Top U.S. Festivals & Fairs Fill The Air

NORWALK, Conn. - Aug. 23, 2006 &ndas; The aroma of corn dogs, candied apples, and funnel cakes is filling the air, as visions of racing pigs, biggest watermelon and best pie recipe dance through the head - Midway madness has arrived in the American heartland, and the experts at Travelers Advantage are raising the big-top on the best, most unique and most popular festivals and fairs across the land.

Festival fever is striking travelers eager to explore new and interesting cultures. Four in 10 (41 percent) U.S. adult travelers attended a festival and/or fair in the past year, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. This translates to an estimated 59.5 million U.S. adults. Specifically, one in five (20 percent) past-year travelers (28.9 million adults) say they attended a heritage, ethnic, or folk festival or fair. About one third (31 percent) of past-year travelers (45.8 million adults) attended another type of festival or fair, such as a state or county fair or arts and crafts fair.

"As the state fair and festival season opens, travelers can experience a wealth of sights, sounds, tastes and thrills that make up the unique - and diverse - culture of America." said Leslie Downey, director of communication, Travelers Advantage and TravelersAdvantage.com. "Vacationers can add spice to their life at a crab and seafood festival, add zest with an ode to lemons or visit the one of the most popular fairs in the land - The Texas State Fair."

Whatever your fair fancy, here are the tops from the experts at Travelers Advantage:
Top 5 Festivals:

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival, Oct. 7-8, Port Angeles, Wash.  ... The most famous festival and celebration of crustaceans around.  The 5th annual event celebrates the Olympic Coast’s seafood bounty, with such rich traditions as the Grab a Crab Tank Derby, where you can catch, cook and eat the famous crustaceans.  This festival’s bounty includes crab cakes, crab rolls, and everything else crab.  Also sample other ocean delectables such as oysters, wild salmon, mussels, clams and more.

Beaver Creek Popcorn Festival, Sept. 9-10, Beavercreek, Ohio ... Bring your butter and enjoy 200 booths that celebrate the delicacy of popcorn.  In addition to popcorn, there are other festival foods to tantalize the tastebuds, as well as arts and crafts to enjoy.

Ava Gardner Fest, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, Smithfield, N.C.  ... this annual soiree celebrates the legendary actress and movie star and the arts she loved, including films, live jazz, art and fine crafts This year’s festival will include a special exhibit featuring costumes from her award winning film “Mogambo.” The costumes - worn by Gardner, Grace Kelly and Clark Gable - are part of the $50 million dollar collection owned by actress Debbie Reynolds. Reynolds’ collection of more than 3,500 costumes and motion picture artifacts is the largest private collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world.

Miami Hong Kong Dragon Boat Racing Festival, May 5, 2007 ... experience the second-fastest growing outdoor sport in the world, along with other Asian infused culture including Chinese dragon and lion dancing, a Polynesian Asian Pacific show, Royal Thai Dance performances, martial arts demonstrations and Caribbean Isle steel bands.

Lemon Fest, Sept. 9-10, Ventura, Calif. ... Get caught up in the zest fest!  This celebration pays homage to the star of California’s thriving citrus industry, and honors its rich agricultural past.  There’s pie eating and Lemonhead candy spitting contests, a reptile show, cooking demonstrations and community performances.  Grab the lemonade, and refresh yourself with this tart fest!

State Fair of Texas, Sept. 29-Oct. 22… Everything is big in Texas, and the state fair, which began in 1886, is no exception. With more than three million people in attendance, check out the daily Running of the Pigs races, livestock shows, live entertainment, and more than 70 rides. Don't miss Big Tex, the icon of the fair, who stands 52 feet above the crowd, sporting size 70 boots and a 75-gallon hat.

Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 24-Sept. 4… Check out talent contests, daily high school band competitions and parades, talent contests, music stars such as Bonnie Raitt, Rascal Flatts, The Steve Million Band, Poison, Alan Jackson, Amy Grant, and a 5K Milk Run.

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Feb. 27 to March 18, 2007 …the other big Texas fair on the grounds of Reliant Stadium, home to the NFL Houston Texans, hosts the World Championship Bar-B-Que contest, downtown rodeo parade, trail rides, and more. Scamper over to the petting zoo; agricultural exhibits such as the milking parlor, egg hatching station and the bee exhibit; and acres of cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, and even llamas. Rides are also featured in the carnival section.

Western Washington State Fair, Sept. 8-24… Catch the 25th Annual All Arabian Horse Show, rides, animal exhibits, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a star-studded music line-up featuring Third Day, The Beach Boys, Carrie Underwood, Anna Nalick, Hilary Duff, Kenny Rogers and more.

L.A. County Fair, Sept. 9-Oct. 12; Check out the Wines of the World competition; pie eating contests; live entertainment; a dazzling carnival; Sportsfest, which celebrates the history of sports in America; a showcase of entertainment, education, exhibits, horticulture, arts, agriculture, horse racing, and more. It hosts more than one million visitors each year, and began in 1948.


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