Top 15 Summer Events of 2013
Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland OR, June - Early Nov
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, a stunning showcase of pantaloons and farthingales, draws 400,000 visitors. The action centers on the Elizabethan stage, an eye-popping ode to the playwright's Globe Theatre.
Your theater weekend doesn't have to extract a pound of flesh--Read up on Ashland on the cheap.
SFJazz Summerfest, Palo Alto and San Francisco, CA, June 14 - Oct 10
Get ready for all the funky, soulful, smooth music you can handle. At SFJazz Summerfest, top local musicians from the Bay area delight crowds every Thursday for ten weeks at a time in three separate locations. In past years, greats like the Scott Amendola quartethave played.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO, June 20-23
Mornings at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival begin with a blast of bagpipes, as campers flood the gates in a landgrab. Roughing it does have its advantages, though: Fingerpickers like Tim O'Brien are known to sneak into the campgrounds for fireside jams.
Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, NM, Jun 28 - Aug 24
The Santa Fe Opera will host soprano Amanda Echalaz inToscathis season. Means nothing to you? The in-seat translation screen should come in handy.
North American Indian Days, Browning, MT, July 11-14
Take in one of the largest Blackfeet tribal events in Native American culture. From every region in the United States and Canada, Native Americans come to share their heritage and perform traditional drumming, dancing contests, and more. If you're lucky, you might even get to hide out in an authentic teepee.
Cheyenne Frontier Days, Cheyenne, WY, Jul 19-28
Cheyenne Frontier Days has been rippin' and snortin' since 1897. Days start with pancakes and end with a rock or country show. In between: all manner of bucking broncos, bull riders, historical reenactments, and carnival rides.
US Open of Surfing, Huntington Beach, CA, July 20-28
Grab your board and head to the beach for this year's annual US Open of Surfing. You'll see some of the gnarliest tricks on the waves. For hopeful surfers trying to reach the elite World Tours through the Association of Surfing Professionals, this event is a must.
Read more about surfing in Huntington Beach
Pioneer Days at This Is The Place Heritage Park, Salt Lake City, UT, July 24
History buffs get a taste of the olden days when the Mormon pioneers officially arrived in Salt Lake City in the 1800's. Go back in time and enjoy some of the same activities the pioneers had for entertainment such as foot races, games, and crafts. The day ends with a ceremonial bang from the famous Candy Cannon.
Oregon Brewers Festival, Portland, OR, July 24-28
Raise a pint to one of the nation's longest running and most popular beer festivals. With over eighty craft breweries from all over the country serving more than 70,000 attendees during the event, it's a beer-lovers' heaven. Even the little ones can join the fun and sip on a handcrafted root beer while accompanied by an adult.
More on Portland's beer scene
Copper River Wild! Salmon Festival, Cordova, AK, July 26-27
Join the rustic fishing community in the heart of Prince William Sound as they celebrate a beloved Alaskan staple. Highlights include live music, arts and crafts, and a tasty salmon barbecue on Saturday night.
Read our guide to the 49th state
Outside Lands, San Francisco, CA, Aug 9-11
At Outside Lands, the pinkie on the rock-on salute is hoisted for high culture. There's plenty of music, but also 100 high-end eats and wineries throughout Golden Gate Park. A couple years back they repurposed a 1920s sink to pour wine. A light red with your Jack White?
Need a break to let your ears stop ringing?Day-trip options abound.
Denver County Fair, Denver, CO, Aug 9-11
Marvel at the elegant cake displays or take a chance on a Tarot reading at one of the eleven different pavilions set up on the Denver fair grounds. Kids are sure to love the carnival sideshow, and entertaining live music. As for us, we're most excited about the best moustache and beard competition.
Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, NV, Aug 26 - Sep 2
This is why you came West: freedom. You want to be able to get naked, do drugs, set up a booth where you can smell other people's armpits. Or at least see other people do that stuff. At Burning Man, see what happens when 50,000 people set up a city in the remote, lifeless, cell-phone-service-free, playa of Nevada's Black Rock Desert over Labor Day and then take it down. You want to see freaks. And if you don't, then maybe you belong back in New England, thrilling to the surprise of discovering what people brought to your church potluck.
More on Burning Man
Hatch Chile Festival, Hatch, NM, Aug 31 - Sep 1
Like it hot? Learn everything you could ever want to know about New Mexico's spiciest crop at the annual Hatch Chile Festival. Sample famed chile recipes, toss a horseshoe in celebration, and practice your wave for the crowning of the Chile Festival Queen.
Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, Seattle, WA, Aug 31 - Sep 2
Bumbershoot is the largest urban arts festival in North America. Yet it still feels like a neighborhood bazaar. Skate parks become galleries. Fire dancers work the caffeinated crowd. And nights end to the throb of a DJ. All within the shadow of the Space Needle.
