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FESTIVALS & STUFF

AfroTrek recommended events

SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ FESTIVAL (October 10 - November 21 CA) 27th version of this gigantic festival that stays true to the genre. Every fall the Festival presents a phenomenal array of jazz concerts, from the classic to the avant-garde, gathering the legends of today and the rising stars of tomorrow in premier venues throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area. Venues include the Paramount Theatre, The Green Room, The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, and the Herbst Theatre. Originally a small-scale event known mostly in the local community, the Festival has risen to national and international prominence featuring dozens of events, including new work by some of the most creative contemporary artists, unique "Jazz on Film" presentations, family matinee concerts and other programs.

MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE (November 26 Thanksgiving Day) For 82 years the parade has marched down Broadway, but this year the parade takes a different route down 7th Avenue. The nations most famous parade continues with balloons, floats and enough marching bands to make an national Army proud!

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE NEW LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA (December 3 - 13, Havana, Cuba) The Festival sets up an annual competition in Fiction, Documentary and Animation, Opera Prima, Unproduced Script and Poster. Besides that, the programme includes a showcase of contemporary world cinema, the Industry Sector initiatives as well as meetings and seminars on issues of cultural interest, especially cinema. The Festival promotes and awards those works whose significance and artistic values contribute to enrich and reaffirm the Latin American and Caribbean cultural identity.

NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW (January 11 - 24, 2010 Detroit) With the auto industry in deep doo-doo time may be running out on this showcase of American cars. The NAIAS 2009 featured more than 50 vehicle debuts; with over 30 of those being worldwide introductions. Nearly 5,500 journalists attended NAIAS 2009 from nearly 50 countries (nearly 30 percent of the journalists were international, thus helping to spread automotive news made at NAIAS 2009 to the world). More than 650,000 visitors passed through the doors during public days. NAIAS is uniquely positioned to be four shows in one - a media preview, an industry preview, a charity preview and a public show with a 9-day run..

BARBADOS JAZZ FESTIVAL (January 1 - 17, 2010) Bringing some of the best local, national and international jazz performers to the stage at various venues in Bridgetown, this annual event is popular with jazz aficionados and attracts music fans from all over the world. Concerts take place at various venues in or close to Bridgetown and past performers have included big names such as Lionel Richie, Jill Scott and Boney James.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL (January 21 - 31, Park City UT) The seen-and-be-seen event that attracts movie stars and wannabes the world over. And though regular Janes and Joes may have some trouble getting into the celeb-studded parties around town, anyone can purchase tickets to screenings and discussion panels for as little as $10. The festival's reputation for bringing independent films to mainstream audiences is well-founded ñ Reservoir Dogs, Sex, Lies and Videotape, and Little Miss Sunshine are but three of recent note. Between screenings you can always hit the slopes of Park City ñ which is a mecca for ski bums all winter long.

JAMAICA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL (January 24 - 30, 2010) This festival puts together each year, a mix of musical genre which come together to create one musical work of art. While jazz and blues remain as the inspiration for the tone and the feel of the event, the performers are deliberatly chosen from a variety of genre, and arranged in a way that they appeal to a variety of music lovers. R & B, soul, alternative, reggae and other complementing genre come together to create the final masterpiece.

RIO DE JANEIRO CARNAVAL (February 2 - 5, 2010) Now that they have secured the 2016 Olympics Rio will really let it's hair down... if that is possible! annual celebration attracts revelers from the world over, and although the partying starts weeks prior, Carnaval is actually only a four-day event that ends the day before Ash Wednesday (known as Fat Tuesday). Dancers in exotic itsy-bitsy costumes, scantily clad bathing beauties, and carousing Cariocas (as the locals are known) hit the streets, particularly so Praca General Osorio, just two blocks from Ipanema Beach, where the Banda de Ipanema puts on its famous drag-queen parade. The culmination of Carnaval ñ the official Samba Parade that takes place at the Sambodromo downtown ñ is the celebration's highlight.

MARDI GRAS (February 2 - 5, 2010, New Orleans LA) Don some beaded necklaces (exactly how you acquire this accessory is up to you) and hit the party of all parties in the French Quarter, where colorful parades with enormous floats full of bead-tossing mascots in crazy costumes ñ and all that jazz (literally) ñ are just part of the draw. Though its reputation brings to mind shirtless debauchery (which is likely found on Bourbon Street), locals celebrate ñ fully clothed ñ along parade routes near Charles Avenue and in uptown bars. Regardless of where you party, the celebratory spirit is palpable throughout the city.

YUKON QUEST (February 6, 2021 Fairbanks AK) The Yukon Quest Trail follows historic Gold Rush and mail delivery dogsledding routes from the turn of the 20th century. Yukon Quest dog teams compete over two weeks with mushers guiding their 14 canine athletes across frozen rivers and lakes and over mountain summits in the heart of the Arctic winter through some of the most pristine wilderness remaining in North America. It drew a lot of attention when Devon Harris, a Jamaican bobsledder, participated in the 2009 edition.

WINTER & PARA OLYMPIC GAMES (February 12 - 28, 2010 & March 12 - 21, 2010 Vancouver) Your next opportunity to purchase tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will take place in mid-2009. An open invitation for everyone to share in the Olympic and Paralympic journey, to find and step up to their own podium. Whistler is the Host Mountain Resort of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains offer world-class skiing facilities, including new Olympic and Paralympic venues, an intimate, pedestrian-friendly village and a community pride that welcomes spectators, skiers and lovers of winter activities.

SOUTH BEACH FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL (February 25 - 28 2010, Miami Beach) presented by Food & Wine is a national, star-studded, four-day destination event showcasing the talents of the world's most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities. Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Florida International University (FIU), the festival benefits FIUís School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center. Some of the industry's most recognized and respected principals including Bobbie Flay, Paula Deen, Rachael Ray and Tony Abou-Ganim will again converge on Miami Beach to entertain and educate thousands of guests.

COMING UP QUICK, FAST AND IN A HURRY!

BUENOS AIRES TANGO FESTIVAL (February 27 - March 7, 2010) Talk about hot! Intense, moody and undeniably sexy, tango is the emblematic dance of Buenos Aires and the annual Buenos Aires Tango Festival is a great place to see it at its best. The finest practitioners in the world join the peerless local artistes in a programme of tango concerts, dancing displays, exhibitions, classes and a one-minute film festival. Together they fill the city with endless possibilities to watch, listen, learn and to take part in a range of events all dedicated to this passionate dance form. This officially-organized tango-fest recognizes the cultural importance of this home grown dance form, and aims to both celebrate and promote this rich component of the city's social scene.

WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES (September 25 - October 10, 2010) It almost seems eerie that with all the horse history Kentucky has, this is the first time the games have been played there (or anywhere on North America). The Games are held every four years, two years prior to the Olympic Games, and are governed by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI); comprised of the world championships for eight equestrian sports. Finishing touches are being made on an array of Hospitality Packages carefully crafted to accentuate the grace and grandeur of the 2010 Games. Your opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2010 Games will take place September 25, 2009.

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