Recently in Calendar Category

There's so much going on here at National Geographic headquarters that it's hard for us to keep track. Here's a roundup of events happening in November.

Terra Cotta Warriors, National Geographic Museum
Our eagerly anticipated special exhibition opens November 19 at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC, and will run through March 31, 2010. The crated warriors arrived the other night and the museum staff is getting the statues in place right now. Timed tickets are required and they're going fast. You can buy them here. Save your ticket stub to get 20% off in our newly redesigned and expanded National Geographic Store.  For directions on how to get to the museum, click here.

Glimpse Correspondents Program
If you plan on working, studying, or volunteering abroad, apply for the Glimpse Correspondents Program. Each semester, the Glimpse Foundation picks a team of talented young writers and photographers between the ages of 18 and 34 and rewards them with a $600 stipend, career training in writing or photography, and publishes their work on Glimpse.org. All entries are due by November 8.

National Geographic Expeditions
Want to go on a warm-weather trip? National Geographic Expeditions is hosting a free online webinar on Monday, November 9 at 8 p.m. about its upcoming expeditions to Costa Rica and the Panama Canal. To register for the webinar click here, or learn more about the expedition here. Best of all, those who book a trip between January 1 and March 31, 2010 will get a $500 airfare credit.

National Geographic Image Collection
Stop by our DC headquarters and take a stroll around our courtyard to see LED lightboxes showcasing some of the best (and some never-before seen) National Geographic photography. The exhibit is free to the public, and is based on our new book, National Geographic Image Collection (hint: makes a great present!). A video preview of the book is here.  The New York Times recently profiled Bill Bonner here, the keeper of our photo archives, which contains more than 11.5 million images. 

National Geographic Channel
Admit it: you love IKEA and all of its fashionable, cheap goodness. On November 5 at 8 p.m., National Geographic Channel's Ultimate Factories series takes viewers inside IKEA's largest plant in Zbaszynek, Poland, and shows just how IKEA makes its wood furniture.   Here's a video preview of the show.

All Roads Film Project
On November 4, the Society will hold a special screening of Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy of one Apache Family, a documentary about Native American art and traditions. There will be a discussion with the director, producer, and Allan Houser following the screening. Tickets are $8.

National Geographic Traveler Seminars
Our fall-winter schedule is available now, and lists one-day seminars in travel photography taught by National Geographic photographers. The next seminar is December 6 in Seattle, with our lively team of Jim Richardson and Catherine Karnow, who share with you their secrets on how to make photos "that tell a story."  Video preview here. For more info and online registration, click here.

Last month, our Trip Lit book critic Don George sat down with Amy Tan for the launch of our new "Journeys" series of live conversations with great writers at National Geographic headquarters in D.C. Tomorrow, Don will be chatting with Simon Winchester, author of The Man Who Loved China and The Professor and the Madman, and editor of the 2009 edition of Best American Travel Writing. The evening--which will be preceded by a reception featuring beers from around the world--is also Twitter-friendly. If you've got a question for Simon, add #nglive to your tweet and your question could be answered live at the event. For upcoming events and more news from the Society, be sure to follow @NatGeoScoop.

Click here for more information and to buy tickets. For more inspiring travel reads, check in each month for Don George's Trip Lit column, or browse our Ultimate Travel Library.

National Geographic Digital Media staffer Jo Dickison was in Albuquerque last week to watch the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.  She shares a few tips for travelers planning to make the trip.

Mass Happiness has begun. The 2009 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta kicked off on Saturday with the spectacular mass ascension of 600-plus hot air balloons, dancing a delicate rainbow ballet in the air. The "mass happiness" theme is apt - it's hard not to smile at the sight of these balloons gently lifting into the sky. The annual Fiesta, which runs through October 11, includes a full roster of activities, but here are a few of the highlights.

Each day of the festival begins with the Dawn Patrol, where 12 balloons ascend to test the wind speed and direction for the mass lift-off at dawn. Saturday's Mass Ascension came off beautifully, with hundreds of balloons participating and excellent weather. Aside from the some 500 regular hot air balloons this year, there are an additional 80 or so "special shape" balloons of cartoon characters that are perennial favorites with kids. Look out for a flying pink pig, a floating Pepsi can and the Two Bees, which turns up every year. In the evenings there is usually a Glow Show at dusk when the balloons on the field are inflated and lit with burners, creating a lovely glow across the field. The glows are followed by a fireworks display, bringing the day's festivities to a close around 9 p.m. each night.

The Albuquerque festival is billed as the largest balloon festival in the world, and is unique in that visitors on the field can watch every step in the process as the crews prepare, inflate and launch the balloons. Festival Launch Directors, known as Zebras for the black-and-white shirts they wear, are in charge of air traffic control and launch procedures.

Traveler Contributing Editor James Conaway is inspired by the New England's fall foliage, and goes looking for other inspirational art at two local museums.

The foliage factor's just beginning to radically alter the New England landscape. I wanted something thoughtful to add to the palette of fiery reds and yellows of just-turning maples as I was driving through Massachusetts, and so headed for the northwest corner, where I found what are probably the two antithetical, if captivating, art venues in the state: "The Clark," in Williamstown, and MASS MoCA in nearby North Adams.

The undeclared war between traditional, painterly views of nature, and those portraying the physical world as an unrelenting grapple with the forces of destruction and anomie, rages. You'd never know it from the air of decorum reigning at both institutions. Yet the vast arc of western artistic interpretation links them and provides the traveler with a riveting contrast, the Clark being the essence of tradition, and MASS MoCA a descent into the post-apocalyptic present. Both are provocative and, yes, fun.

The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute sits at the foot of the gentle Taconic Mountains and includes in its stunning collection some iconic New England paintings, among them Winslow Homer's Undertow, which shows ocean survivors once described as the wettest-looking people in American art. There are scads of Impressionists, among them many Renoirs, Pissarros, and Monets, some too pretty for real nature to ever equal. The collection is deep and varied, however, and can easily take up a day, particularly with the addition of Through the Seasons: Japanese Art in Nature, at the new Stone Hill Center, with Edo screens on loan from the Metropolitan Museum in New York and stunning examples of contemporary Japanese ceramics.

Today five Central American nations--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua--celebrate 188 years of independence. On this day in 1821, Central American notables accepted a plan drafted by Mexican caudillo Agustín de Iturbide that declared the five nations free from Spain. Today in Central America most people celebrate their independence much as we in the U.S. do on July 4th: a day off from school and work, full of parades, picnics, parties, and patriotism.

Here in the U.S., today also marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month during which communities around the U.S. celebrate the diverse and dynamic Hispanic culture. Here in D.C., some of my favorite activities related to Hispanic Heritage Month include the National Zoo's Fiesta Musical this Sunday, September 20th, from 11-5 p.m. Admission is free, so you can enjoy lots of Latin music and dance at the zoo's band shell, buy some authentic Latin cuisine, and browse the colorful arts and crafts for sale.

Leon Logothetis is just back from the Burning Man Project, an annual radical art event that takes place in Nevada's Black Rock Desert around Labor Day. Here he shares a photo essay about his trip.

I arrived at Burning Man during one of the Black Rock Desert's daily sandstorms just as the sun had set beyond the mountains that cradle the playa. After I found my way to my camp, I headed straight for the reason why thousands of people descend on this place each year: The man. In less than a week this man would be transformed into the 'burning man' and a ritual of self discovery and creativity will have come to a close for another year.

Creativity explodes in all directions along the 'streets' of Black Rock City. During a bicycle ride I stumbled across a ramshackle wooden booth with two chairs and a sign in large letters: Advice. I sat down and waited. Within the space of 60 minutes I had given advice to seven different people, from a guy who was struggling with the break up of his relationship to a young lady who wanted to know if she should tell her boyfriend that she loved him. Each person knew I wasn't qualified to answer these intimate questions; however, the fact that I listened and offered some suggestions seemed to make it a worthwhile experience for them. If you are wondering, I told the lady that telling her boyfriend of four weeks that she loved him was probably a bit premature...

The 2009 North Korean Ariang Mass Games were just extended to October 10, Pyongyang reported last week. As it's the only time Americans are allowed into the country (with a four-night limit), more tours are being arranged at Koryo Tours company in Beijing. Friend of IT Ashley Thompson happened to visit Koryo Tours in June and filed this report.

Earlier this summer, while passing the time of an unexpected extra travel day in Beijing, I happened to stumble upon the Pyongyang Art Studio, located in the Chaoyang District near the famous Yashow Clothing Market. Pyongyang Art Studio is part of the Koryo Tours operations, "your PRK tour experts," founded in 1993 by Brits Nicholas Bonner and Josh Green.

Soon after opening, Koryo Tours took the first Westerners to the slopes of Mt. Paekdu. In 1995, more than 100 Koryo tourists arrived in one group to North Korea --  the largest contingent of Westerners to have arrived in the country since the end of the Korean War.

The opening of the Art Studio followed soon after. Today, the building houses the travel office, the gallery, and a store brimming with a broad range of authentic North Korean merchandise. Random items such as North Korean tea, cigarettes, vitamins, translations of books by Kim Jong Il, propaganda posters, specialty honey liquor and old maps of Pyongyang lined the stuffed shelves. This is the absolute closest I'm going to get to North Korean culture, I thought to myself. I bought some postcards and books and then headed to the art gallery, which featured an exhibition of North Korean film posters.

Koryo's co-founder Nicholas Bonner has produced three documentaries on the Hermit Kingdom since 1996. One of the films, which was featured in the poster gallery, is 2003's "A State of Mind." It follows two young gymnasts as they go through the grueling preparations for the country's annual Mass Games, a dazzling display of hundreds of thousands of acrobats, not performing for medals but rather for glorifying and giving hope to the country. Another featured movie was the story of a young woman who entered the sexist work-world of North Korean barbers, an esteemed profession in the country, as it's recommended that North Korean men have a haircut every 15 days.

Movies ranged in date from the '60s to the present, and nearly all had been approved, and perhaps heavily rewritten, by the Dear Leader or the Great Leader.

While perusing the gallery, I was able to chat with Koryo's Hannah Barraclough, who has made more than 30 trips to North Korea in the last three years leading tours. I asked her what it's like to be one of the estimated 2,000 annual foreign visitors to go to North Korea, and about the misconceptions of the planet's most mysterious country, and the stipulations for American tourists.

Continue reading for Hannah's interview...

Ah, autumn is here - which brings to mind changing leaves, back-to-school sales, and...crab races. Yes, crab races.

Every year on Labor Day weekend, the seaside town of Crisfield, Maryland holds its Annual Hard Crab Derby and Fair. This quaint village of 2,800 on the Chesapeake Bay has a long tradition of catching - and racing - its seafood. The festival is a celebration of the town's fishing heritage, particularly of the abundant (and delicious!) blue crabs that teem in the bay's waters.

Here, you can watch a parade on Main Street, a boat docking contest, a crab picking contest, and the crowning of the beautiful Miss Crustacean. But the main attraction of the festival is its namesake "crab derby," in which hundreds of crabs scramble down a chute to the finish line in a knock-down, drag-out race (okay, so the crabs aren't even aware of the race). The bets - and the crowd's enthusiasm - get intense. Afterward, nothing beats finishing off a fresh platter of crabs steamed with Old Bay spice while taking in views of the water at the Olde Crisfield Crab and Steakhouse. If you're hardy enough, you can top it off with a generous slice of Smith Island cake.

The best way to enjoy the festival is by renting a campsite in nearby Jane's Island State Park, which boasts 3,100 acres of Eastern Maryland's prettiest shoreline. When you need a break from the festivities, quiet kayak trails and beach walks await you in the park. So grab some friends, a tent, and a healthy appetite for crab and you've got one shell of a Labor Day weekend.  

Photo: kathyhaduch via Flickr

We're excited to announce the launch of National Geographic's EarthPulse: State of the Earth 2010. Beautifully produced by our NG Maps pals across the courtyard, this visual guide to global trends is available today for purchase online and at newsstands and bookstores.

Through images, diagrams, and maps the visual almanac tells the sobering story of how our actions affect others and the future of our planet. National Geographic CEO John Fahey says in its foreword that the almanac's message is akin to what your doctor says at your yearly physical: slow down and consume less.

While wandering D.C. the other day during my lunch break, I picked up a copy of Street Sense, our local street paper. Its cover story caught my eye: a homeless street soccer tournament held July 31-August 2nd, in D.C. The tournament was a play-off to select the U.S. team to attend the Homeless Street Soccer World Cup this September 6-13, in Milan, Italy.

The seventh annual Street Soccer World Cup will attract 48 nations and 500 players from around the world. Homeless men, women, and youth age 16 and up are eligible to play. During their time at the tournament, players are provided with food and housing; a respite from homelessness. Plus, they get the chance to represent their country and see a bit of the world. The first Street Soccer World Cup was held in Graz, Austria, in 2003.

You might ask, but how does a street soccer World Cup help ameliorate homelessness? Street Sense's recent issue and the U.S. Street Soccer website help me answer this by explaining that most shelters positioned to work with the homeless are generally only able to address individual's basic needs: temporary housing, food, medical care, clothing, mental health and addiction counseling, and the like. Street Soccer goes beyond those important basic needs to give players a hobby, a place to release tensions, give play to passion, build self-esteem, work on trust, improve communication, beat addiction, and facilitate cooperation. In fact, Street Soccer USA asserts that 75 percent of homeless players move off of the streets within a year of joining a street soccer team.

D.C.'s team, the Knights, is comprised of about 15 Spanish-speaking players from Neighbors Consejo, a service organization helping Hispanic men with mental health and addiction issues, and others from throughout the city. They practice weekly in town.

To learn more about the Homeless World Cup, view shocking stats about homelessness (there are one billion homeless worldwide; 3.5 million in the U.S. alone), check out a map of participating nations, and see how you can help, stop by the World Homeless Street Soccer World Cup site here.

Also, don't forget National Geographic magazine's super feature on soccer, "The World's Game," from its June 2006 issue here. Finally, if you've got a moment, check out a documentary all about the Homeless World Cup, Kicking It.

Photo: Daniel Gangur

Jen A. Miller, who authors the blog downtheshorewithjen.blogspot.com, shares her insider tips for one of Atlantic City's biggest events of the summer.

Atlantic City: America's playground by the sea. Say what you want about lagging casino revenues and increased slots competition from Pennsylvania and New York, but Atlantic City is still a hot spot, whether your idea of entertainment is sitting on its free beaches, people watching on the Boardwalk (always with a capital B since Atlantic City's is the original) or staying up all night playing blackjack.

One of the biggest events of the summer is the Atlantic City Air Show, "Thunder Over Atlantic City," which will be held this August 19th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Flight crews from various units of the U.S. armed forces, plus two elite military teams: the U.S. Army Golden Knights and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, will have the crowd's jaws agape at their corkscrew dives, precise turns, and synchronized parachute jumps. The show itself is free, and you can watch it from the Boardwalk or beach; just scout out a spot on the sand and plunk down your beach chair (the sand around Florida Avenue, just outside the Flightline area, is where you'll find prime free seating). But for the best views you'll want tickets to the Flightline Club, which offers premiere seats (Flightline Club seat for $20 - call 609-646-2292, x 25).

Take note, though: this is one of the most attended events in Atlantic City, so be prepared for crowds, which you can avoid if you come on August 18 and watch the teams practice. If you are going on the big day, plan to stick around because traffic jams for hours after the show.

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.

It's going to be a busy summer for Curious George. Fans of the little fellow, who makes getting into trouble look like more fun than a barrel of monkeys, will be delighted to learn that events celebrating learning, literature, and a little bit of mischief are scheduled every month from now through September.

On July 25, the new visitor center at the Curious George Cottage in New Hampshire will be dedicated just in time for the third annual Curious George Cottage Family Festival. The festival, which runs from Friday, August 7 to Sunday, August 9, will celebrate the famous children's book character with loads of educational, kid-friendly events to entertain all ages.

From a banana pancake breakfast, story hour, a nature discovery walk, and the chance to learn to draw in the style of illustrator H.A. Rey, the weekend is full of hands-on opportunities for monkeying around. In fact, George and his friend, the Man in the Yellow Hat, will be visiting to check out the festival and meet with young fans.

If you're thinking of heading south of the border this summer to take advantage of low fares to Mexico, consider the upcoming Whale Shark Festival on Isla Mujeres, in the state of Quintana Roo on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The festival runs this July 15th through the 19th.
           
The festival is billed as an ecotourism, family-friendly event featuring local cuisine, traditional dance, authentic artisanal goods for sale and, last but certainly not least, a chance to swim with migrating whale sharks in the Caribbean.
           
A little background before you take the plunge: The endangered whale shark is not a whale but a shark, despite its contradictory name. Its name stems from its massive size (up to 29,982 pounds and 40 feet in length) and because it eats krill, algae, plankton, and other tiny sea creatures. Whale sharks are filter feeders and have been known to be playful with human divers, though their tails can be a bit dangerous.

We checked in with Eyder Jahil Hoth Pérez, Director of Tourism, Isla Mujeres, Mexico, to learn more about the festival.

Madrid recently kicked off its 24th annual Veranos de la Villa (Summers in the City), 60 days of music, dance, theater, flamenco and much more.

The 1,166 events, held daily through August 23rd, include 65 concerts, 50 plays, myriad ballet performances, 200 films, and two circuses (!); many of which are free to attend.
 
Performers run the gamut from pop to classical, and represent Spain, America, Brazil, Germany, England. Among them are Sara Baras, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Cesária Évoria, Gilberto Gil, Carlos Saura, James Taylor, Lou Reed, Kool & the Gang, Seal, and the Opera Ballet of Munich.
   
Venues include the 16th-century Plaza Mayor, the city's gardens, and the 4th-century BC Egyptian Templo de Debod (Temple of Debod). There'll even be open-air screenings of top movie hits such as Ché, Gran Torino, Slum Dog Millionaire, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Looking for more free things to do in Madrid? Check out Traveler's guide to Free Things to Do year-round in Madrid.

Talk about a cause to celebrate! It's been 200 years since naturalist Charles Darwin's birth and 150 years since his pioneering publication On the Origin of Species first rocked the scientific world.  In honor of the milestone occasion, the University of Cambridge, where Darwin was a student, is hosting a festival this week through July 10 as part of a yearlong series of events marking the university's 800th anniversary.

Over 100 scientists, writers, artists and performers will commemorate Darwin's work at more than 40 events around Cambridge. Speakers and performers include Sir David Attenborough, Ian McEwan, Professor Richard Dawkins, Sir Terry Pratchett, Richard Leaky, and Harold Varmus among many others.

If you're not a scientist or your level of evolutionary expertise consists of that one high school biology course you took eons ago, don't fear. The wide range of events caters to all interests, from scientific debates to art exhibitions to stand-up comedy. Street-side performances include interpretations of the evolution of juggling, music, and voice, while the evening Fringe Festival features plays, comedy shows, and film screenings.

"Nowhere else this year will you find such breadth of expertise gathered in one place, at one time, to discuss and celebrate Darwin's work," Darwin Festival director Mirand Gomperts said. "The Festival is a key event in the University of Cambridge's 800th anniversary year. We hope that as many people as possible will enjoy this unique opportunity and discover how Darwin's ideas can help us tackle the challenges we will face in the future."

The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival is in full swing here in D.C. this week, with over 100 performances in 35 venues around the city. This year's festival celebrates the music of New Orleans, and has a roster of artists -- Harry Connick Jr., Buckwheat Zydeco, Trombone Shorty -- that would make any jazz-hound swoon. While the huge, talent-packed event at the Kennedy Center this coming Monday is sold out, they'll be plenty of (free!) jazz performances on The Mall this weekend, and restaurants and clubs throughout D.C. are hosting acts as part of Jazz in the Hoods. I spoke with the festival's founder, Charles Fishman, yesterday about the events, and in the spirit of jazz, he riffed a bit with me about how it's come together.

"The first year we did three concerts and had programs in 11 different clubs, this year we have over 100 performances in 35 different venues in the city. Jazz in the Hood is going into restaurants, clubs, hotels, and galleries. Some of these places do jazz, but many of them don't. It's pretty overwhelming -- people keep calling us and saying they want to be involved. Working with all these clubs, it's very encouraging to see what the response has been.

"Jazz is the one of the only original American art forms. You need to expose people to jazz: They hardly hear it on the radio, they never see it on television, and the record studios aren't doing diddly squat. These festivals are becoming a force.

"To have two full days on the National Mall for such renowned musicians from New Orleans is an amazing opportunity. I think we're the first jazz festival to dedicate our festival to another city. With the exception of our artistic advisor - everybody is from New Orleans. Essentially we're offering a virtual microcosmic cornucopia of the diversity of the musical heritage of New Orleans, which has driven American culture. But unfortunately, many immortal jazz artists are more appreciated out of this country than in this country."

Fishman encourages anyone coming into D.C. this weekend to make their way to The Mall, and be sure to check out U Street, where much of the city's jazz history is found. As our interview/jam session ended, I thanked him for his time. "That's what we do, we jazz baby," he said with a laugh.

[Duke Ellington Jazz Festival; Schedule of Events]

Photo: Duke Ellington Jazz Festival

Amy McKeever gives us the scoop on the many alternative film festivals taking place in the coming months.

The Cannes Film Festival, which just wrapped up, is renowned for its star-studded red carpets and its glitzy Palme d'Or. But for those of us not fortunate enough to score tickets to this fest in the south of France, there are plenty of lesser-known film festivals throughout North America worth checking out. Here's a round-up of five of the most intriguing small American film festivals.

Disposable Film Festival -- San Francisco, California
San Francisco's Disposable Film Festival is the ultimate exercise in filmmaking democracy - this festival, started in 2007, allows anyone with a cell phone, PDA or web cam to make and submit short films to be judged. Even better, the festival charges a very affordable submission fee of $.99. Although the festival premieres in late January, film buffs can also catch screenings of the films throughout the year (the latest is taking place June 12-14 in Paris at the Forum Des Images). Organizers even hosted a free bike-in screening in San Francisco this month which, like DFF itself, is a refreshingly updated version of an old concept.

Moondance International Film Festival - Boulder, Colorado
Some film festivals strive to do more than simply entertain audiences and honor filmmakers. Festivals such as Boulder's Moondance also aim to improve their community. Through its Columbine Award, this festival emphasizes non-violent conflict resolution and peace-building. The films screened at Moondance relate human experiences and struggles - from racism to body-image issues - in hopes of sparking dialogue and understanding. Moondance also offers workshops, pitch panels and even a Native American blessing ceremony at sunset. The festival runs from September 15-27.

Robin Williams said it best: "If you remember the sixties, you weren't there." But if there's anything to remember about the hippie-loving sixties, it's Woodstock, the iconic music and art fair of 1969. Some 32 artists--including legends Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and of course, Jimi Hendrix--performed in front of 500,000 people on a few hundred acres of land in Bethel, New York.

For years people have tried to recreate Woodstock, but despite their high-profile mud-slathered attempts, none have come close. But this year marks the three-day counterculture concert's fortieth anniversary, and the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is celebrating by offering a whole season's worth of performers, including Earth, Wind, & Fire, Chicago, Peter, Paul, & Mary, Dave Matthews Band, Brad Paisley, and many others.

The Bethel Woods Center is also home to a museum, which will celebrate Woodstock with exhibits like Give Peace a Chance: John and Yoko's Bed-In for Peace, Rock Heroes: Woodstock-Inspired Selections from the Hard Rock International Music Memorabilia Collection, and even a motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers.

The summer lineup starts June 14 and ends September 26, so there's plenty of time to make plans to get up to New York and celebrate Woodstock, twenty-first-century-style.

Did you go to Woodstock? How do you plan to commemorate the event this summer?

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.