Travelsmartplanet

Brave attendees meet the Ghosts on the Banke at Strawbery Banke’s famous family-friendly Halloween celebration. Long-dead sea captains, 17th century shopkeepers and wayward pirates haunt the streets of Portsmouth’s oldest neighborhood as you trick or treat safely from house to historic house.

Trick-or-Treat safely as Jack-O-Lanterns light the way to step over the threshold of time and meet the “Ghosts on the Banke.” Discover pirate treasure, visit with the wacky witch, look into the future with guidance from the gypsy fortune teller. Catch a Ghostly Tale when Community members bring history back to life with spooky plays, skits, and interactive improvisation throughout the evening. Light up the Night and warm weary bones by the bonfire.

Masques on the Banke (Sunday Oct 30 only – 5:30 – 7pm) – Step “Behind the Mask” at this 90 minute event, as the majestic black Friesian horses of Runnymede Farm perform their equestrian ballet. US Premiere of a choreographed equestrian dressage seen only in Europe.  Meet the horses and enjoy a mask-making craft for Halloween.  Special guests include: Wick’d Fire and the Skeleton Crew Theater.
Show off Your Costume (Oct 31st at 7 pm) – March in a New Orleans-style parade, past haunted houses of old, through ghostly lanes full of things that go bump in the night. The Portsmouth Halloween Parade starts at Peirce Island by Prescott Park. It is an all-inclusive celebration of community, creativity and free expression that walks, stalks, dances, trumpets and drums its way through downtown Portsmouth each year – for more info:  portsmouthhalloweenparade.org

Location:  Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth NH 03801
Date: Fri Oct 28 – Sat Oct 29, 2016
Hours: 5:30pm – 8pm
Tel: 603-433-1100
strawberybanke.org/events/ghosts-on-the-banke.cfm
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: goportsmouthnh.com

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Learn a lost art from people who have been holding on to hollerin’ for over 47 years keeping the North Carolina staple “Hollerin’” alive at the Worldwide Hollerin’ contest on October 8^th.

“Hollerin’,” a traditional form of communication used in rural areas to convey long-distance messages, is considered by some to be the earliest form of communication between humans. “Hollers” exist for virtually any communicative purpose imaginable. The hollers featured at the World Wide Hollerin’ festival fall into one of these four categories: distress, functional, communicative or pleasure.

Enjoy a wide variety of fun activities and entertainment, including: the Hollerin’ Contest, Paradise Acres BBQ & Chicken, assorted food vendors, live music, crafts and Children’s activities. Visitors are invited to bring their chairs, blankets and coolers and enjoy the contest on the 12-acre Paradise Acres facility.

Eighty percent of the proceeds from the event are donated to Wags4Tags.org , an organization that matches trained shelter dogs with veterans suffering from psychological and emotional injuries.

Location: Paradise Acres, 1965 John McMillan Rd, Hope Mills, NC 28348
(Exit 41 off the I-95)
Date: Nov. 5th, 2016
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Tel: 910-633-4735
worldwidehollerinfestival.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants and Attractions: visitfayettevillenc.com

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The Richmond Folk Festival carry’s forward the 12-year tradition established by the hugely successful National Folk Festival celebrating the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance traditional crafts, storytelling and food. The event takes place at downtown Richmond’s  historic riverfront from 2nd to 7th streets and from Byrd Street to the river – including Brown’s Island, The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, portions of Federal Reserve parking lots, and Tredegar Street.

Richmond Folk Festival is where over 200,000 festival goers gather for three FREE days of music, dance, food and fun. Drawing in visitors from across the country with an eclectic mix of 40 artists performing on seven different stages with continuous music and dance performances, along with a Virginia Folk-life demonstration area, children’s activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and ethnic foods.

Among the artists to be featured at the 2016 Richmond Folk Festival are: Gary U.S. Bonds and Gene “Daddy G” Barge, (Norfolk Sound), Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Southern Italian pizzica tarantata), The Fairfield Four (African-American gospel singing quartet), Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie (zydeco), Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy (Cape Breton and Ontario fiddling), Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers (bluegrass), Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader (Afghan rubâb and tabla), Sheila Kay Adams (Appalachian songs, stories and ballads). Check the website for complete list of performers/schedule.richmondfolkfestival.org/docs/event_schedule

Expect lots of great food: ethnic, regional and traditional foods to delight guests and showcasing a wide variety of tempting foods to compliment the spirit of the festival. From classic festival fare to exotic flavors from around the globe, there’s definitely something to tickle your tastebuds.

Location: Downtown Richmond’s Riverfront, Brown’s Island Park,Richmond, VA 23219
Date: Fri, Oct 07  – Sun, Oct 09, 2016
Time: Fri 6 – 10PM, Sat 12 – 9:30PM, Sun 12 – 6PM
Tel: 804-788-6466
richmondfolkfestival.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitrichmondva.com

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Travel around the world in just one day at the  Bowie International Festival and learn about traditions and customs that span the globe at this multicultural, FREE fete.

The International Festival will showcase performing arts, visual arts, and cuisine from various regions and cultures throughout the world. Listen to bagpipes and violins, watch Moroccan belly dancing or Irish step dance, and enjoy lots of tasty international food. The event will also feature a wide variety of artists and crafters selling clothing, jewelry, crafts and other items from around the world.

The most fun might be for the children, where they are able to pick up a passport at any children’s activity booth and participate in various activities from different cultures, accumulating stamps at each booth. Activities include dance, music, story time and arts and crafts from around the world. At the end of the “trip” children receive an international prize.

Location: Allen Pond Park, 3330 Northview Dr.Bowie, MD 20716
Date: Sat, Oct. 1, 2016
Time: 11 – 5pm
Tel: 301-809-3011
cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=1016
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions:
visitprincegeorgescounty.com

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Don’t miss the mid-Atlantic’s premier celebration of the literary arts, The Baltimore Book Festival, featuring more than 200 celebrity and local authors appearances and book signings, non-stop readings on multiple stages, cooking demos by celebrity chefs, poetry readings and workshops, panel discussions, more than 100 exhibitors and booksellers, walking tours, storytellers and hands-on projects for kids, street theater, live music, and a delicious variety of food, beer and wine.

For the kids, or the kids at heart there’s a Pop Culture Parade where superheroes, storybook characters, BmoreFit Dancewalkers,  and special guests dress up in costume and march down the promenade, starting at Pratt & Light streets traveling down to the Geppi’s Entertainment Museum Comic Pavilion.

Some of the feature presentations include: Terry McMillan, author of “How Stella Got Her Groove Back“; NPR correspondent Glen Weldon, talking about his “The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture“; and local pundit D. Watkins, who has an essay collection called “The Beast Side: Living (and Dying) While Black in America” and his memoir ‘The Cook Up,’ takes us deeper into his former life, and Comic writer Carl Hiaasen will read from his newest novel, “Razor Girl” to mention but a few.

Whether it’s Health & Wellness , Cooking (The Food for Thought), Science Fiction & Fantasy or Children’s with a Stage featuring interactive programs for the whole family, this FREE event highlights 13 stages offering something for everyone.

Location: Baltimore Inner Harbor, 201 E. Pratt Street,Baltimore, MD 21202
Date: Fri – Sun Sept 23-25, 2016
Hours: 11 – 7pm
Tel: 410-752-8632
baltimorebookfestival.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: baltimore.org

Phot0 Courtesy of The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts

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Providence, RI Exit 21: Three days of amazing national & local improv talent at The 13th Annual Providence Improv Festival taking place in the heart of downtown Providence on September 22-24, 2016.

This year’s Fest will feature top improv comedy troupes from throughout the country including Susan Messing and Rachael Mason as “The Boys”. The FEST remains dedicated to showcasing a broad spectrum of theater artists who excel at creating scenes, characters, and situations in the moment offering shows by top performers in the local, regional, and national improv comedy scenes.

Be a part of the festival, rub elbows with some incredible performers, partake in the workshops, after-parties and other fun events at their downtown theatre spaces. Experience some of the world-class food, art, and entertainment that Providence can offer within an intimate and picturesque cityscape.

• Location: AS220
• 95 Empire Street, Providence, RI
• 115 Empire Street, Providence, RI
• Providence, RI 02903Dates: September 22 – 24, 2016
  Times: Various check schedule
  Tel: 401-241-9556
  providenceimprovfest.com
  For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: goprovidence.com

Photo credit – David Rickerby

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Colleton Museum & Farmer’s Market was re-purposed from a former grocery, the Colonial Food Store, and it explores the history of Colleton and is home to thousands of objects from Colleton County and South Carolina.

The outside window offers a peek into inside exhibits, like the old time general store, the story of the Tuskegee African American WWII pilots, animals of the ACE basin, a postcard and Coca Cola collection and local silhouette artist Canew Drew’s cutouts. We marveled at the shoe-fitting Adrian X-ray fluoroscope machine which showed you, your Mom and the salesman how the bones of your feet fit into your shoes.

You can watch a video about rice plantation culture and how the black slaves brought the techniques and tools that made their masters rich. See if you can find the snake, turtle and fish painted into the floor. There’s a gift shop and a yummy cafe. The range of exhibits are free and open to the public.

Location: 506 E. Washington St, Walterboro, SC 29488
Hours: Tues 12-6 pm, Wed-Fri 10-5 pm, Sat 10-2 pm
Tel: 843-549-2303
colletonmuseum.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions:
walterborosc.org

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Celebrate autumn in Elkton’s historic downtown, where 18th-century buildings are now filled with art galleries, cozy cafes and antique shops.  Since 1997, the Elkton Fall Fest has attracted thousands of families to visit the small-town shops, watch special county contests, and participate in community activities. The outdoor, pedestrian-only street festival event is held on Main and North streets.

The commemoration gets underway with Fall Fest Friday Night Kick Off Party; on main street souped-up hot rods line the streets for a car show and live entertainment is performed by a Neil Diamond tribute band throughout the evening.

Saturday’s festivities includes a compilation of contests including: Cecil 500 Push Cart Derby, Elkton’s Pretty Baby Contest, Miss Fall Fest, The Voice of Elkton singing contest, and a Delmarva DockDogs event featuring 3 areas of competition, horizontal and vertical jumping abilities as well as their speed in the water.  The Downtown Festival of the Arts is new to Fall Fest, a juried row of art from the Courthouse to Cecil County Arts Council.

The Fall Fest weekend will be filled with a variety of food, crafts, games, children’s activities, live musical entertainment and fun for the whole family.

Location: 101 East Main Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Dates: Sept. 16 – 17, 2016
Hours: Fri 5 – 9 pm, Sat 8- 8 pm
Tel: 410-398-5076
elktonfallfest.com

For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions:
elktonalliance.org
ccgov.org/tourism

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A short ferry ride (passengers only) transports you to the treasured, pristine Cumberland Island National Seashore, the largest and southernmost barrier island in Georgia, offering visitors over 17 miles of secluded, white, sandy beaches.

Preserved and protected for future generations, Cumberland Island National Seashore includes a designated wilderness area, undeveloped beaches, historic sites, cultural ruins, critical habitat and nesting areas. Walk on the footsteps of early natives, explorers, and wealthy industrialists.

You can’t explain Cumberland, you experience it. Time moves to the rhythm of nature. On this National Seashore, it is the animals that are the inhabitants and people are only visitors. The majestic sweep of deserted sandy beach is dotted with shells and usually deserted, except for the wild horses roaming at will. The dramatic slope of the dunes is a constant work in progress, sculptured by the wind and sea. The inland’s, majestic live oak and palmetto forests provide shelter for the horses, deer, turkey, alligator, armadillo, mink and a tremendous variety of coastal birds.

You’ll find campsites, hiking trails and first-come-first-serve bike rentals on the island. There are no amenities on the island beyond the restrooms and water fountains. You should bring lunch and water bottles to refill.

The visitor’s center in St. Mary’s, Georgia is the gateway to Cumberland Island. Here you can get tickets for the ferry over to the Island, as well as information about camping permits on the Island.

Location:Mainland Visitor Center, 113 Saint Marys St, GA 31558
Hours: Visitor Center  8 – 4 pm
Tel: 912-882-4335
nps.gov/cuis/index.htm
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions:
visitkingsland.com

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Discover Richmond’s food scene by taking the Carytown Food & History Tour. Get acquainted with the neighborhood of Carytown, otherwise known as The Mile of Style, an eclectic mix of restaurants and boutiques while exploring Carytown?s food, history and culture on this 2.5-hour walking tour.

Along the way, you will be popping in and out of various restaurants, cafes, and shops. Get an insider’s perspective as you sample delicious food and snacks from 5-6 local eateries including food tastings of fresh seafood, world-renowned tacos, popular Virginia peanuts. Hear from owners and chefs about how these establishments got their start. This culinary and cultural walking food tour is authentic and quirky and the perfect mix of food, history, and fun.

Location: Carytown, Richmond, VA 23221
Date/Time: Every Sat at 2:00pm
Tel: 804-479-8929
rivercityfoodtours.com/tours/carytown-food-tour
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitrichmondva.com

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