Events

CALENDAR

August 22-24

OUTSIDE LANDS ART & MUSIC FESTIVAL
SAN FRANCISCO
Musicians from Jack Johnson to Lupe Fiasco will take the stage in the iconic Golden Gate Park. (And Radiohead will be the first act ever to perform at night at the park.) Art installations will dot the landscape, and a variety of food will be available. www.sfoutsidelands.com

AUG. 8-10

JVC Jazz Festival Newport
NEWPORT, RI
(70 MILES FROM BOSTON) Pretty much every prominent jazz musician has played at this festival, and this year will be no exception, with Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock and Chris Botti joining the lineup. It’s a must for jazzlovers.www.festivalnetwork.com

AUG. 16-24

LOS ANGELES
Tofu, anime, sumo, martial arts and almost anything else you can think of from the Land of the Rising Sun will be part of this celebration. Started in 1934, it’s one of the oldest events of its kind. www.niseiweek.org

AUG. 23-24

CHICAGO
Head toGrant Park and feel the rhythm of salsa, reggaeton, mariachi andSpanish pop by Don Omar, Menudo and many more. Stop by the event’s first-ever low-rider car show, or shop for artwork and jewelry while the little ones play at The Kid’s Zone. www.vivachicago.us

…COMING UP: SEPT. 2-6

United States Dance Championships
ORLANDO
This five-day event is strictly ballroom, and by the end of the competition, a few dancers will have hotstepped their ways to national titles. Even if you have two left feet, you can kick back and enjoy the show. www.unitedstatesdancechampionships.com

Wacky & Wonderful

Bizarre events across the country

Get in the competitive spirit Aug. 7-10 at Tug Fest (www.tugfest.com), where the town of LeClaire, IA (10 miles from MOLINE/ QUAD CITIES) faces off against Port Byron, IL, across the Mississippi River in a massive tug-of-war. Live music, arts and crafts vendors and other events in each city build up to the big competition on Aug. 9.

If you’re looking for something slightly less active and a bit more delicious, head to BUFFALO (where else?) on Aug. 30-31 for the National Buffalo Wing Festival (www.buffalowing.com). Last year’s eating contest winner consumed 173 wings in 12 minutes—and she weighs only 100 pounds!

Celebrate another food group at the Mushroom Festival (www.mushroomfestival.org) on Sept. 6-7. This fun fest attracts more than 100,000 people interested in fungi, and the highlight is the Mushroom Soup Cook-off. Smithsonian magazine called the event in Kennett Square, PA (38 miles from PHILADELPHIA), one of “the most interesting cultural events around the globe.”