Festivals, Fried Food, & Flying Tomatoes
Festival comes from the Latin word “Fes” meaning small, cheaply made trinket you win by shooting a water gun, “ti” meaning any food that is fried, and “val” meaning the more beer consumed, the better the local bands will sound. It’s time for summer festival season, so bring some sunscreen, an empty stomach and your dancing shoes because we’re taking you on a whirlwind tour of our favorite summer festivals.
Rockland, Maine flights | hotels | cars
If a corndog has never passed your lips, chances are you’re a foodie and since typical festival food won’t do for you, we recommend the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, August 1-5. In fact, the festival turns 60 this year, so bring a gift and add our name to the card. If you didn’t already know, lobster isn’t really lobster unless you’ve had it fresh from Maine’s cool, crisp waters. It will taste even better with a glass of wine or beer and a view of picturesque Penobscot Bay. When not eating, you can compete in the cooking contest, take in the lobster crate race, and check out the Arts & Craft. Since lobsters mate for life, remember to eat two at every sitting to keep nature’s delicate balance in tact.
Ypsilanti, Michigan flights | hotels | cars
If lobster in New England is too high brow for you, follow us to the Tenth Annual Summer Beer Festival on July 27th and 28th in, wait for it… Ypsilanti, Michigan. That’s right, you’ll get your drink on at Riverside Park in Historic Depot Town where you’ll find over 100 beers to sample–all brewed in the great beer state of Michigan (step aside Wisconsin). The brewers are manning their tents, so you can talk to each one about their favorites or get advice for brewing your own special brand. Take it all in while listening to live music and mingling with other beer lovers during a Michigan summer day (known as winter in any other state). But be warned, after a beer gut full of the finest beers, you may never go light beer again. Bye, bye waistline!
Bunol, Spain flights | hotels | cars
Grab a tomato and join the world’s largest food fight at the Tomatina Festival in Bunol, Spain. Signaling the end of the growing season, the week starts with parades, fireworks, shopping, and street parties leading up to the main event. On the final Wednesday in August, 90,000 pounds of tomatoes arrive by the truckloads for an eager crowd. After a day of feasting and endless pitchers of Sangria, some drunk will climb a pole to remove a ham which signals go time. Tomato packed rockets burst into the air for a new take on shock and awe. Soon, everyone in throwing distance is covered in soggy, red goo. After the war has died down, friends and foes reconcile and march down to the river to de-sauce and party well into the night.
San Francisco, California flights | hotels | cars
If you’re out and proud and proud to be out and proud, get over to San Francisco’s Gay Pride Parade. Grab your rainbow flag and join the love on June 23rd and 24th. Be one of the 750,000 cheering on the parade and dressed to kill. Next, choose from fifteen stages of live music, 300 vendors to vie for your affections (and wallet) and some darn good food and beverage. It’s an all night party in San Francisco, so join the crowd in the Castro and show the straight bystanders how it’s really done. But if two days just isn’t long enough to flaunt your true colors, consider arriving early on the 14th for The International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and support the gay art community. Honey, you know it’s not truly Gay Pride unless you’re there to celebrate it, so don’t keep us waiting.
Deals:
- Marriott Up to $250
Pay for a premium room and get a reward card worth up to $250. - Westin Family Fun
Get breakfast each morning and a movie each night for your family. - La Quinta 15% Off!
Book now at LQ.com and you’ll be offered a special savings of 15%! - Wyndham $100 Offer
Stay at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and get a reward card worth $100. - Delta Up to 5,000 miles!
Pay with any American Express® Card and earn up to 5,000 bonus miles!
Did you know?
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Next Week’s Newsletter: July 4th Getaways
Got a favorite July 4th escape? Whether it’s local or international, we want you to share your unique trip idea with other Kayakers. There’s a free Kayak t-shirt in it if we pick you.
Win a Kewpie doll for us,
Steve and Paul, Kayak.com co-founders
June 13th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
One of my favorite July 4th getaways was to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. It’s a creepy old place that was a reformatory (hence the name) and a prison. It was also the locale for a few movies, most notably “The Shawshank Redemption.” Sure, it’s not particularly a patriotic site, but it’s a great connection to the American obsession with film AND incarceration. While in the area, we also checked out Malabar Farm, a state park and former home of Louis Bromfield, a Pulitzer-prize winning author and screenwriter. Both were interesting and provided a fun, different way to celebrate the 4th!
June 14th, 2007 at 7:33 am
There are as many ways to explore our area as there are interests of the visitors who come here. For those interested in seeing the battlefields of Gettysburg, some relax on an air-conditioned bus listening to a recorded story. There are those who drive in their own car with an auto tape tour and others hire a Licensed Battlefield Guide to ride with them to explain the three famous days in 1863. The hearty take the National Park Service self-guided walking tours or join the crowd of a park ranger led tour. And the adventurists enjoy touring the 40 miles of battlefield roads by bicycle or galloping across the 5,700 acres of field by horseback.
June 14th, 2007 at 8:25 am
The best fireworks in the world is on the beach at Maderia Beach, Florida. You can see three different city sponsored shows plus just about everyone on the beach brings their own. There are fireworks all around you, it’s truly amazing.
June 14th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Fort Bragg is a little town on the beautiful north coast about 3 hours north of San Francisco. The Salmon BBQ is was started in 1970 and soon became known as “The Worlds Largest Salmon Barbeque”. Since then it has delighted salmon lovers young and old.
This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday July 7th.
Held each year in conjunction with the independance day festivities in Fort Bragg, California the barbeque is one of the primary sources of funding for the salmon restoration fund for the year. Live music, the aroma of grilled salmon, family and friends…life is good at the barbeque.
This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday July 7th.
June 14th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
My favorite July 4 getaway was to the Gulf Coast of Florida. My boyfriend and I spent the day in Ft. Walton Beach and then later had seafood at a Destin, FL seafood place. We watched the fireworks on the rooftop deck. I have fabulous memories of that trip. We also had pizza at the Mellow Mushroom - favorite pizza ever! We also visited Pensacola where we enjoyed the Naval Air Museum and McGuire’s Irish Pub.
June 16th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
When traveling, keeping up with our children was made easier when I dressed them all in the same color tee shirt. We made them fun and of course Dad and mom had them too. Also, when they were toddlers I used those stretchy arm bands when we were in crowed airports and other places. They really didn’t mind because getting lost is no fun, and a ’sea of legs’ for small children can be frightening. And besides, the curious looks and comments from others can be comical at times. One only has to lose a small child once to know you don’t want that to happen again. A little excercise helps a childs dispostion as well.
MM