Father’s Day is a special day, so why not treat Dad to a fun-filled day at A. Smith Bowman Distillery, the home of World’s Best Bourbon 2016 & 2017, for their 7th Annual Father’s Day Festival.

Admission is FREE to the festival and entertaining for the whole family.  Highlights include: Distillery tours on the half hour, tastings & cocktails, local beer & wine, Live music, mouthwatering food, vendors, games, and the much anticipated Annual Barrel Regatta.

The Annual Barrel Regatta is an amusing watery tradition. Taking place from  noon – 1pm, individuals or teams from around the create their own boats made from used bourbon barrels and race them in Deep Run. There will be prizes and awards for the two fastest finishes, most spirited and best sinking. You don’t want to miss the race.

No pets with the exception of service animals are allowed in the festival areas.

Location: A. Smith Bowman Distillery, One Bowman Drive, At Deep Run, Fredericksburg, VA 22408
Date: Sat,  June 16th, 2018
Time: 11am – 5pm
Tel: 540-373-4555
asmithbowman.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitfred.com

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Join Anastasia Watersports and Marineland Dolphin Adventure for a fun-filled interpretive Dolphin Paddle on Salt Run at Anastasia State Park.

The park’s estuarine tidal marsh is teeming with plant and animal life . Learn about the biosphere and natural habitats, hop into a kayak, paddle onto Salt Run, and keep an eye for birds, turtles, manatees and especially dolphins.

Staff will provide illuminating details about the ecosystem and the myriad wildlife that inhabit it.  A dolphin expert from Marineland, will fill guests in on fascinating facts about the dolphins that are born, breed and thrive in this waterway.

The event will start with 30 minutes of classroom discussion followed by 90 minutes of paddling.  Come out and enjoy real, undiscovered Florida. Program fee: $40/person, includes boat rental. Park admission fees: ($8.00 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle.  email, info@anastasiawatersports.com to make a reservation.

This informative event is Family-Friendly.

Location: Anastasia State Park,  300 Anastasia Park Road, St. Augustine, FL 32080
Date: Sat, June 16, 2018
Time: 9am – 11am
Tel: 904-460-9111
floridastateparks.org/park-events/Anastasia
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: floridashistoriccoast.com

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Grab your spoons and mark your calendars for Scooper Bowl – all-you-can-eat Ice Cream Festival.

Celebrating its 36th year in 2018, the Scooper Bowl is now a three-day event that dishes out 20 tons of the summer’s finest ice cream to more than 40,000 ice cream lovers from across the nation. Enjoy a lot of great entertainment and fun activities at this country’s largest all-you-can-eat ice cream festival.

What is most impressive about the ice cream festival is that all ice cream companies donate all the ice cream, labor, scoopers, and products needed to make the event happen each year. Though they are competitors for 51 weeks of the year, during the first week of June they come together to create an event that is now known as the “unofficial start of summer” in New England.

Made possible by the generous contributions of the industry’s largest ice cream companies, the Scooper Bowl has raised more than $6.3 million in the past 35 years for cancer research and patient care at the world-renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Get Your Tickets 

*Pricing will increase at the door – Kids under 3 are free

Whether you’re a visitor to the area or professional ice-cream-eater, you play a huge part their our mission to conquer cancer.

Ice Cream Flavors

Baskin-Robbins Boston Cream Pie Cannoli Be With You OREO® ‘n Caramel Triple Grape Ice Beckon Ice Cream (formerly Minus the Moo) – Thursday only, lactose-free Vanilla Chocolate Espresso Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Mint Chip Chocolate Candy Crunch Strawberries & Sweet Cream Black Raspberry Confetti Ben & Jerry’s Gimme Smore™ Caramel Almond Brittle non-dairy AmeriCone Dream® Chocolate Shake It™ Breyers Nautral Vanilla Oreo® Cookies & Cream Mint Chip Edy’s Birthday Cake Dulce Rainbow Sherbet Friendly’s Triple Caramel Peanut Heaven Hunka Chunka PB Fudge® Rockin’ Poppin’™ Cotton Candy Cookies ‘N Cream Black Raspberry Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle Non-Dairy Hood Hood® New England Creamery Limited Edition Chocolate Churro Hood® New England Creamery Limited Edition Purple Panda Hood® Coffee Cookies ‘n Cream Hood® Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Lactaid – lactose-free Lactaid® Cookies ‘n Cream Lactaid® Mint Chocolate Chip Lactaid® Mocha Almond Chip Lactaid® Salted Caramel Rosev Dairy Foods Coconut Rum Raisin Purple Cow Twisted Sea Turtle Vice Cream Afternoon Delight Bourbon Mash L’Orange A Trois Minted Higher Grounds Yasso Stick Bars: Pistachio Brittle Fudge Brownie Coconut Caramel Chocolate Chip Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Scoops: Party Animal  Mint Championchip Rolling in the Dough Caramel Pretzelmania Coffee Brownie Break Location: City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201 Date: June 5 – 7, 2018 Time: Noon – 8pm scooperbowl.org For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: bostonusa.com

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Take a Sunset Kayak Tour at Sebastian Inlet State Park for a memorable exploration the Indian River Lagoon, home to brown and white pelicans, herons, egrets, osprey, bottle-nosed dolphin and manatee. 

Or maybe you’d prefer the Full Moon Kayak Tours,  available on June 29, June 30,July 27, 28 and Aug 25. Under the light of the full moon, join an adventure, glow sticks in hand, through the grass flats and explore the Indian River Lagoon. After the tour, relax and enjoy Smore’s and refreshments at the Marina.

Included in these tours: a kayak or paddle-board, safety vests and safety instructions.

Location: BG’s Bayside and Marina, 9502 S. Hwy A1A
Melbourne Beach Florida, 32951 – Located inside Sebastian Inlet State Park
Date: Sunset Tours: weekly – Sun, Wed, Thur, Fri, and Sat, Full Moon – usually only once a month,  Please check schedule
Time: Sunset Tours – 7pm, Full Moon – 7:30pm
Tel: 321-724-5424
bgsurfsidegrillandadventures.com/sunset-tours
Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitspacecoast.com

Tags: Adventure, bathing suit, beach, bottle-nosed dolphin, daily, dolphin, drive i-95, egret, flats, Florida, full moon, glow stick, grass, heron, Induian, inlet, instruction, kayak, lagoon, manatee, Marina, Melbourne Beach, moon, osprey, paddle board, park, pelican, refreshment, river, routine, safety, safety vest, sebastian, state, sun protective clothing, sunscreen, sunset, s’more, tour, towel

For over 40 years the Georgia Sea Islands Festival on St. Simons Island, Georgia has celebrated the African American musical traditions, crafts, and food of the coastal barrier islands.

Each year the highlight of the festival are the musicians – young, old, and some “with an old heart” — who perform traditional spirituals, work songs, and plays handed down by their ancestors. Live entertainment includes The Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters.

There will be cuisine such as  smoked mullet, fried fish, sweet potato pone, homemade ice cream, and demonstrations of traditional Gullah Geechee knitting cast net and sweet grass baskets.

The Georgia Sea Islands Festival is FREE and filled with fun and entertainment for the whole family.

Location: Gascoigne Bluff Park, 1000 Arthur J Moore Dr, St Simons Island, GA 31522
Date: Sat, June 2, 2018
Time: 11am – 6pm
Tel: 912- 634-0330
ssiheritagecoalition.org/2018/02/16/georgia-sea-islands-festival-2018
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: goldenisles.com

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Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses hosts open houses at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle every Sunday from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October (Columbus Day weekend).

Location: Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse Coast Guard Station,
25 Wentworth Rd, New Castle, NH 03854
Date:  Every Sun, starting June 3 ’til Oct 14th 2018
Time: 1 – 5pm
Tel: 603-534-0537
portsmouthharborlighthouse.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: portsmouthnh.com

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Celebrating Annapolis’ Diverse Arts Scene, Annapolis Arts Week was created to bring together the area’s local artists and musicians for a week of art, food, block parties, events, music, and festivals.

The week includes major events: Paint Annapolis, a county-wide, juried, plein air competition celebrating its 15^th year with 30 distinguished artists from around the globe. The artists will create 300 landscape works, highlighting the special colonial architecture, marine atmosphere, and overall energy of Annapolis. p a i n t a n n a p o l i s . o r g

Paint Annapolis features special events every day:

Sunday, June 3: Dueling Brushes – Quick Draw at Susan B Campbell Park
Monday June 4: Artist paint in Anne Arundel County
Tuesday, June 5: Paint the Bay Reception at Annapolis Maritime Museum
6-8pm
Wednesday, June 6: Artists paint in the city of Annapolis
Nocturne at dusk – Dinner Under the Stars
Thursday, June 7: Artists paint in the historic district
Art on the Avenue, Maryland Avenue, 5-7pm
Friday, June 8: Collector’s Award Reception, 6:30 – 9pm
Saturday June 9 & Sunday June 10: Reception & Sales at Circle Gallery
Mimosas & Muffins: Sunday 11am – 1pm

Here are some additional events going on throughout Annapolis Arts Week:

The Annapolis Irish Festival where you can enjoy traditional Celtic music and Irish rock bands on three different stages, along with workshops and exhibits. Try some delicious Irish beef stew and other Irish favorites. Little Leprechaun Land (open on Saturday only 11am– 4pm) provides pony rides, face painting and other free activities for the kids.  June 1 & 2, 2018 at Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds annapolisirishfestival.com

16th Annual First Sunday Arts Festival Shop among the creations of 130 local and regional artisans; dine at outdoor cafes; and enjoy the music of more than seven live bands. It’s a great time to explore art galleries, take a game room challenge and/or create your own artwork at shops on West Street taking place on First block of West and Calvert Streets,  Sunday, June 3 – 11am – 5pm – Admission: Free firstsundayarts.com

Dinner Under the Stars is a place for families and friends to come together and for couples to experience a romantic evening under the stars. Artists will paint from sundown to sunrise alongside the hundreds who come to dine, drink, and dance under the night sky. Spend Wednesday evenings dining, dancing and listening to live bands in the middle of the first block of West Street, just off Church Circle. Wednesdays, June 6, 13, 20, 27, 6pm – 10pm dinnerunderthestars.org

Photo Credit: VisitAnnapolis.org & Kenneth Tom Photography

Location: Various
Date: June 1 -10, 2018
Hours: Various
Tel: 410-268-4566
annapolisartsweek.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitannapolis.org

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The Florida Boat Show at Halifax Harbor and Marina is where the marine industry comes together to highlight new boats with live music, a seafood festival, boating safety and seminars, and exciting festivities for a weekend of family fun.

The 3 day event includes hundreds of new boats and quality brokerage boats of all styles are displayed and available for purchase. The broad selection includes power boats, sail boats, yachts, kayaks and marine accessories of all types will be featured throughout the over four acres of dry park space and ‘in-water’ marina dock.

Other attractions include: Kayak and SUP Demos, Bikini Contest, Cornhole Tournament, Fishing Seminars, Fishing Village, Kayak Relay Races and SUP Yoga & Fitness.

 If you enjoy boating and sailing you’re going to want to attend. Children under 16  are FREE.

Location: Halifax Harbor Marina,  450 Basin Street Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Date: May 18 -20, 2018
Hours: Fri + Sat 10-8, Sun 10-6
Tel: 904-673-0093
thefloridaboatshow.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

Tags: accessories, bikini, boat, brokerage, contest, cornhole, Daytona Beach, demonstration, Demos, display, dock, drive i-95, family, festival, fishing, fishing Vollage, fitness, Florida, Florida Boat Show, fun, Halifax Harbor, harbor, in-water, industry, kayak, Marina, marine, music, power boat, purchase, race, relay, safety, sail boat, seafood, selection, seminar, show, SUP, tournament, villafe, yacht, yoga —

elebrate the 10th anniversary of Kites Against Cancer as the sky above Hampton Beach becomes filled with kites of all colors as friends and neighbors gather to honor and remember loved ones affected by cancer.

This inspirational family event kicks off with Zumba® at 11:00 a.m., followed by kite flying and decorating, face painting, raffles, refreshments, music and more.

Special kites available the day of the event. Participants are encouraged to decorate or personalize their kites in memory or in honor of a loved one. Kites will fill the sky as a sign of hope and support for those affected by cancer. Event proceeds benefit programs and services at Exeter Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care.

Unable to attend?  Show your support with a virtual kite and still be part of this special event. With your $10 donation towards a virtual kite, your loved one will be honored and remembered.  Their name will be added to a large kite, which will be flown during the event.  Click here to purchase a virtual kite. 

Location: Hampton Beach (at the Oceanfront Pavilion), Hampton, NH 03842
Date: Sun, May 20, 2018
Time: 11-3pm
Tel: 603-580-6668
unitedinwellness.org/events/kites-against-cancer/
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: portsmouthnh.com

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Tiny houses have become a huge thing, checkout the Mid-Atlantic Tiny House Expo and see why. It’s all about simpler living in a smaller, more efficient space.

Tiny house living is a social movement in which people decide to downsize the space they live in. It’s all about simpler living in a smaller, more efficient space. A typical tiny house is about 100 – 400 square feet, and come in all shapes and constructions. Building a tiny house costs significantly less than purchasing a traditional house, and are generally eco-friendly; reducing your impact on the environment and lowering energy costs.

Whether your curious or serious, attendees will be able to see the latest trends in tiny living.  Two action packed days, learning from builders, project experts and lifestyle authors at the educational conferences or panel discussions and meet other tiny house enthusiasts. See the latest in finished THOWS and shells, trailer frames, building materials, plans, products, furnishings and  appliances, and anything else you could possibly need or want to know about tiny houses. Parking FREE.
To buy tickets: tinyhouseexpos.com/tickets/#va-show-ticket-sales

If you can’t make this exhibition, there will be another one at: Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MD on October 6-7, 2018

Location: Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Parkway
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Date: May 12 – 13, 2018
Time: 10am – 5pm
Tel: 301-775-1363
tinyhouseexpos.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitfred.com

Tags: appliance, author, builder, building, conference, construction, cost, costs, discussion, downsize, Drivei-95, eco-friendly, educational, efficient, energy, enthusiast, environment, expert, expo, frame, Fredericksburg, furnishings, house, impact, lifestyle, living, material, Mid-Atlantic, movement, panel, plans, product, project, shape, shell, smaller, social, Space, THOWS, tiny, tiny house, tiny living, traditional, trailer, trend, Virginia