Mar/110
The Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is called the biggest cultural celebration in the entire world. The origins can be tracked back to the late 1940s when the Edinburgh international Festival was first developed. Each and every year, the festival is growing in size and popularity as more folks from around the world choose to pay a visit to the area and take part in the different festivals. The Edinburgh Festival is really not just one single celebration but a number of independent festivals all going on within a 3 to 4 week period of time.
Among the most popular of all of these festivals is the Edinburgh International Book Festival that takes place in the last three weeks of August each year. It happens in Charlotte Square which is in the center of Edinburgh. Professing as being the largest festival of the type around the world, this particular book festival boasts several political and cultural talks and debates along with the favorite kid's program.
One more well-liked Edinburgh Festival is called the Free Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This particular festival has gotten exceptional reviews coming from a number of news sources as a result of its good reputation for featuring award-winning entertainers and events. The event centers around comedy, kid's shows, cabaret, opera and much more.
The Edinburgh Comedy Festival is another well-liked choice. For those who like a good chuckle, this collection of comedy shows is a must see.
For your music addicts around the world, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival is the place to be. For ten days every year, folks come from worldwide to hear the musical stylings of many famous performers such as Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis among others. Every year, the music artists come from all corners of the globe to perform for a group of enthusiastic travelers and locals. On top of that, Scottish music artists share their skills with the crowd too. Obviously, the blues is a main aspect of this celebration so other entertainers who have come in the past were names like BB King and Buddy Guy.
The largest jazz event in the UK even offers "Jazz on a Summer's Day" that takes place out in Princes Street Gardens just under the Edinburgh Castle's shadow. This particular celebration is free and displays the top entertainers from the Festival.
There is plenty to do and experience during the Edinburgh Festivals every year. Individuals come from across the world to experience these displays of culture and entertainment. There is truly nothing like it in any other section of the globe, and it is growing bigger each year.
If you are considering a Scottish vacation and you are currently looking for guest houses and Edinburgh hotels then please consider taking a look at our listings of hotels in Edinburgh
Nov/100
International Holiday Destinations: Five of the Best Places to Party on New Years Eve
New Year's Eve is a great time to head out to that really special place. A time to look forward, spend time with family and friends and also have plenty of fun. New Year's Eve can be one of the holiday destinations you'll never forgot. Here are five ideas for the best places to party on New Year's Eve just make sure you book early and look around for some good deals:
1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: An estimated two million people descend on Copacabana beach every New Year's Eve, for the 'Revellion' party, where revellers dance, eat, drink, and gaze at the incredible fireworks till the small hours. The beautiful people of Rio welcome visitors with a superb party atmosphere, helped by stunning scenery and great weather. It is a religious festival for the locals, who make offerings of perfume, rice and flowers to the Goddess of the Sea. Head to the main stages at around 7pm and dance the night away!
3. Edinburgh, Scotland - The beautiful Scottish capital hosts the most popular New Year's Eve event in the world. The annual Hogmany is a huge festival lasting for four days and attracts thousands of revellers. Covering entertainment for all ages from traditional parades and ceilidh bands to street performers and merry street parties. Of course everyone is treated to a fantastic display of fireworks as the clock strikes midnight.
3. Reykjavik, Iceland - The exciting capital is perfect for a New Year's break. One of the best cities to party in the world, Reykjavik won't disappoint on the choice of bars and nightclubs. Celebrations start with gathering around bonfires located in the centre of town to watch fireworks. Afterwards, most people then go on to the chilly cities famous bars to party to the early hours of the morning.
4. Goa, India - If you like to party really hard then consider Goa as your New Year's Eve destination. The Anjuna beach resort is a place where beach parties last for 3-4 days at a time. At New Years Eve the parties on this beautiful Indian island get even bigger with most of the beach resorts joining together to form one long celebration. Treat yourself to a trip and dance like a madman surrounded by palm trees, sacred cows and locals selling space cakes, then chill out at one of the many beachside cafes to watch the new year sunrise.
5. Seattle, USA - Seattle is a fabulous New Year's Eve destination. Often overlooked, this usually laid back city offers some exciting and lively events to mark the end of the year. With over 35 bars to select for your evening drinks you won't be short of choice either. Although the big draw is the Experience Music Project Museum (EMP) "Indulgence Party" where you'll have the chance to join a singles cocktail function, a museum tour or just dance your socks off underneath the famous Space Needle.
For more fantastic suggestions on global holiday destinations Becky Padmore's website www.globalgrasshopper.com has many inspiring travel articles including a guide on how to see the best of Thailand
Nov/100
Wade Entezar And The Gray’s Harbor Bluegrass Festival Music For Everybody
The Annual Grays Harbor Bluegrass festival is an event that you definitely want to be part of! The residents of Hoquiam City have always been proud with their love affair with this genre of music that got its start from the end of the Second World War and continued on to be a favorite among communities who like Hoquiam are made up of hard working people who like to hear good stories that touch your heart. Bluegrass bands both professional and amateur, fans from all walks of life gather for a few days in Hoquiam's Olympic Stadium to sample the high lonesome sound that is distinct with true bluegrass melody.
The bluegrass music festival does not only celebrate the music genre that is bluegrass it is also a time for the city of Hoquiam to share with other people their passion for delicious cuisine, good manners and of course good music. Hoquiam and the Grays Harbor area is historically a working man's land with the chief industry and source of income for the people being logging and this is as you would guess a hard and challenging life and when bluegrass came into its form the men and women of Grays Harbor, Hoquiam city and Aberdeen felt an instant relationship with the music.
Bluegrass music delivers a variety of emotions to the table when listened to and the audience is promised to enjoy the lively creative exchanges that characterize bluegrass music, all of this straight from the heart fiddlin and guitar play, the musicians daring each other to outdo the string of tunes his guitar or mandolin has played in quick succession as both are egged on by the audience to continue with their instrumental showdown of sorts.
Original Bluegrass is by and large formed around a small set of acoustic stringed instruments like the mandolin, acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo, resonator guitar and upright bass sometimes with a singer and some just pure soul reaching instrumentals, fueling spectators to move and sway to beautiful music. It is going to be an eventful week in Hoquiam when the bluegrass bands come a playing!
Instrumental solos are a crowd pleaser and you will get a lot of these amazing displays of pure raw talent during the Bluegrass festival. Band members try their best to outdo other bands or even their own band mates not so much so to show who is the best soloist but rather to entertain the crowd and give them a good time.
Visitors to the Grays Harbor Bluegrass festival are encouraged by the city and its residents to go around and mingle in good fun and enjoyment, with most visitors being very familiar with the city and already having acquaintances or established friends from previous visits to Hoquiam and the Grays Harbor area.
Aside from experiencing bluegrass with new style or others would say "Newgrass" instrumentation like the piano for instance. Bluegrass is recognizable by its vocal harmony, which features two, three, or four parts, often times heard with a cacophonous high pitch referred to in bluegrass as the "high lonesome sound", creating an interesting if not attention catching bellow of forceful vocals.
Being part of the Annual Grays Harbor Bluegrass festival is an experience not worth missing. People from all around go to Hoquiam city and experience live music, good food and good hospitality from the people of Hoquiam who love and know their bluegrass music.
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Aug/090
Night Life in Marin County – Live Music is on Tap Every Night of the Week
There is a decent number of places in Marin where you can have dinner and drinks and hear live music. In some instances, youll have to eat dinner somewhere else before going, but get ready to go out because live music is alive and well in Marin County! Yes, more than a couple of towns have more than one place thats their claim to fame. Perhaps Fairfax is well known for its line up of nightclubs on Broadway, including 19 Broadway, The Sleeping Lady and Peris Silver Dollar. These places rock, or jazz, or blues nearly every night of the week.
For the slightly more sedate among us, theres the City of Sausalito, which features at least three great places with live music. These include the Saylors, which used to be Sailors Landing; and Taste of Rome, which used to be Cafe Trieste and No Name Bar, which jumps with live music every night of the week;. Both Saylors and Taste of Rome feature live music on the weekends.
The following are most of the Marin Venues with live music.
Bolinas
Smileys Schooner Saloon, full menu and bar. Bands every night of the week, including reggae. 41 Wharf Road, Bolinas, Tel: (415) 868-1311, Web: coastalpost.com.
Fairfax
The Sleeping Lady, 23 Broadway, Fairfax, Tel: (415) 485-1182. Live music nightly. Web: sleepingladyfairfax.com.
Peris Silver Dollar, 29 Broadway, Fairfax, Tel: (415) 459-9910. Varied music is offered nightly except hip hop and reggae. Monday is open mike night.
Nineteen Broadway, 19 Broadway, Fairfax, Tel: (415) 459-1091. Full bar. This place bills itself as "the hottest nightclub in the North Bay." Live music is provided most nights " jazz, blues and rock.
Mill Valley
The legendary Sweetwater, New Address: 32 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, Tel: (415) 388-2820. Music is featured nightly. Note: As of this writing, the new and improved Sweetwater is still under construction.
Nicasio
Rancho Nicasio, Well-known entertainment venue with restaurant. Music like Zydeco, blues, rock, rockabilly, jazz and more. Town Square, Nicasio, Tel: (415) 662-2219.
Point Reyes Station
Station House Cafe, Main Street, Point Reyes Station, Tel: (415) 663-1515. A full menu and bar are featured. There is music on Sunday nights such as Folk and Americana.
San Rafael
Fourth Street Tavern, full bar. Live music most nights. Eclectic, many kinds of music. 711 Fourth St., San Rafael, Tel: (415) 454-4044.
Panama Hotel, 4 Bayview St., San Rafael, Tel: (415) 457-3993. Live Jazz music and restaurant, Bed & Breakfast in San Rafael. Full menu and bar. Music Tuesday and Thursday and every other Wednesday.
Petes 881, 721 Lincoln Ave., San Rafael, Tel: (415) 453-5888. Ask for Randy. Full menu and bar. Jazz band every other Tuesday.
Sausalito
No Name Bar, 757 Bridgeway, Sausalito, Tel: (415) 332-1392. There's a small jazz band 5 nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Saylor's (previous name was Sailors Landing) Restaurant & Bar " 2009 Bridgeway, Sausalito, Tel: (415) 332-1512. Friday and Saturday - light music, including soft jazz, blues.
Taste of Rome, Italian food, coffee and tea. Music Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Jazz and other types of music. 1000 Bridgeway, Sausalito, Tel: (415) 332- 7660.
Because these listings change with time, its crucial to telephone the club or restaurant to verify this information.