Sign up for the Family Tree Newsletter! Plus, you’ll receive our 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms PDF as a special thank you.
Get Your Free Genealogy Forms
"*" indicates required fields
Alabama
BAYOU LA BATHE
Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet
ADVERTISEMENT
MAY 6
Got a precursor to Forrest Gump in your family? Get a taste of seafaring history with the annual parade of shrimp boats and traditional blessing of the fleet. (334) 824-2415
ADVERTISEMENT
DAUPHIN ISLAND
15th Annual Thunder on the Bay
MAY 11-13
Reenactors of the 6th Alabama Cavalry bring the siege of Fort Gaines and the struggle for Mobile to life. (334) 861-6992
Alaska
<www.dced.state.ak.us/tourism/>
FAIRBANKS
Golden Days
JULY 12-22
This festival commemorates the start of the Gold Rush on July 22, 1902, including a “Felix Pedro look-alike contest” in honor of the Italian immigrant who first found Alaskan gold. (907) 452-1105
fairbanks-alaska.com/golden-days.htm>
Alaska Day
OCT. 14-18
Go back to 1867, the year the United States bought Alaska from Russia, with a re-enactment transfer ceremony, period costume ball and parade. (907) 747-3512
Arizona
LAKE HAVASU CITY
London Bridge Days
OCT. 22-28
Celebration of all things English in the town with the reconstructed 1831 London Bridge, brought over in 1971. Activities take place in a replica English village. (520) 453-3444
<www.arizonaguide.com/cities/lakehavasu/london.html>
TEMPE
29th Annual Way Out West
Oktoberfest
OCT. 5-7
Serving up polka, bratwurst and beer with a little salsa on the side — a salute to Tempe’s sister city of Regensburg, Germany. (480)350-8181
Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK
Historic Arkansas Museum
GRAND OPENING APRIL 28
In this re-created neighborhood, costumed actors portray 1800s Arkansas frontier life. (501) 324-9351
HELENA
King Biscuit Blues Festival
OCT. 4-6
Experience the Delta Blues at the source — the 1940s “King Biscuit Time” radio show.
California
LEBEC
Civil War Battle Re-Enactments
MAY 20, JUNE 17, JULY 15, AUG. 19, SEPT. 16, OCT. 21
Re-enactments and living history at Fort Tejon State Historical Park. (661) 248-6692
SANTA BARBARA
Madonnari Italian Street Painting
Festival
MAY 26-28
Italian street art (chalk paintings) graces the pavement, courtesy of local artists. With live music and an Italian market.
Old Spanish Days
AUG. 1-5
This Spanish and Mexican heritage festival has been celebrated since 1924. (805) 962-8101 <www.oldspanishdaysfiesta.org>
LOS ANGELES
Nisei Week
AUG. 4-12
This Little Tokyo festival, one of the oldest Japanese-American events, features a Nisei reunion and cultural activities. (213) 687-7193
SAN DIEGO
Cabrillo Festival
SEPT. 23-30
Enjoy a weeklong festival and re-enactment of the 1542 discovery of San Diego Bay by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. (619) 232-3101
Colorado
COLORADO SPRINGS
Indian-Spanish Market
JUNE 22-24
Native American and Hispanic artists show and sell their work, along with entertainment, demonstrations, and native and ethnic foods. (719) 634-5581
DURANCO
Durango Cowboy Gathering
OCT. 4-7
Connecticut
RIDGEFIELD
Keeler Tavern Museum
THROUGH DECEMBER, TOURS WEDNESDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY
Costumed guides lead tours. See the British cannonball embedded in the building’s exterior from a 1777 battle. (203) 438-5485
MYSTIC
Antique and Classic Boat Rendezvous
JULY 28-29
Witness a parade of pre-1950s wooden yachts; most date from the ‘ 20s and ‘ 40s, some back to the 1890s. (860) 572-5315
Delaware
WILMINGTON
Civil War Weekend
MAY 26-27
Participate in battle reenactments and other Civil War activities. (302) 577-3534
DOVER
Positively Dover
JUNE 23
District of Columbia
Festival of American Folklife
JUNE 27-JULY 8 (CLOSED JULY 2-3)
This year’s huge multicultural fest on the National Mall will spotlight Bermuda and New York City. (202)275-1150
Florida
JACKSONVILLE
Kuumba Festival
MAY 26-27
African culture festival features a parade, art exhibits, music, performances and food. This year’s fest explores the African-American/Native American relationship and the Buffalo Soldiers. (904) 353-2270
PENSACOLA
Fiesta of Five Flags Celebrations
MAY 31-JUNE 10
One of the state’s oldest and largest festivals honors Spanish Conquistador Don Tristan de Luna, who founded Pensacola in 1559. (800) 874-1234
Georgia
LUMPKIN
Fair of 1850 at Westville
OCT. 11-Nov. 11
Learn about pre-industrial Southern life at this living history museum. (888) 733-1850
ROME
Heritage Holidays
OCT. 17-21
Five-day celebration features historic tours and family fun. (800) 444-1834
Hawaii
Aloha Week Festivals
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER
The Hawaiian cultural festival starts at Honolulu, and each island takes one week thereafter.
Idaho
BOISE
Museum Comes to Life at the Idaho
Historical Museum
SEPT. 29
Illinois
FULTON
Dutch Days
MAY 4-5
Dance in wooden shoes, lend a hand with street scrubbing and sample Dutch cuisine. (815) 589-2691
ST. CHARLES
Flavors of Greece
MAY 25-27
Indiana
FORT WAYNE
Johnny Appleseed Festival
SEPT. 15-16
Celebrate the early 1800s, when John Chapman (“Johnny Appleseed”) roamed the frontier planting apple orchards, at the park where his grave is located. (219) 471-8941
WEST LAFAYETTE
Feast of the Hunters’ Moon
OCT. 13-14
Relive the 18th-century gatherings by Native Americans and French settlers at Fort Ouiatenon, a fur-trading outpost. See the nearby Tippecanoe Battleground, too.
Iowa
PELLA
Pella Tulip Time Festival
MAY 10-12
Experience this authentic Dutch celebration in a town blooming with tradition. (641) 628-4311
DECORAH
Nordic Fest
JULY 26-28
Celebrate Norwegian pride with an elvelopet race, parades and a lute-fisk-eating contest. (800) 382-FEST
Kansas
KANSAS CITY
Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center
YEAR-ROUND, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 12-5 P.M.
Visit this 1887 mansion and Eastern European ethnic museum. (913) 371-3264
<kckansas.com/kckstrawberryhill.htm>
LARNED
Santa Fe Trail Center
YEAR-ROUND, CLOSED MONDAYS LABOR DAY-MEMORIAL DAY
The museum and surrounding historic attractions include Fort Larned and Sibley’s Camp. (620) 285-2054
Kentucky
HARRODSBURC
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
YEAR-ROUND
Peruse Shaker crafts and artisan demonstrations and tour historic buildings. (800) 734-5611
ELIZABETHTOWN
(and nearby along I-65)
Historic Walking Tour
JUNE-SEPTEMBER, THURSDAYS AT 7 P.M.
This living history town, north of Lincoln’s Boyhood Home and the Lincoln Museum on I-65, features a walking tour led by “General Custer” and “Carrie Nation.” (800) 437-0092
Louisiana
KAPLAN
Bastille Day
JULY 14
The oldest (1906) US celebration of Bastille Day features French cuisine and festivities. (800) 334-8626
NATCHITOCHES
Pilgrimage of Historic Homes and Plantations
OCT. 13-14
Tour French, Spanish and Creole houses and plantations, including the home of author Kate Chopin, in the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase Territory. (800) 259-1714
Maine
LlVERMORE
Norlands Strawberry Festival
JUNE 23
Eat strawberry shortcake, hear Native American storytelling and see Norlands Living History Center’s historic buildings. Daily tours June 30-Labor Day. (207) 897-4366
MILLINOCKET
Wooden Canoe Festival
AUG. 17-19
Celebrating the history of canoe making.
Maryland
CHESTERTOWN
Chestertown Tea Party Festival
MAY 26
Tea (and sometimes crew members) gets thrown into the Chester River by costumed colonists.(410) 778-0416
<www.chestertown.com/events/teaparty/>
BALTIMORE
Star-Spangled Banner Weekend
SEPT. 8-9
Participate in a mock bombardment of Fort McHenry, former home of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” then stay to celebrate Defenders’ Day on Sept. 12.
Massachusetts
PLYMOUTH
Plimoth Plantation
YEAR-ROUND
Ancestors come over on the Mayflower? This museum and village re-create the Pilgrims’ life with costumed interpreters. (508) 746-1622
BOSTON
Paul Revere Tonight
JULY-OCT., THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHTS
“Paul Revere” recounts his Revolutionary War role at the Old North Church. (617) 523-6676
Michigan
FRANKENMUTH
Bavarian Festival
JUNE 7-10
Costumes, maypole, polka and more at this German heritage fest. (517) 652-8155
<www.bavarianinn.com/festival.html>
MACKINAC ISLAND
Lilac Festival
JUNE 8-17
Victorian-era community hosts several events when the trees bloom. Cars have never been allowed here, so there’s a horse-drawn parade. (800) 4-LILACS
Minnesota
Festival of Nations
MAY 3-6
Largest multi-cultural expo in Minnesota showcases St. Paul’s ethnic diversity. (651) 647-0191
Scottish Country Fair
MAY 5
Macalester College hosts a day of kilts and Scottish heritage, including the nation’s largest Highland Games. (651) 696-6239
Mississippi
BILOXI
Jefferson Davis’ Birthday Celebration
JUNE 3
Celebrate your Dixie roots at this period celebration with character actors and cake at Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis home and presidential library. (800)570-3818
Missouri
HERMANN
Maifest
MAY 19-20
German folklore, songs, music and food greet the blossoming of spring in this historic town. (800) 932-8687 <www.hermannmo.com/tourism>
SAINT CHARLES
Lewis & Clark Heritage Days
MAY 19-20
Authentic re-enactment of the Lewis & Clark encampment in 1804, where the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase started. (800) 366-2427
Montana
GREAT FALLS
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center
YEAR-ROUND; CLOSED MONDAY AFTER OCT. 1
Take a guided tour or explore as they did — on your own. (406) 727-8733 <www.fs.fed.us/n/lewisclark/lcic.htm>
VIRGINIA CITY AND NEVADA CITY
Summer Theater
MAY-SEPTEMBER
The Virginia City Players act out a 19th-century mining melodrama nightly. Also find gold panning and period buildings at these sites, between Butte and Yellowstone. (800) 829-2969
Nebraska
NORTH PLATTE NEBRASKAland DAYS
JUNE 8-19
Celebrate Nebraska’s western heritage with events including the “Frontier Revue,” which showcases the West in song and dance.
WlLBER
National Czech Festival
AUG. 3-5
This festival celebrates the contributions of Czech immigrants and Czech culture with polka, costumes, food and a gathering of relatives of the town founder, Professor C.D. Wilber. (888) 4-WILBER
Nevada
ELKO
National Basque Festival
JULY 6-8
Log-tossing, merriment and plenty of Basque food. (775) 738-3295
New Hampshire
PORTSMOUTH
Portsmouth Harbour Trail
JULY-OCTOBER, THURSDAY-MONDAY 10:30 A.M. AND 5:30 P.M. (1:30 P.M. ON SUNDAYS) Take a guided walking or bus tour through the 378-year-old town. (603) 436-3988
<www.seacoastnh.com/harbourtrail/>
CANTERBURY
Mother Ann Day
AUGUST 5
Canterbury Shaker Village marks a traditional holiday: the arrival of Ann Lee, the mother of American Shakerism. (603) 783-9511
New Jersey
HOLMDEL
Polish Heritage Festival
JUNE 3
A large gathering featuring food, music, polka and all things Polish.
TlTUSVILLE
Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware
DEC. 25
Recapture your Revolutionary roots: Costumed actors re-enact the crossing, posing like the Emanuel Leutze painting, right down to the anachronistic 13-star flag. The state park here is also open year-round. (609) 737-0623
New Mexico
SANTA FE
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
YEAR-ROUND
Exhibits and events showcase the cultures of local Native American communities. (505) 827-6463
Fiesta de Santa Fe
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
The fiesta dates to 1712, and commemorates the early history of Santa Fe. (505) 988-7575
WATROUS
Cultural Encounters on the Santa Fe Trail
JULY 28-29
Performers, military reenactors and demonstrators re-create the Santa Fe Trail and Fort Union in the mid-1800s. (505) 425-8025
New York
CAPE VINCENT
Cape Vincent French Festival
JULY 14-15
French food and a parade at the scenic spot where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. (315) 654-2481
HEMPSTEAD
Long Island Carnival
SEPT. 8
Watch the parade and join in street activities that showcase Caribbean culture.
NEW YORK CITY
Pulaski Day
OCT. 7
More than 100,000 Polish-Americans march up Fifth Avenue. (201) 436-9800
North Carolina
LINVILLE
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering O’ Scottish Clans
JULY 12-15
Among the largest Scottish events in America. (828) 733-1333
ASHEVILLE
Mountain Dance and Folk Festival
AUG. 2-4
This folk and dance fest dates to 1928 and celebrates southern Appalachian culture. (888) 247-9811
North Dakota
Ukrainian Festival
JULY 20-22
Features Ukrainian food, arts and crafts, music and the Stepovi Dity Ukrainian dancers. (701) 225-1286
MOUNTAIN
Icelandic August 2nd Celebration
AUG. 3-5
Celebrate Icelandic culture and heritage with food, music and cultural exchanges. (701) 993-8282
Ohio
DUBLIN
Dublin Irish Festival
AUG. 3-5
Visit the genealogy exhibit and enjoy step-dance performances and concerts. (614) 410-4400
CINCINNATI
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
SEPT. 15-16
Have a beer and a brat at this downtown street festival — the nation’s largest Oktoberfest.
<www.oktoberfest-zinzinnati.com>
MlDDLETOWN
Middfest
OCT. 5-7
This international culture festival showcases a different nationality each year. (513) 425-7707
Oklahoma
LAWTON
Cow Culture Celebration
JUNE 9
Experience camp-wagon cooking with 1870s re-enactors and vendors, as well as cowboy music and poetry. (580) 581-3460
TAHLEQUAH
Cherokee National Holiday
AUG. 31-SEPT. 3
Oregon
BAKER CITY
National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
YEAR-ROUND
Exhibits and re-enactments portray life on the Oregon Trail. (See page 52.) (541) 523-1843
JOSEPH
Chief Joseph Days
JULY 26-29
Enjoy a weekend of Native American-themed events honoring the great chief at the Wallowa County Museum. (800) 585-4121
Pennsylvania
GETTYSBURG
Gettysburg Civil War Heritage Days
JUNE 22-24 AND JUNE 28-JULY 8 The main events take place July 6-8, when Gettysburg holds a huge re-enactment of the historic Civil War battle. (717) 334-6274
SUMMIT STATION
Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival
JUNE 30-JULY 8
Celebrate with the Pennsylvania Dutch by sampling local food and crafts or watching an Amish wedding. (215) 679-9610
Rhode Island
NEWPORT
Touro Synagogue
YEAR-ROUND
The oldest synagogue in the United States, built in 1763, offers tours to visitors. The active congregation also holds open services. (401) 847-4794
PROVIDENCE
Benefit Street
YEAR-ROUND
Experience the “Mile of History” and visit colonial homes. (800)233-1636
BRISTOL
216th Annual Bristol Civic, Military and Fireman’s Parade
JULY 4
South Carolina
COLUMBIA
Jubilee: Festival of Heritage
AUG. 17-18
Large celebration of African-American heritage with food, crafts and entertainment. (803) 252-7742
CHARLESTON
Plantation Days
SATURDAYS IN NOVEMBER
Low-country period crafts and other demonstrations take place in and around Middleton Place, a preserved 18th-century plantation. (800) 782-3608
South Dakota
<www.travelsd.com> Sioux FALLS
Nordland Fest
JUNE l6
Augustana College hosts a celebration of Norwegian heritage; come prepared to eat lutefisk (lye-cured cod). (605) 274-4613
CUSTER
Cold Discovery Days
JULY 26-29
This festival includes a carnival, arts and crafts show, parade and more. (605) 673-2244
GEDDES
Fur Trader Days and Antique Tractor Pull
AUG. 11-12
Tennessee
Historic Collinsville
MAY 15-OCT. 15
This living history museum features restored log houses from 1830-1870 and tour guides in period costumes. (931) 648-9141
<www.historiccollinsville.com>
OAK RIDGE
Fabulous Forties Celebration
MAY 18-20
Relive the birth of the atomic era and remember your ancestors in the “greatest generation” at the A.K. Bissell Park and Civic Center. (865) 482-7821
KNOXVILLE
Davy Crockett’s Birthday
AUG. 11
The East Tennessee Historical Society Museum celebrates the birthday of the area’s favorite son. Put on your coonskin cap and come visit the home of the “King of the Wild Frontier.” (865)215-8824
<www.east-tennessee-history.org>;
Texas
SAN ANTONIO
Texas Folklife Festival
JUNE 7-10
After visiting the Alamo, check out this festival and museum dedicated to 27 ethnic and cultural groups that played roles in Texas history. Sponsored by the Institute of Texan Cultures, this is the 30th annual festival. (210) 458-2390
<www.texancultures.utsa.edu/new/tff/tff.htm>
CALDWELL
Kolache Festival
SEPT. 8
Celebrate Czech heritage with food, basket weaving, fine arts, crafts, music, dancing and genealogy. (979) 567-3218
Utah
SALT LAKE CITY
Days of’ 47
JULY 24
This date commemorates the 1847 arrival of Mormon pioneers. Events feature a rodeo and parade, and pioneer activities are held in surrounding rural communities. (801) 560-0047
WELLSVILLE
Festival of the American West
JULY 27-AUG. 4
Events celebrate the late-1800s pioneer and Native American cultures. Sponsored by the American West Heritage Center. (800) 225-3378
Vermont
MIDDLEBURY
Vermont Folklife Center
YEAR-ROUND
Explore gallery exhibits of folk arts and the oral history and folklife archive. (802) 388-4964
<www.vermontfolklifecenter.org>
WOODSTOCK
Billings Farm & Museum
APRIL 28-OcT. 31, MAIN SEASON;
SELECTED WEEKENDS IN WINTER
Experience Vermont’s rural heritage and tour this historic and still-operational dairy farm. (802) 457-2355
Virginia
MANASSAS
Heritage Festival
MAY 18-20
The Prince William County Genealogical Society sponsors a weekend of African-American, Native American and 18th-century heritage, re-enactments, antique appraisals, Smithsonian seminars and more at the Ben Lomond Manor House and Antique Rose Garden. (888) 927-9247
APPOMATTOX
An Evening Stroll through
Old Appomattox
MEMORIAL DAY-LABOR DAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY EVENINGS
Join a living history interpreter on a walking tour of the area where the Civil War came to a close. (540) 992-1866
<www.appomattox.com/html/livinghistory.html>
NEWPORT NEWS
Children’s Civil War Camps and Miss Sallie’s Academy
FIVE FOUR-DAY CAMPS FROM JUNE-AUGUST
Send your boys and girls ages 8-12 back in time at Endview Plantation. (757) 887-1862
Washington
WENATCHEE
Gathering of Tribes
MAY 18-20
This Native American cultural heritage festival features music, dancing, drumming, arts and crafts, storytelling and kids’ activities. (509) 664-3340 or (509) 664-3345
SEATTLE
Bumbershoot
AUG. 31-SEPT. 3
This multicultural arts festival is the largest on the West Coast, featuring comedians, dancers, painters, poets, sculptors, acrobats, filmmakers, bookbinders, DJs, thespians and musicians of every genre.
West Virginia
SUMMERSVILLE
Civil War Weekend
SEPT. 8-9
Two-day program features re-enactors portraying 1861 camp life and, on Sunday, a re-enactment of the Battle of Carnifex Ferry. (304) 872-0825
<www.wvparks.com/carnifexferrybattlefield/>
WINFIELD
Mary Draper Ingles Living History Trail and Rendezvous
SEPT. 29-30
This event at the Weiford Settlement follows a portion of a noted pioneer woman’s 1755 journey to escape Shawnee captors. The weekend festival is preceded by a weeklong encampment of Shawnee and buckskinners in full 18th-century regalia. (304) 562-0518
<putnamcounty.org/tourism/events.html>
Wisconsin
EPHRAIM
Fyr Bal Fest
JUNE 15-17
Join in this celebration of Swedish and Norwegian heritage with traditional Scandinavian events. (920) 854-4989
NEW GLARUS
Heidi Festival
JUNE 15-17
“America’s Little Switzerland” celebrates its heritage with food, street dancing and the 37th annual performance of Johanna Spyri’s play, “Heidi.” (800) 527-6838
Wyoming
CHEYENNE
Cheyenne Frontier Days
JULY 20-29
The festival attracts more than 300,000 to one of the largest rodeos and celebrations of frontier heritage. (800) 227-6336
And Don’t Miss…
• Amistad
The replica 19th-century “freedom schooner,” with educational exhibits, sails from port to port along the East Coast before returning to its home port in Mystic, Conn. (203) 499-3894
• Civil War Discovery Trail
FIND IT ON THE WEB
These sites list more living history events and festivals:
• History Channel Traveler
• Worldwide Holiday & Festival Site
• Library of Congress Local Legacies Project
<www.loc.gov/bicentennial/legacies.html>
For links to history museums and historical societies worldwide, see <www.musee-online.org>.
ON THE BOOKSHELF
• Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, 2nd edition, edited by Helene Henderson and Sue Ellen Thompson (Omnigraphics)
• Main Street Festivals: Traditional and Unique Events on America’s Main Streets by Amanda B. West (John Wiley & Sons)
Up North
Canada has many historic festivals and attractions, and we couldn’t possibly list them all. Here’s a sampling, but you can find many more at provincial tourism bureaus and <www.travelcanada.ca>:
OTTAWA ONTARIO
Wind Odyssey: Sound and Light on Parliament Hill
MAY 16-SEPT. 3
New sound and light show takes you from coast to coast, tracing the growth of Canada. (800)465-1867 <www.capcan.ca/english/soundandlight/>
CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
The Charlottetown Festival
MAY 30-OCT. 13
Includes “Anne of Green Gables — The Musical,” Canada’s longest running family musical. (800) 565-0278
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
Canada Day
JULY 1
Hundreds of thousands gather in the capital area to celebrate the nation’s birthday. (800)465-1867
CALGARY, ALBERTA
Calgary Stampede
JULY 6-15
More than a million people relive the Old West at this famous festival. This year marks the 80th running of the Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon The 1998 cast of “Anne of Green Gables — The Musical.”
Races. (800)661-1260
<www.discovercalgary.com/calgarystampede/>
DAUPHIN, MANITOBA
Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival
AUG. 3-5
Features music, dancing, cultural demonstrations, workshops and competitions, at the base of Riding Mountain National Park at Selo Ukraina. (204) 622-4600
EDMONTON, ALBERTA
Edmonton Heritage Festival
AUG. 4-6
Billed as the world’s largest celebration of cultural diversity. (780) 488-3378
DAWSON CITY, YUKON
Great Klondike International Outhouse Race
SEPT. 2
Get a taste of the lighter side of gold fever with this wacky race featuring festooned outhouses. (867) 993-5575
From the June 2001 issue of Family Tree Magazine
ADVERTISEMENT
