can still take the kids there. In fact, you should for the city-sponsored Chicagoween celebration, now through, of course, the 31st of October.
For the tenth anniversary Halloween party by the lake, Daley Plaza has been transformed into Haunted Village for the Ghostly Games: Performances by the acrobatics group Midnight Circus five times a day starting at 11:30 am (the last show is at 7 pm). Dress up in one of this year's topical Halloween costumes (Sexy Subprime Mortgage? Zombie Joe Torre?) and shop the farmer's market or get your fortune told. Spooky, yes, but awesome.
You don't have to stay at home just because the leaves are changing. Follow along on our Fall Culture Map to discover what's happening this autumn.
Hear ye, hear ye! Gather up thy lances and purchase thy turkey legs for the Texas Renaissance Festival, which began a week and a half ago and continues through Thanksgiving in the town of Plantersville, northwest of Houston.
Maybe Ren Fests are more of a summer thing in temperate regions, but would you really want to wear a corset in 95-degree heat? The festival runs every weekend with fireworks at night, jousts daily and special performances by groups like Sound and Fury--a "Fakespearean" acting troupe--and the bell ensemble Cast in Bronze.
Go back in time for the weekend, then head back to Houston for amazing Mexican food or a turn around the ice-skating rink at the Galleria to jolt you back into the 21st century.
There are more fall festivals happening right now than we know what to do with. And the latest crop is perfect for good, clean all-American fun: Flinging gourds in honor of autumn.
The World Championship Punkin Chunkin contest is the grand-daddy of the events, with pumpkins set to fly thousands of feet on November 2-4. (Yes, thousands of feet--these guys don't play around.) And not to be outdone, Morton, Illinois has revamped its big-time contest, October 20-21.
Not into flying squash? Circleville, Ohio's Great Pumpkin Show--and its famous over-sized pie--may be more your speed.
Nothing says fall like ridiculous harvest festivals in small-town America. This week, we'll be mapping the best.
We've done our share of Oktoberfest coverage, from the original in Munich to the far-from-original in LA. But for the most authentic beer-and-brats celebration this side of the Rhine, you've gotta get to Hermann, Missouri. This little hamlet is more German than sauerkraut, and they show it off every weekend in October.
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by egw
