ARIZONA
The Big Heap Vintage & Handmade Festival
June 21–22 — “Cool Junk in the Cool Pines”—this juried event in Flagstaff features the most exciting vintage furniture and décor, fashion, adornment, and hand-wrought and hand-rendered items in the West. The focus is on style. This is not a flea market, not an antique show nor a craft show. The Big Heap will support you with the raw elements to make your own unique statement in your home, your garden and in the way you express yourself. More than 150 vendors will be on hand. Held at the Coconino County Fairgrounds, admission is $3 at the door—kids under 12 free. Visit TheBigHeap.com for more information.
Arizona Highland Celtic Festival
July 19–20 — Held at Foxglenn Park in Flagstaff, this year’s festival sponsored by the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society will feature live entertainment by Cinnamon Twist, the Knockabouts, Runa, and The Wicked Tinkers. There will be competitions and demonstrations in bagpipe (band and solo), highland dance, Scottish athletics, and tug o’ war.
Workshops on Celtic music, whisky tasting, and Celtic labyrinths are included, along with authentic reenactments from The Highland Rogues and C.R.O.F.T. Beer, wine and spirits will be sold at the event. The Celtic Kids Corner features an oatmeal toss for oopy goopy fun for the kids. There will be displays and exhibits on Celtic societies, plants and spirits of Celtic regions, and Scottish clans, as well as a genealogy research tent. Visit nachs.info or call 928-556-3161.
CALIFORNIA
Gilroy Garlic Festival
July 25–27 — Sharing extraordinary garlic-enhanced recipes with visitors from across the globe, Gourmet Alley and its pyro chefs have become the heart of America’s premier summertime food event. Gourmet Alley, with over 60 food and beverage vendors, offers an array of delicacies that include stuffed mushrooms, pepper steak sandwiches, BBQ oysters, pasta con pesto, Cajun calamari, scampi, garlic sautéed mussels, garlic steak tacos, artichokes, Italian sausage sandwiches and garlic fries. You can even try garlic ice cream for free. And with three stages and several groups of strolling musicians, you are never far away from the great sounds of jazz, rock ‘n roll, country, blues, reggae, swing and much more.
The Great Garlic Cook-Off attracts hundreds of amateur chefs from across North America for a chance to win $5,000. Only eight are chosen to compete. For garlic tips and new recipes, the Great Garlic Cook-Off Stage is the place you want to be. A children’s area is located under the tree-shaded Mulberry West section of the park that is full of spectacular rides, fun activities and more for the whole family to enjoy. Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit gilroygarlicfestival.com
COLORADO
Telluride Jazz Festival
Aug. 1–3 — By combining the finest of nature and art, the Telluride Jazz Festival ranks among the world’s most memorable music festivals. The intimate format, superb music and the opportunity for invigorating alpine recreation along with free wine and spirit tastings all come together to create a truly unique weekend experience. This year’s entertainment includes such greats as Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band, Lettuce, Dragon Smoke, Snarky Puppy, Jon Cleary, Grupo Fantasma, Claudia Villela, the Nigel Hall Band, and Red Baraat, to name a few. Camping in the Town Park Festival grounds is a short walk from the jazz stage at the confluence of Bear Creek and the San Miguel River. This is the perfect choice for festivalgoers who loves the outdoors and want to remain close to the music. It is a beautiful setting and space is limited, so make your reservation early. Visit telluridejazz.org/telluride/camping.
OREGON
DuneFest
July 30–Aug 3 — The five-day DuneFest in Winchester Bay is filled with exciting and fun adult and kid activities for all skill and age ranges. Moto sport events such as an adult/kid toilet paper tag race, side-by-side/ATV last man standing, and Winchester Bay quadcross are just a few of the scheduled events. With a tire toss, freestyle shows, a treasure hunt, sand drags, UTV/ATV pull off, a charity auction, poker run, live music on Friday and Saturday nights, a night ride through the Oregon Dunes, and monster truck and helicopter rides, there is something to please everyone. Local food vendors will be on hand. Call the Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce at (541) 271-3495 to make onsite sand and offsite camping reservations. Visit DuneFest.com.
Scandinavian Festival
Aug. 7–10 — Celebrated for the 54th time in Junction City, the festival offers a wide variety of events for the whole family. Each day’s theme is different—Norwegian Day on Thursday, Swedish Day on Friday, Danish Day on Saturday, and Finnish Day on Sunday. Trolls and Vikings stroll through the streets posing for pictures and playing pranks. Three stages of live entertainment will be filled with choral and instrumental groups and authentic Scandinavian folk dancers, who perform and instruct. Informational demonstrations and presentations will take place throughout the four days of the festival. Unusual handcrafts such as hardanger embroidery, bobbin and tatted lace, and rosemaling will be displayed and sold among the paintings, woodcrafts and jewelry. Local food vendors will offer something for everyone from the aebelskivers to Viking burgers. The Oregon Microbrew & Wine Terrace and Beer Gardens will be available to satisfy anyone’s thirst. No entry fee and the entertainment is free. Visit scandinavianfestival.com.
UTAH
America’s Freedom Festival
July 3–5 — This year’s events include a Balloon Fest at Bulldog Field, a Colonial Fest at SCERA Park, Freedom Days in downtown Provo with arts, crafts, entertainment, unique food, and kids’ activities, a Grand Parade and a Freedom Run in Provo. Then with more than 15 million albums sold worldwide, six Grammy awards and countless other accolades, entertainment phenomenon Carrie Underwood will be back in Provo by popular demand—headlining Stadium of Fire 2014 on Friday, July 4, at 8 p.m. at Brigham Young University’s LaVell Edwards Stadium. The patriotic event, sponsored by America’s Freedom Festival at Provo, will also feature special performances by the cast of BYUtv’s immensely popular sketch comedy show, Studio C. J.R. Martinez, former U.S. Army soldier and winner of season 13 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, will host the show. Admission starts at $29. Visit freedomfestival.org.
Moab Music Festival
Aug. 28–Sept 8 — With 17 concerts lined up, the award-winning Moab Music Festival brings world-class musicians to stunning red rock venues around Moab for a feast of new and old chamber music, jazz with a Latin flavor, and traditional music concerts. There are even Music Hikes where you’re transported to a secret wilderness location. From there, a rigorous hike leads you to a natural setting ideal for acoustic music with guitar, violin, fiddle, pipes and flutes. It’s “music in concert with the landscape” for the outdoor enthusiast. The “Ireland in the New World” concert takes place at the stunning Red Cliffs Lodge on the Colorado River. Get ready for some jigs, reels and tender ballads for an evening of toe-tapping Celtic music performed by master musicians. One of the highlights of the festival is the Rocky Mountain Power Free Family Picnic Concert at Swanny Park on Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. Lively Celtic tunes and the vibrant music of Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda and vocalist Andrea Tierra round out the celebration. There’s something for everyone at this festival.
And just when you thought the party was over, the Musical Raft Trip starts on September 8 for a four-day/three-night experience of a lifetime, beginning with floating to the festival’s signature Grotto Concert. Continuing down the river, patrons will enjoy daily concerts by world-class artists in extraordinary settings, rafting on a serene, flat-water section, swimming, hiking and relaxing. Each day’s unique, intimate concerts may include beautiful classical chamber music as well as exuberant traditional and Celtic music. The last day and a half ends with a “splash”—an exhilarating run of the Class III and IV rapids of world-famous Cataract Canyon. At the end, you catch a scenic flight over Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River, returning to Moab late on the evening of the last day. Now that’s an adventure! Visit MoabMusicFest.org.
WASHINGTON
Ar
lington Fly-In
July 10–12 — Taking place at the Arlington Municipal Airport, this three-day celebration shares the joy of flight. Over 1,000 aircraft, including powered parachutes, home builts, classics, vintage planes and warbirds, along with 55,000 guests participate in and enjoy the festival of aerobatics, hands-on workshops, educational forums, aircraft judging and many other aviation-oriented activities. The festivities include a car show, military tank demos, a vintage plane fly-by, and air shows at 2 p.m. each day. Bi-plane rides will be available to the general public. On Friday night, there will be a hot air balloon night glow to enjoy, and live music in the main tent on Saturday night. General admission tickets are $15 for adults; children under 15 are free. For information on camping onsite, go to Arlingtonflyin.org/camping.
Sandsations
July 16–20 — This 30th annual event offers the opportunity for families and children to build sand castles and learn sand sculpture techniques from master sculptors. The masters will start their work Wednesday on Third Street in downtown Long Beach by setting up forms and filling them in. On Thursday the artists will pull the forms and begin sculpting while answering questions about their work. Meanwhile, children will have an area where they can learn the basics of sand sculpting. On Friday the sand sculptures will become detailed and finally completed.
There will be free sand sculpting lessons on the beach Friday, followed by a bonfire, s’mores and what is billed as a 30th anniversary surprise. On Saturday, the Sandsations competition on the Bolstad Approach will include prizes in categories ranging from children to professionals. For information, visit sandsationslongbeach.com.
Nikki is a writer and editor for Do It Yourself RV, RV LIFE, and Camper Report. She is based on the Oregon Coast and has traveled all over the Pacific Northwest.
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