Festival lovers will be keen to learn about the abundance of options throughout the U.S. for the months of April and May. Given that we get pitched on nearly every kind of event and festival around the globe, it’s often harder to find the gems on American soil, especially in places that may not be on traditional tourism routes.
Florida’s largest music and art festival is SunFest where you can catch music from nearly 50 bands across three stages in West Palm Beach from April 29 to May 3. There’s a lovely fine art and craft show that is part of the event and of course local artisans and photographers come out to show their latest. A KidZone offers kid-friendly activities throughout the course of the festival and the event ends with evening fireworks.
Photo courtesy of Soyprensa.com.
BottleRock Napa Valley hits wine country will draw some renowned musicians to their event this year despite only being a festival force for 2 years. The third annual festival boasts a wonderfully delicious blend of wine and music, with entertainers like Robert Plant, Snoop Dogg, Gipsy Kings and others. In addition to sampling some of Napa’s great Cabs and Pinots, local chefs are also on the ground serving some of their favorite dishes. Dates for this year’s event is May 29-31, 2015.
In the Midwest in mid-May, Look to the East is an Asian Festival that attracts more than 100,000 people every year. In downtown Columbus Ohio, classic dance and musical performances fill Franklin Park. There are also yoga workshops, martial arts demonstrations and kids activities as well. Foodie options include Asia fare such as Indonesian sate skewers and spring rolls. What’s also cool for photography buffs is the Dragon Boat race on May 17 where competitors cross the Scioto River in vibrantly decadent 20 foot canoes, drum banging and foot tapping being added benefits.
Boston’s Women in Comedy Festival is a unique event in New England towards the end of April. From April 22-26, stand-up comedians take over a number of Beantown bars and venues, including one I used to visit often in my twenties when I lived there – ImprovBoston. Club Passim is also one of the venues who is participating, another one of my favorites from that time, one which can has a boat load of history.
Head to Atlanta for the Spring Festival on Ponce in Olmstead Linear Park on April 11 and 12. A great family event, activities include the best of all things cultural from sculptors, potters, jewelers, painters, leatherworkers, photographers and local craftsmen. Like most cultural festivals, there are lots of food trucks to sample over the course of the two days.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
