Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine, Your destination for travel resources and entertainment.

A collection of fun events to keep you busy over the next three months.

April

3 Various Cities

International Pillow Fight Day

Smack a stranger on International Pillow Fight Day. Last year, thousands gathered on Wall Street in New York City for the year’s largest pillow brawl. This year, Boston, Chicago, Denver, and more than 70 cities around the world compete to break that record. The rules are simple: Arrive at your city’s designated location—listed on pillowfightday.com—bring a soft pillow (even more fun if it has loose feathers), and remove glasses if you wear them. Wear a crazy costume if you’d like—it’s encouraged, actually—but remain inconspicuous, and keep your pillow hidden. Then, at the sound of the whistle, smack away.

3 Belleville, Illinois

Breweriana Blowout X

Buy a used arcade game (cheap!) at Breweriana Blowout X. Held in Belleville, Illinois—about 25 miles from St. Louis—the event is sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Chapter of the American Breweriana Association. Renew your love for Pac Man at an auction of pre-owned watering-hole staples like arcade, video game, and slot machines. Vendors from eight states set up shop at Belle-Calir Fairgrounds to sell 160 tables of mirrors, coasters, tap knobs, bottles, steins, glasses, trays, labels, neon signs, mugs, flat-top and cone-top cans, cabottles, openers, and more. With a one-stop-shop like that, we’re tempted to open our own pub.

4 San Francisco

Union Street Spring Celebration and Easter Parade

Marching bands, beauty queens, and rollerblading cows. It’s all part of The Union Street Spring Celebration and Easter Parade, known as the “Biggest Little Parade in San Francisco.” However, with more than 45 groups participating, we don’t see anything little about it. Enjoy brunch on the patio of one of Union Street’s bistros—such as Ottimista Enoteca Café, La Boulange, or Crepes Á-Go-Go—and watch as colorfully costumed stilt walkers, self-propelled mini-floats, and beautiful classic cars pass. This street-fair-plus-parade focuses on family, with an emphasis on entertainment for children at the fair portion. Kid-friendly features include inflatable bounce playhouses, a climbing wall, a hands-on children’s activities area, a petting zoo, and live music. Bring your camera; cows on blades are photo-worthy.

9 Port Aransas, Texas

Texas Sandfest

Giant clocks, mermaids, dragons, and a life-size model of the Pope—all crafted out of, you guessed it, sand. These are just some of the sculptures you might see at the Texas Sandfest in Port Aransas, about 35 miles northeast of Corpus Christi. The festival is the largest master sand competition in the United States, with more than 100,000 visitors each year, including 20-plus advanced sculptors and more than 200 amateurs. Sandfest hosts four different competitions, including both solo and duo masters’ competitions, an amateur contest for all ages, and a photo contest. It’s also a preliminary round of the World Championship Contest of Sand Sculpturing, and winners will advance to that competition in September. Not a master sculptor? No worries. For those of us who haven’t molded a sandcastle without a plastic pail, the festival includes free sand sculpting lessons. When you’ve finished playing in the sand, enjoy live music, beach volleyball, kite flying, lemonade, and a few fried Oreos.

10 Nashville, Tennessee

The Temple Arts Festival

The art world takes up residence for a day at the oldest and largest Jewish house of worship in Nashville, Tennessee. This gallery on steroids hosts 50 nationally and internationally recognized painters, glass blowers, jewelers, sculptors, and photographers from the United States and Canada. Featured guest Ellen Simac—curator of the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee—will judge the exhibit and give awards for the Best of Show, Two-Dimensional Art, and Three-Dimensional Art categories. At an evening auction, visitors can bid on pieces like “Movement in Light,” an acrylic-on-wood painting by Yankel Ginzburg, valued at $30,000; and “Coral Basket,” a hand-blown glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly, valued at $5,000. Not carrying that kind of pocket change? Check out more than 500 pieces of original glass, jewelry, ceramics, sculptures, paintings, drawings, and photographs. With pieces starting at $50, even newbies can start building a collection.

17 Sand Springs, Oklahoma

Herbal Affair and Festival

Get the dirt on lavender and grow a new appreciation for the art of bonsai at the Herbal Affair and Festival. The event takes place in Sand Springs, Oklahoma—less than 10 miles from Tulsa—and with more than 100 vendors, it’s the largest festival of its kind in the state. Nearly 25,000 people crowd the streets of downtown Sand Springs in search of herbs, perennials, natives, and heirloom plants, as well as herbal products and folk art. The Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum hosts free lectures and workshops including “Cooking Healthy With Organic Food” by Anner Stone from Anner’s Wellness Works; and “Gardening for Beginners,” by Chad Wilt of Creation Groans Garden. Outside, the Charles Page Stage features bands like Dulcimer Magic, Turtle Creek Cloggers,
and Cairde na Gael (O’kie Irish Music). The children’s tent—called Peppermint Lane—features face painting and art projects. Visitors with an appetite should stop at Rosemary’s Kitchen, where members of the local Amish and Mennonite communities serve homemade breads, noodles, and pies.

18 Dallas

The Festival of Balloons

Artists from around the world will unveil never-before-seen balloon masterpieces—animated sculptures with music, lighting, and other special effects, some as large as 18 feet tall—at the Festival of Balloons in Dallas. Similar events have featured creations such as floating dragons and a colossal “gumball” machine that spits out balloons. Coinciding with the World Balloon Convention, the festival provides an opportunity to view all of the pieces originally created for the convention’s competitions. Festivalgoers can purchase colorful, gravity-defying creations like balloons inside balloons. Admission is $5, with free entrance for children 12 and under. The event lasts just four hours, so don’t let it float away.

23 Cape Coral, Florida

Cape Coral Cardboard Boat Regatta

Cheer on giant bananas, bright pink dinghies, and Beatles-inspired yellow submarines all made of cardboard at the Cape Coral Cardboard Boat Regatta. Held at Four Freedoms Park in downtown Cape Coral, Florida—about 40 miles from Naples—the regatta pits corrugated creations against each other on the open water. At the pre-party on the night before the regatta, attendees admire the cardboard craftsmanship on dry land as they enjoy live music by the Yard Dogs. A VIP section at the party will serve a prix-fixe dinner and hold a drawing for two round-trip tickets to Key West, Florida. On Saturday, the boats—built by businesses, schools, youth groups, groups of friends, and non-profit organizations—compete for titles such as People’s Choice, Best Team Effort, Best Original Design, and Best Construction. Last year, the James Bond 007 Submarine Boat—a cardboard replica of the Lotus Esprit sports car made famous in the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me—won first place in Best Original Design.

23 Washington, D.C.

French Market

Take a cue from the shopping-mad Parisians and try a little retail therapy at the French Market in Washington, D.C. For one weekend, the hip and historic Bookhill neighborhood transforms its sidewalks into a Parisian-style, open-air market. Treat yourself to a macaroon or crêpe from Café Bonaparte or other French pastries from Patisserie Poupon, delight in the sounds of strolling musicians, and taste French wines as you browse an eclectic mix of clothing, art, and antiques from more than 30 local boutiques and galleries. C’est la vie.

24 La Porte, Texas

San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment

Texas won its independence from Mexico more than 170 years ago, but you can watch the event live this month at the San Jacinto Festival and Battle Reenactment. Each year, hundreds of volunteers—aided by cannons, muskets, horses, and pyrotechnics—re-enact the Battle of San Jacinto in La Porte, Texas, less than 30 miles from Houston. At the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, see Gen. Sam Houston and his fellow Texans defeat the Mexican Army, just as they did in 1836. Once the 18-minute skirmish ends, Texans and Mexicans alike continue the festivities with music by the Celtaire String Band, Liz Talley, and K.R. Wood; demonstrations on 19th century blacksmithing and quilting; a Birds of Prey show; tours of the restored marshland; and entertainment by Phydeaux’s Flying Flea Circus, a historically accurate street theater. There’s plenty for children, too: crafts, train rides, and a petting zoo.

25 Half Moon Bay, California

Pacific Coast Dream Machines

Take a ride on the world’s largest Zeppelin, marvel at the mechanics of antique horseless carriages, and get an up-close view of rare restored military aircraft like a B-25 Bomber from World War II at the Pacific Coast Dream Machines show. More than 2,000 classic, exotic, and vintage vehicles cruise to Half Moon Bay, California—less than 30 miles from San Francisco—to show their stuff. Keep your eyes on the sky to see ace aerobatics pilot Eddie Andreini fly overhead in his Stearman bi-plane and Russian fighter. If you’re not a car or truck connoisseur, perhaps a vintage bi-plane or helicopter ride, unicycle drag racing, or kinetic art and rolling sculptures will get your engine going.

28 St. Louis

31st Annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival

It’s OK to tell a tall tale at the St. Louis Storytelling Festival. Nearly 50 regional, national, and international storytellers gather for the event. This year’s featured storytellers include Peter S. Cook, a world-renowned performing artist who incorporates American Sign Language, pantomime, acting, and movement; Bil Lepp, five-time West Virginia Liars’ Contest champion and master of humorous tall-tales; Gene Tagaban, who shares his Cherokee, Tlingit, and Filipino heritage through dance, native flute, and storytelling; and Loretta Washington, a 15-year storytelling veteran who incorporates puppetry. The festival lasts through May 1, much to the delight of local school children, the storytellers’ primary audience for the first three days. Big kids have their day, too, with evening workshops like “Ghost Stories for Adults” and “The Spoken Word Alive,” held at Faust Park Barn and the Missouri History Museum.

28 West Palm Beach, Florida

 SunFest

Salute our nearest star at Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival. Held in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida, SunFest attracts more than 280,000 visitors annually. For five days, jam out to live music and sip on custom Captain Morgan cocktails at Captain Morgan’s Floating Oasis, three buoyant barges that tie up to the seawall near Flagler Drive. Friday through Sunday, browse jewelry, paintings, photography, sculpture, woodcraft, pottery, and ceramics created by more than 165 artists. Take a guided art show tour to see artist demonstrations, occurring twice daily on Saturday and Sunday. After the sun sets on May 2, the Verizon Wireless Fireworks Show will fire up the night sky. Just remember to wear sunscreen.

28 Little Rock, Arkansas

Bug Fest

Instead of running when you see a creepy crawler, cheer one on during the hissing cockroach races at BugFest. The three-day festival is one of the most popular events at the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Arkansas. Get up close and personal with millipedes and tarantulas, or watch a prickly stick propel its way up a climbing wall. The Pulaski Technical College Culinary Institute teams up with the museum to appeal to the daredevil’s taste buds. Student chefs cook up and dish out insect delicacies. Last year’s menu included chocolate-dipped grasshoppers and mealworm fried rice. We hear that neither dish tastes like chicken.

30 Irving, Texas

Texas Frightmare Weekend

Zombies invade Irving, Texas—about 20 miles from Dallas—during Texas Frightmare Weekend. The undead masses will trudge down Plaza Drive before finally infesting the Sheraton Grand Hotel for the weekend’s inaugural event. This year’s featured guest is master of horror John Carpenter, the director responsible for Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing, Christine, and Vampires. The cast of Christine—including Keith Gordon, Alexandra Paul, and John Stockwell—will also be on hand. Bid on genuine costumes from Alexandre Aja’s Piranha 3-D (premiering April 16), and more than 500 objects from your favorite scary movies—including The Box, Resident Evil: Afterlife, The Book of Eli, Legion, and Beastly—at the Premiere Props auction. Aspiring filmmakers in all genres can learn how to take advantage of opportunities to make low-budget films in Texas at the Texas Motion Picture Alliance seminar. Get an early start if you want to catch the TFW Film Festival 2010: It begins on the 28th, with screenings of feature and short films, including George A. Romero’s zombie masterpiece, Survival of the Dead. And we thought Halloween was the scariest time of the year.

May

3 Boston

Marine Week Boston

Hundreds of Marines take over Boston during the first week of May. But there’s no combat here; they’re off duty. The second-annual event recognizes the contributions of Marines from Boston and across the United States, through dozens of events during the week like martial arts demonstrations, physical fitness challenges, and wrestling clinics by the All-Marine wrestling team. Experience the cutting-edge technology of Marine robotics, vehicles, and aircrafts like the CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter. Catch live performances by the Albany Marine band, Marine Corps Color Guard, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, and the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps. But some of the events aren’t for spectators. No, you don’t need to enlist, but you can pitch in with the troops to improve the community. Marines will work alongside civilians on community service projects, including cleaning up parks, serving at food banks, and much more. As a bonus, it doesn’t cost a dime to show your appreciation for the troops: Every single Marine Week event is free of charge.

6 Las Vegas

Vegas Uncork’d Presented by Bon Appétit

Compete against world-renowned chefs like Bobby Flay, Charlie Palmer, Joël Robuchon, Alex Stratta, Kim Canteenwalla, and Carlos Guia in a poolside game of blackjack at Encore Las Vegas. Or sit at the same table as celebrated chef Alain Ducasse at Mandalay Bay’s Mix while you try the new spring menu. Vegas Uncork’d promises to bring foodies face-to-face with their favorite chefs during a four-day celebration of Las Vegas as an international epicurean destination. Coinciding with Mother’s Day weekend, this year’s event includes a conversation with Wolfgang Puck at Bellagio’s Fontana Bar and Lounge, moderated by Bon Appétit editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild; an interactive luncheon with Paul Bartolotta, Frédéric Robert, Alex Stratta, and David Walzog, where attendees can play sous-chef to the all-star lineup; a beachside barbeque at Mandalay Bay’s 11-acre tropical water environment, with menus by Charlie Palmer and Alain Ducasse; and a Mother’s Day Brunch at MGM Grand’s L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon with Fairchild and Robuchon himself.

8 Chicago

Celtic Fest Chicago

If you liked Mel Gibson in Braveheart, you’ll love voting on who has the nicest legs in the Men in Kilts Contest at Celtic Fest Chicago, held in Chicago’s Millennium Park. The competition’s just one of many activities at the two-day event—along with a bag pipe parade, Celtic Art Fair, coffee and tea garden, contemporary Celtic music and dance performances, and harp and uilleann pipe demonstrations—designed to celebrate the rich history and customs dating back to 300 B.C. Performers from the former Celtic nations—Ireland; Brittany, France; Galicia, Spain; Scotland; the Isle of Man; Cornwall; and Wales—will perform traditional Celtic music. On the Jay Pritzker Pavillion stage, customary Celtic dancers perform ceili routines, and Irish band the Saw Doctors play folk-rock, including Ireland’s biggest selling single of all time, “I Useta Lover.” Meanwhile, musicians from the local Celtic music school will perform on the Next Generation stage. We say strike up the bagpipes.

14 McMinnville, Oregon

UFO Festival

If the Balloon Boy scandal of ’09 caught your attention, the UFO Festival is a can’t-miss. Held at McMenamins Hotel in McMinnville, Oregon—about 40 miles from Portland—the two-day event began as a way to honor the famous 1950 Trent sighting. That’s when two locals named Evelyn and Paul Trent photographed some of the most credible images of a UFO to date. Today, the festival draws UFO experts and aficionados alike with keynote speakers like Colin Andrews, a preeminent crop circles expert who advised former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet on the largest crop circle surveillance report, “Operation Blackbird.” James Clarkson, a Washington investigator known as the “UFO Cop,” will discuss June Crain, a Wright Patterson Air Force Base employee who handled some of the pieces of the Roswell sighting. Clarkson will compare her findings to so-called UFO cover-ups. Every UFO Festival needs an Alien Costume Ball, and this one does not disappoint; it’s on Saturday night. Whether you dress as a martian or a 6-year-old Colorado boy, remember to bring extra tinfoil.

15 Oxnard, California

California Strawberry Festival

Kick off summer by smacking someone you love with a strawberry pie. You can get that experience and more at the California Strawberry Festival, thanks to 207,000 tons of berries from the Strawberry Coast all gathered in Oxnard, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles. The weekend draws crowds to Strawberry Meadows of College Park with more than 250 fine arts and crafts booths, interactive exhibits, cooking demonstrations, and an assortment of foods and beverages including chocolate-covered strawberries, strawberry-topped pizza, and strawberry beer. Strawberryland for Kids offers the Berry-Go-Round and other free rides, face painting, puppet shows, magicians, and a strawberry shortcake-eating contest. The fruitful festival not only raises awareness of the region’s agricultural heritage, it also has helped raise more than $3 million for various Southern California charities, earning the 2004 WasteWatch Award for environmentally responsible practices. But we can’t promise strawberry fields forever: The festivities end on the 16th.

27 Louisville, Kentucky

Abbey Road on the River

Experience five days of peace, love, and rock ‘n’ roll at the world’s largest Beatles-inspired festival. This tribute event began in Cleveland in 2002, and today some 60 bands and more than 30,000 attendants come together at Abbey Road on the River’s current location in Louisville, Kentucky’s Belvedere Festival Park. A variety of acts honor the British rock legends. Some—like the Jukebox, from Puerto Rico—copy the Beatles’ look, while others—like the Repeatles, of Sweden—play spot-on covers without the wardrobe similarity, and a few more—like Orlando, Florida’s the Castillo Kids—celebrate the music of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr without trying to reproduce their sound. So if you’re looking for a day (or five) in the life, take the long and winding road to Belvedere Park.

28 Pryor, Oklahoma

Rocklahoma

ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons—a lifelong Oklahoman—once likened the Rocklahoma festival to “rock ‘n’ roll summer camp.” But instead of counselors and cabins, it’s 40 bands on three stages at the Catch the Fever Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma, about 40 miles from Tulsa. Headlined by ZZ Top and Godsmack, the event takes place over Memorial Day weekend. The festival’s goal of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of rock,” includes the Miss Rocklahoma beauty pageant and performances by Buckcherry, Cinderella, Tesla, and Theory of a Deadman. Warm Billy F. Gibbons’ heart by bringing your RV and tent, and making it a real camping experience.

29 Tooele, Utah

FIM HANNspree Superbike World Championship

Attention, adrenaline junkies: The FIM HANNspree Superbike World Championship makes its only stop this side of the Prime Meridian at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, about 35 miles from Salt Lake City. Billed as the world’s most competitive motorcycle racing series, the event pits daredevils against each other at speeds of up to 200 mph. In addition to the superbike championship, Miller Motorsports Park also hosts many of the most significant racing series on the planet, including the American Le Mans Series, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, NASCAR K and N Pro Series, and the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series. The championship weekend features three races, all held on the 31st: two races for the World Superbike and one for the World Supersport. Riders in the Superbike and Supersport World Championships use modified factory bikes by Yamaha, Ducati, Honda, BMW, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Aprilia. That makes it a fan favorite, since people in the grandstands can see motorcycles they might actually own pushed to the limit by pro riders.

June

6 New York City

Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival and Block Party

Don’t let the name fool you. Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival and Block Party sounds like a culinary event, but the gathering focuses more on culture than cuisine. The Museum at Eldridge Street sits in the middle of two cultural zones of New York City: Chinatown, and the Jewish Lower East Side. The festival brings the two together to celebrate Chinese and Jewish traditions, languages, and cultures. Visitors can enjoy authentic egg rolls or egg creams while they watch a klezmer march and Chinese acrobats flip and twist along Eldridge Street from Canal to Division streets, with the newly restored Eldridge Street Synagogue as its centerpiece. Kids can try Yiddish and Chinese games, while parents become skilled in Mahjongg, Chinese, and Yiddish.

18Albuquerque,
New Mexico Albuquerque Folk Festival

If balalaika, balafon, and didgeridoo aren’t part of your repertoire, check out the Albuquerque Folk Festival. Held at EXPO New Mexico state fairgrounds, the weekend features more than 120 events celebrating the folk traditions and heritage of Old American, New Mexican, and international cultures. Friday evening, Robin and Linda Williams—regulars on Garrison Keillor’s popular public radio show, A Prairie Home Companion—headline the main stage show. On Saturday, attendees can join in a sing-along tribute to legendary folk artist Pete Seeger on his 90th birthday. Bands like Bayou Seco, Blue Canyon Boys, and Fishtank perform acoustic folk music. Other happenings include a singer-songwriter stage,  voice and instrument workshops, and a barn dance under the stars. Todd’s Musical Instrument Petting Zoo exhibits more than 100 traditional folk instruments, including the balalaika (stringed Russian instrument), balafon (West African wooden, keyed percussion), and didgeridoo (Australian wind instrument). With your repertoire complete, you’ll be able to folk out with the best of them.