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Tags: Australia Travel / Spring Festivals / Spring Travel / Horse Racing / → All Tags
Down Under Gears Up For The Melbourne Cup
It might be fall in States, but spring has just sprung up Down Under and we're ready to get out and play at some of the continent's best seasonal festivals. The biggest event this season is definitely the Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne. You might wonder that a bunch of horse races grabs the attention of so many Aussies and anyone visiting at the time, but the highlight of the carnival—the Melbourne Cup—is correctly dubbed "the race that stops a nation".
And you don't have to know the slightest thing about horses to get involved. Come next Tuesday afternoon, you won't be able to get service in any shop in Australia as everybody will have their eyes glued to the TV to watch the Melbourne Cup race. Over 100,000 people attend the race in person, and most of them get dressed up either in their best dress or a crazy costume; like at the Kentucky Derby, the most important thing is to have a great hat.
Tags: Spring Festivals / Spring Travel / Atlanta / → All Tags
Forget Cherry Blossoms, Atlanta's Got Dogwoods In Their Festival
We all know that DC is famous for some blooming trees, but it’s not the only one getting in on the spring fun. Atlanta has its own festival devoted to the Dogwood, and this thing has been going strong for the last 73 years. After a scheduling snafu last year, this year’s festival is back in Piedmont Park where it belongs.
The party starts on April 17, runs through the weekend, and best of all, the whole festival is free. Artists from all over the country converge on the city to display their wares and works. The Fine Artist Market is where you can check out sculpture, pottery, and jewelry from up and coming artists—unfortunately bringing some of these things home with you is not free. Constant music on the main stage will keep you going strong.
Tags: Music Festivals / Spring Festivals / Music Travel / Blues Travel / → All Tags
Iceland Sings The Blues, This Time In A Festival
If you took advantage of Iceland when it was on sale, then you probably need something to do when you get there. Of course there’s always the blue lagoon, plenty of puffins, and even famous museums. However, if you’re looking for something with a little more local flavor and culture, then you may want to see what’s going on at the Reykjavik Blues Festival.
Tags: Flash Mobs / Crowds / Spring Festivals / International Party Time / → All Tags
Say Sayonara To Stress On International Pillow Fight Day
There’s a lot to be stressed out over lately. The media, including us, can’t stop mentioning that the world’s economy is in the toilet. Pilots are smoking wacky tobaccy while you’re stuck in coach, and the long cold winter can’t end soon enough. If you’re like us, you'll need to relieve all that pent up frustration one way or another, and to do that, there's nothing better than pretending that you're six years old. So forget the adult worries and grab your favorite pillow—ninja turtle pajamas are optional.
On April 4 people from all over the globe will convene in town squares to celebrate International Pillow Fight Day. From Sydney to Stockholm everyone will get a chance to relieve their stress and anxiety by attacking friends and complete strangers.
Tags: Spring Travel / Spring Festivals / Cherry Blossom Festival / → All Tags
DC Wants Cherry Blossoms To Hurry Up and Bloom!
Each Spring, DC's famous pink cherry blossoms reel in more tourists than any other annual event in the Capitol, but they can also cause a major headache for Washington officials: Figuring out just when Spring is going to get here.
The two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival—full of parties, parades, fireworks, and street festivals—is scheduled way in advance, based on officials' best guesstimate of when the cherry trees will be in full bloom. But the cherries don't always comply.
This year's festival is slated for March 28 to April 12, but National Park Service horticulturalists announced this week that the trees are a little more shy than usual, and won't be in peak bloom until April 3. That's not to say you should cancel your late March trip—the cherries should be starting to show by then—but if you're angling for that picturesque postcard view of DC covered in a sea of pink flowers, better wait 'til the second week.
Related Stories:
· Cherry Trees Appear In No Blooming Hurry [Washington Post]
· Naitonal Cherry Blossom Festival [Official Site]
· Washington, DC travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: zachstern]
Tags: Festival Travel / Australia Travel / Festivals / Spring Festivals / → All Tags
Festival Travel: Island Hopping in Sydney in 2009
Sydney strikes another blow in the ongoing battle of Melbourne vs. Sydney, with the pending announcement of the Island Hopping Festival for October 2009.
In a rare move, five of the tiny national park islands around Sydney Harbour will be opened up to the public with various activities based on each. For example, Fort Denison will probably have a French-themed mobile restaurant; on Clark Island, there'll be an Aboriginal-related celebration.
This Island Hopping will be held at the same time as the events like Sculpture by the Sea and the International Food Fair so it will be a great time to be in Sydney. Pity the Ferris wheel will be long gone, or we could've enjoyed a great view at the same time.
Related Stories:
· Festival Goes Island Hopping on the Harbour [SMH]
· Ferris Wheel Travel: Now Sydney Wants One Too [Jaunted]
· Melbourne IS Better Than Sydney [Jaunted]
[Photo: meaden]
Tags: Festivals / Spring Festivals / Music Travel / → All Tags
Day Drinking and Springtime Fun in Philly
The Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival starts at noon this Saturday, and promises to bring 50,000 people to the swanky part of Philly for all sorts of fun. Everything from cafes, art, fashion shows, cooking demos and live music are advertised, and Walnut Street will be closed to traffic from 19th to Broad.
Truth be told, though, we're more interested in the plans of local blog The Illadelph than any public concerts:
Some daytime drinking/picnicking in Rittenhouse Square. Just sayin'. Especially when the weather comes through with 75 degrees of gorgeous.
We just hope the fun isn't ruined by an impromtu Stormtrooper invasion of Rittenhouse Square.
Related Stories:
· Rittenhouse Row Philadelphia [Official Site]
· Eating the Illadelph: Rittenhouse Row Spring Fest [The Illadelph]
· Festivals coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Lucius Kwok]
