Festival Fun!

In small towns across America the late spring and summer months are marked by festivals and farmers markets. I like these small town festivals because I think they give us a small chance to, as Peggy would remind us, "stop and smell the roses" or as Katie posted the other day "live for the moment". Without having to venture too far from home we can be transported into another place with carnival games, rides, street vendors and food on a stick.

This weekend is "Main Street Days" here in Grapevine, Texas. It is raining again here today so Bal and I made it our goal to get to the festival last night. I checked with my boss and he let me leave work at 4 so that I could get Lily and get to the festival. Bal and I met and parked at a local children's park and walked into the festival

(rather than paying the ten dollars to park close by).

Then we spent the next few hours roaming Main Street and taking in the sights, sounds and smells. Around every corner were amazing street vendors many of whom would fit right into our creative community. At major intersections there were opportunities to try your hand at riding a bucking bronco, scuba

diving, kayaking and more. We stopped to let Lily explore the petting zoo (she clung tightly to me the entire time) and bounce in the bounce house for a few minutes before we continued on our tour. As we reached the one end of the festival we came across two vendors one with soft serve ice cream and one with chocolate covered frozen bananas. Since it was 88 degrees in Grapevine yesterday these vendors were doing bang up business and the Snow clan contributed. $10 later and Bal was enjoying his ice cream treat while Lily munched happily on a frozen banana.

By the time we left the festival I was feeling like we had gotten a taste of summer, had enjoyed a nice slow evening as a family and had let Lily truly be a kid. It was a ton of fun and I've got pictures to prove it:

But this isn't all about the festival in my town. No, I've taken some time this morning to research some fun festivals coming to YOUR town. So hang tight.

Peggy and Cristine and any other Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin readers:

How about hitting the Naperville Ribfest over the 4th of July? Boasting the "best barbeque you'll ever taste" and "fun for every age" it might just be the way to spend your holiday.

Maureen and other New York, New Jersey readers:

It looked like a great option for you is action in early September for the National Estuaries Day "Little Neck Bay Festival". Join the community at Alley Pond Park for games, crafts, canoe rides and more.

Kat and other Arkansas readers:

Seems like you have a fun festival happening this week as well with Crawdad Days in Harrison, AR. Held the third weekend of May on the banks of Lake Harrison and in historic downtown and boasts, "hot music, hot cars, hot food, hot fun!" Sounds like it!

Chaotic and other South Texas readers:

How about checking out the Kyle, Texas "Fair on the Square" in early September?

Held at Gregg-Clarke park it has a BBQ cook-off, parade, arts, crafts, food and a WHOLE LOT MORE!

Cassie, Robin, Stacie, Melanie and other Louisville readers:

You all, I'm sure know the fun of the St. James Art Fair but we are talking summer fun. So, how about checking out the Locust Grove Family Picnic? This fun event is June 14th and costs only $5 for a carload of people and you can enjoy all of great food along with bluegrass music, and watching "slow" crafters spinning, weaving, making pottery, soap, rughooking and so much more!

Brian and the Pennsylvania crowd:

It seems like your best bet for festival fun is to scoot on over to West Virginia to Fairview for "Mayhem on the Mountain" a fun music festival located in Indian Meadows Campground. It's an overnight event so gather up your friends and camp out while enjoying the summer music fun the last weekend of May.

Tera, Treye and all the Cleveland/Erie folks:

Evidently the Great Lakes is the place to be for summer festival fun. The website I found says nearly every weekend there is a festival to attend. The one that looked the most exciting to me was the "Hessler Street Festival" held in late May. With the normal festival activities they say that patrons literally are dancing in the street. But you can also check out Great American Ribfest, Twin Fest (a festival of twins), 185th Slavic Street Festival and a whole slew of others.

Alright, so now you have NO excuses not to have some summer festival fun. I've given you the scoop in your area but...I'm sure that you living there no so much more. So chime in today and give the scoop on what festival folks in your area should be attending and why.

Have a happy Saturday.

Signing off until Monday...