30 Travel 50 & Beyond from Top: Jim STone/monTerey Jazz feSTival, marcoS g. herrera/ToUriSm SanTa fe

Red eyes glowing, Zozobra waves his arms and growls at his enemies as a crowd of 60,000 chants “Burn him!” This 50-foot marionette, also known as Old Man Gloom, casts despair and darkness over the city, and as a fire dancer lights the part monster, part ghost ablaze, hope and happiness are restored to Santa Fe, NM.

As a native New Mexican, I’ve attend-ed a smattering of statewide events: the out-of-this-world UFO Festival in Roswell, Ruidoso’s Christmas parade, the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe and the ethereal Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

But my favorite remains the Burning of Zozobra. The wood- and cloth-based

animatronic puppet burns to embers, the crowd dances and sings, and fireworks explode overhead. Ready to shed your past? Attendees can put notes, photos, legal documents (divorce papers, per-haps?) and more in a “gloom box,” which

is placed inside Zozobra right before the ceremony. Attend the 95th edition in Fort Marcy Park on Aug. 30 to boost your bliss. www.BurnZozobra.com

Read on for 14 more extraordinary festivals admiring astronauts, azaleas, the arts and more.

FLORAL FETESThe national Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC, celebrates Japan’s 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the capital. Around 1.5 million visitors wit-ness these beauties flowering on three National Park Service sites, including the Washington Monument grounds.

The fest hosts 150-plus cultural per-formances, a parade and the Blossom

BEST U.S. FESTS

In 2017, Tony Award-winner Leslie Odom Jr. performed a Nat

King Cole medley and a jazzy rendition of a “Hamilton” song

at California’s Monterey Jazz Festival. A menacing Zozobra

puppet (below) glared over the Santa Fe, NM, crowd during the

annual Burning of Zozobra.

Discover one-of-a-kind festivities for floral finery, celebrated cuisines, historic milestones and more> BY KathrYn E. Worrall

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Kite Festival, with kite-making competi-tions and an aerial “ballet” performance. Petalpalooza provides live music, a beer garden and a fireworks show along the Southwest Waterfront.

The blossoming varies with the weather, but his-torically happens between mid-March and mid-April. The mean date for peak bloom (when 70 percent of the flowers are open) is April 4. Check the “bloom watch” at the event’s web-site for the latest devel-opments. www.National CherryBlossomFestival.org

Wilmington, NC, bursts into pink and purple hues during the north Carolina Azalea Festival. Started in 1948, it glorifies these cheery shrubs with 30-plus events. Behold the queen’s coronation or tour area homes and gardens. A street fair with more than 250 merchants, a children’s area, a music stage and a beer garden are located alongside the Cape Fear River.

A shag contest shows off the low country dance, and a parade with

marching bands, giant balloons and flo-ral floats are among other highlights of the largest festival of its kind in North Carolina. Country legend Hank Williams Jr. is slated for 2019’s concert lineup.

This year’s flowery fiesta is April 3-7. www.NCAzaleaFestival.org

MUSICAL MOMENTSThe Monterey Jazz Festival is one of the longest-running events of its kind

in the world, debuting in 1958 with heavy hitters Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. Since then, Miles Davis, B.B. King and Ray Charles have graced the stage, and in recent years the likes of Tony Bennett, Norah Jones and The Roots have performed.

Eight indoor and outdoor stages on the county fairgrounds of Monterey, CA, welcome about 500 artists. Attendees catch panel discussions, exhibitions and clinics, and beverage stalls sell California-based brews and wines. The fest, scheduled for Sept. 27-29, also sponsors jazz education programs, reaching 3,000 students annually and encouraging up-and-coming talent. www.MontereyJazzFestival.org

Groove to global tunes at the 33rd Festival international de louisiane, with 300,000 fans heading to down-town Lafayette, LA, for the largest international music and arts festival in the U.S.

Last year’s acts represented 25 coun-tries, from China and Iran to Ireland and beyond. Past years have included Jamaican reggae bands as well as more unexpected entertainment, like

Chinese drum groups showcased their theatrical

art of storytelling during past editions of Lafayette’s Festival

International de Louisiane.

Cherry blossoms flourish around the Tidal Basin grounds, making several District of Columbia landmarks, like the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, especially scenic in spring.

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pork.” Backyard amateurs can compete in the Patio Porkers contest.

For the 75,000 attendees, vendors sell barbeque and more. For a taste and chance to judge the competitors’ meats, purchase a ticket for the Kingsford Tour of Champions.

Scheduled for May 15-18, the 42nd annual Memphis in May will be held in downtown’s Tom Lee Park, right on the banks of the Mississippi. www.MemphisInMay.org

Indulge in New Orleans’ tastiest treats at Beignet Fest. The festival features 30 different dishes, and the offerings go beyond the traditional powder sugar-coated dessert. Sweet flavors often include Oreo, pecan truffle and PB&J as ingredients. Expect savory products stuffed with lobster or to-mato and topped with basil and garlic sauce. There are even beignet-churro hybrids and beignet-flavored snow cones. The family-friendly affair also includes live music, an artists market and a kids area.

The sugary bash has a worthy pur-pose: Proceeds support area programs serving children with developmental delays. It’s a cause that became close to the founders’ hearts after their son was diagnosed with autism. The 2019 edi-tion is set for Oct. 5 in New Orleans City Park. www.BeignetFest.com

traditional throat singers from the Rus-sian republic of Tuva. Of course, plenty of Louisiana groups play zydeco, blues and Cajun numbers.

Workshops, an art market and food vendors offering Greek, Asian and Cre-ole fare are among other draws. While the event is free, spring for a festival pass for shaded seating and other perks. The international festivities run April 24-28. www.FestivalInternational.org

CULINARY CELEBRATIONSFeast on coastal cuisine at the Hilton Head island seafood Festival. Top chefs, sommeliers and more descend upon the South Carolina city, and par-ticipants can pick from celebrity demos and dinners, an expert-led excursion for oysters and more.

Popular events include the Pig Pickin’ and Oyster Roast, with pitmasters prep-ping local shrimp, whole hogs, chicken and all the trimmings. Typically on Saturdays, cooking presentations, an artisan market and plenty of activities for the kids take place during the day,

while an evening party provides signa-ture cocktails and small bites from top eateries.

In 2019, the Seafood, Champagne and Gullah Sunday Brunch boasted bottomless bloody marys, a raw bar and brunch along the water. This shindig typically occurs in mid- to late February; dates are not yet set for 2020. www.HiltonHead SeafoodFestival.com

Chow down at the Memphis in May world Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. About 250 teams (some with cheeky names like Boars Night Out and Sweet Swine O’ Mine) head to Tennessee hoping to score their share of more than $115,000 in prize money. The pros’ categories are pork, hot wings, sauce and “anything but

In 2018, Beignet Fest’s 30 sweet and savory offerings included a shrimp salad beignet from Loretta’s Authentic Pralines, a New Orleans staple for more than 35 years.

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HISTORIC HOOPLA On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong planted his boots on the moon, declar-ing “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

This milestone occurred 50 years ago this July, and Armstrong’s hometown of Wapakoneta, OH, is going all out for its native son during the annual summer Moon Festival, July 17-21. With events downtown and at the eastside Arm-strong Air and Space Museum (home to artifacts like his Apollo 11 spacesuit), the blowout has presentations from NASA astronauts, science demonstra-tions (like rocket launches) and “Run to the Moon” 5K and 10K races.

Food trucks, carnival games and even the world’s largest MoonPie are among the offerings. After the conclud-ing concert, honor a suggestion made by Armstrong’s family following his 2012 passing: Look up and give the moon a little wink. www.FirstOnTheMoon.org

On Dec. 16, relive American history at the Boston Tea Party Reenactment. At the Old South Meeting House, stand-ins for patriots like Samuel Adams and Paul Revere will debate loyalists to England over the tea tax, and attendees of this ticketed event are encouraged to join the protest.

Fife and drum corps guide their audi-ence to Boston Harbor. Line the shore and cheer as the Sons of Liberty storm the brig Beaver and dump British East India Co. chests into the water, mimick-ing the revolt 246 years ago. It’s esti-mated that the original “party” dumped merchandise worth $1.7 million in today’s currency.

The 2019 raid runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bundle up for the December weather and maybe bring along a hot beverage — just not tea. www.Boston TeaPartyShip.com

ARTISTIC AFFAIRSStarted in 1950, Chicago’s old Town Art Fair draws 30,000 aficionados each year. Some 250 juried artists present works in mediums like painting, pho-tography, jewelry and more.

Snack on lobster rolls and sip beer at the food court or wind through more than 50 green spaces during a garden walk. The Children’s Corner provides face painting, book readings and magic shows for the little ones.

The fair, located in the Old Town Triangle Historic District, is set for June 8-9. In place of an entrance fee, a $10 donation is suggested for adults, with proceeds benefiting schools, cultural programs and preservation projects. www.OldTownArtFair.org

Deep down in Oxford, MS, a book-store’s shelves are wheeled aside, folding chairs are set up and recording equipment is plugged in. A house band picks up a theme song and, just like that, Off Square Books becomes the city’s hottest spot, thanks to Thacker Mountain Radio Hour.

The radio show features readings and concerts, with around a dozen weekly presentations in spring and fall. Authors vary from emerging talents to New York Times best-sellers. As for the music, Mississippi rockers and well-known artists like Elvis Costello have performed.

Chicago’s Old Town Art Fair presents 250-plus artists who work in a variety of mediums, from mixed media and photography to woodwork and drawings.

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fiber arts workshops, a barn full of Angora goats and alpacas and mer-chants peddling handmade fleeces, rugs and materials like yarn and spindles.

Enjoy a llama parade, petting zoo, fleece-to-shawl competition and canines herding livestock and catching Frisbees. In 2018, guests signed up for a “made in an afternoon” class to walk away with several finished pieces. And don’t miss the food: cider donuts, apple crisps, wine and beer, goat- and sheep-milk cheese and lamb lollipops.

This fleecy festivity in Rhinebeck, NY, runs Oct. 19-20. www.SheepAndWool.com

Forget sandcastles — at Texas sandFest, they are sand sculptures. Since 1997, pro sculptors from around North America have gathered in Port Aransas, TX, to craft beachy masterpieces.

Last year’s standouts include an angel with elaborate wings, a Great Dane rest-ing on a thronelike dog bed and an intri-cate fortress with a warning: “Beware of Cat!” Spectators peruse the creations, and fun on the shore continues with live music, a beer tent and booths sell-ing jewelry, arts and crafts and food.

SandFest’s date depends on the tide — the lower, the better. For 2019, the largest native sand sculpture competi-tion in the U.S. is projected for April 26-28. www.TexasSandFest.org

Mississippi Public Broadcasting, local stations and a few websites stream the free-to-attend recording, but the magi-cal hour is best experienced in person. www.ThackerMountain.com

In the 1930s, Ernest Hemingway lived in Key West, FL, spending his days fishing, petting his six-toed cat and working on drafts of future classics like “A Farewell to Arms.”

Hemingway days celebrates the novelist’s July 21 birthday with a wres-tling contest, deep-sea fishing tourna-ment (with $50,000 in prizes) and poet-ry readings. Hemingway doppelgangers compete in a look-alike competition at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, an old haunt of the real Hemingway, and perform a spoof of Spain’s running of the bulls — one featuring plastic cows on wheels, and traveling at a much slower gait.

A street fair, paddleboard race and sunset 5K past the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum are among other at-tractions. This year marks the 120th an-niversary of the birth of the Nobel and

Pulitzer prize-winning author; celebrate the legend July 16-21. www.Fla-Keys.com/Hemingway-Days

ORIGINAL OCCASIONSThe new york sheep and wool Festival started in the 1980s as a bred ewe sale. Today, it offers much more:

At the rowdy Hemingway Days in Key West, FL, a mock running of the bulls pays tribute to the real deal in Pamplona, Spain, memorialized in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises.”