Results tagged “festivals” from Intelligent Travel Blog

Food writer and Modern Spice cookbook author Monica Bhide recently returned from a visiting her family in India, and we asked her to share some glimpses of contemporary life she noticed while there. Today she notes how a traditional festival in New Delhi has changed since her childhood visits.

Raksha Bandhan--the Bond of Protection--is a festival that has been celebrated in India for years. It's a recognition of the bond between brother and sister, in which the sister ties a special thread around her brother's wrist to show her love and affection. In turn, the brother gifts her a bit of cash and promises to "protect" and take care of her.

When I was a child growing up elsewhere and visiting India over many summers, this holiday would always make me sad since I had no brothers. But it always fascinated me. The custom, however, has grown to include women tying rakhis, or the special threads, on men not related to them. This gesture gives the men the status of brothers. The rakhis themselves used to be simple golden threads, decorated perhaps with a golden flower made of lace, some beads, pearls, or a customary rudraksha bead (a brown seed with religious significance) in the center.

The second annual Capital Hip Hop Soul Festival is set for this Saturday, July 25th, in Marvin Gaye Park in Northeast DC. The free festival and community celebration features a full line up of local talent (16 acts) on two stages, over 20 vendors from community businesses and DC nonprofits, along with a booksigning and poetry slam. The family-friendly festival starts at 11 a.m. and the park is located between two Metro stops: Minnesota Avenue (orange line) and Capitol Heights (blue line). Check out the website where music from the festival is streamed.

To learn more about the festival, we caught up with Maceo Thomas, the festival's organizer.

How'd the festival get started last year?

I was introduced to the music of Kokayi and Afi Soul, two local artists--Kokayi lives in my neighborhood--that I never had heard of. Their music was fantastic. I realized I was clueless on the level of talent that exists here in DC around hip hop and soul music. I had to believe that there were more people like me who couldn't hang out on U St. until the wee hours of the morning to hear these folks. I woke up one morning and decided to put as many local talented hip hop soul artists together one day to introduce them to other folks like me who may have been equally clueless. And I say that totally with love.

There may be no better way to end a weekend than by paying a visit to the Cafe Hon in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood. After driving seven hours home from the Catskills this past weekend, I was starving, and recalculated the iPhone map to direct me to the eclectic eatery. Replete with a life-sized Elvis statue, a rack of neon sunglasses, and enough beehive hairdos to make you think you're an extra in Hairspray, this high-ceilinged restaurant anchors funky 36th Street and is easy to find thanks to the huge pink flamingo hung outside. Inside, the restaurant, with its attached bar next door, serves up a mix of American comfort foods with a Maryland twist. (One favorite element: the menu offers its own dictionary of 'Bawlmerese'.) I ordered the crab and shrimp pizza (which comes laden with cheddar cheese) and some mussels along with my cream of crab soup. So stuffed was I that I had to skip the pie, which I later learned was a huge mistake.

So what is a Hon anyway? The cafe's website defines it: "[T]he Bawlmer term of endearment, Hon, short for Honey, embodies the warmth and affection bestowed upon our neighbors and visitors alike by historic working-women of Baltimore." (And yes, my waitress utilized the phrase multiple times during our meal.) Every year, the restaurant's proprietor, Denise Whiting, holds the annual HonFest (pictured, above), a celebration of these women and their role in the community. This event basically manifests itself in the form of beehive hairdos, blue eyeshadow, leopard skin tights, and funky sunglasses, and appears, from the many photos, to be a complete hoot. HonFest just passed two weekends ago, but mark your calendars for next June.

Cafe Hon, 1002 W. 36th Street Baltimore, MD +1 410 243 1230

Photo: Hip2bDaniel via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

In our search for the authentic, we're always on the quest to highlight the homemade - Hungarian chimney cakes, New Zealand cocktails, even Virginia dumplings. But what about homemade music?

On June 13 and 14, Tampa will be hosting the second annual Homemade Music Symposium, a free festival featuring a quirky mix of homegrown musical talent and international business gurus. Originally created to give local musicians the chance to learn industry tips from business greats, the event combines workshops and performances, with an emphasis on public access. Any aspiring musician can meet with legends like Tony Michaelides, a record promoter who served David Bowie, U2, and The Pixies, among others, on the Manchester rock 'n roll scene.

Online editor Kathie Gartrell recently learned the virtues of natural fibers at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

As a novice knitter who has recently taken up the craft, I was excited to attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this past weekend, the largest and longest-running show of its kind in the U.S. Held at the Howard County Fairgrounds, just west of Baltimore, the annual festival is a showcase for hundreds of vendors who sell hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn. You can even buy your own spinning wheels... and sheep.

Amid the barns and tents filled with yarn and wool roving (the raw material used to spin into yarn) were several pens with llamas, alpacas, and angora rabbits. Sheep of all sizes and breeds were shown in the sheep ring. But the crowd favorite was the sheepdog demonstration, where Nancy Cox Starkey and Mark Soper showcased their hardworking border collies. The dogs directed five hapless sheep through a series of patterns, including a figure eight around two cones.

Traveler photo editor Carol Enquist and I just started knitting earlier this year, so we were a little overwhelmed at all the yarn choices at the festival--merino, bluefaced leicester, cormo--but senior editor Sheila Buckmaster, a knitting pro, met us there and gave us good advice on what kind of yarn and patterns to buy.

Traveler staffer Kimberly Ann Calder is taking her time to stop and smell the roses--literally--and brings us the best flower festivals happening this month.

Although the April showers have continued into May here in D.C., this month is here to greet us with some of the greatest flower festivals, which will help you smell-a-brate...er...I mean, celebrate spring's arrival in the best possible way.

Lilacs

Lilac Festival: May 8-17
Rochester, New York is home to the 10-day Lilac Festival, largest in the U.S. and free of charge. Highland Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, has over 1,200 lilac bushes in more than 500 varieties spread out over 22 acres, with colors ranging from the richest purples to the most delicate of whites. The festival draws nearly 400,000 visitors each year and includes a parade, concerts, arts and crafts shows, and concludes with the annual Lilac 10K road race and 5K Family Fun Run.

Spokane Lilac Festival: May 16
Spokane, Washington has been dubbed "Lilac City" because of the lilac bushes dotting the landscape. Lilac Garden, at Manito Park, is completely devoted to lilacs and is one of the main focal points of the festival due to the wonderful fragrance wafting throughout the garden. The grand parade starts at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday and nearby events include a car show, music, food, and other for entertainment the remainder of the day.

The Mackinac Island Lilac Festival: June 5-14
This Island, off the coast of Michigan in Lake Huron, is a National Historic Landmark. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island, but with bike, horse, and Rollerblade rentals available right off the ferry, you can access much of the charm that this pedestrian island has to offer. This ten-day festival offers events such as food and wine tastings; gardening and lilac tending classes; a dog and pony show; live entertainment; a 10K run around the island; and the culminating event, the Grand Parade.

Ranunculus

The Flower Fields, now until May 10
The ranunculi are in full bloom in southern California. Nearly fifty acres make up the spectacular display of color draped over the rolling hills in Carlsbad, California. Visitors are encouraged to walk through the fields, take pictures, and enjoy the vibrant beauty up close.

Iris

The Tennessee Iris Festival: April 25-May 2
Dresden, located between Nashville and Memphis, is home to the biggest Iris show in the country. The official opening ceremonies start at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday but every day is packed with activities like the NASCAR Experience, bingo, tasting parties, a carnival, concerts, a parade, a 5K race, a flower show, and of course plenty of Irises. 

National Geographic staffer Kimberly Calder knows not everyone can partake in authentic St. Patrick's Day fun in Ireland, but below she offers her tips--a "Green Guide" if you will--on the best places to visit for St. Patrick's Day, even if you can't get to Ireland.

How did the rest of the world get so enamored with this Irish holiday? Was it the pinching? The parades? The beer? The good luck? Fortunately, you don't have to be Irish, Catholic, or even in Dublin to celebrate. Here's a city "Green Guide" to some of the biggest and most notable St. Patrick's Day events in the U.S. and abroad.

New York

Irish New York: Saturday, March 14, 1:00 p.m.
Tour "Little Ireland," a former Irish district on the Lower East Side, which, at one time, had more Irish residents than Dublin.

Joe Hurley's 10th Annual All-star Irish Rock Revue: Saturday, March 14 (and Tuesday, March 17), 6:30 p.m.
An all-Irish, all-star celebration including, punk-rock legends, Broadway stars, and comedians performing the greatest songs to hale from Ireland.

Irish Arts Center Open House: Sunday, March 15, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Free Irish dance lessons, movie screenings, Gaelic language classes, and other cultural activities for both kids and adults.

New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade: Tuesday, March 17, 11:00 a.m.
The largest Saint Patrick's Day parade (with more than two million spectators) marches up 5th Ave. and passes many notable locations such as, St. Patrick's Cathedral & the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Irish American History.

Think foodie fests are only for summer? Think again. There are heaps of epicurean events happening around the country in the next month, so grab a fork and head over to one!

Oregon Truffle Festival
Eugene, Oregon
January 30-February 1
Events include cooking demonstrations, truffle tastings, and seminars on the truffle industry during the delicacy's peak this weekend.

Napa Valley Mustard Festival
Napa Valley
January 31-March 28
Wine, music, and art festival when the mustard plant is in full bloom.

Chocolate Festival
Anaconda, Montana
February 6-7
Even the town's name won't scare us away from free chocolate.

Carolina Chocolate Festival
Morehead City, North Carolina
February 6-9
Eat (and bathe in) some of the region's finest chocolate.