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US: North Haven, CT – Medieval Faire with Jousting, Fairy Magic, Armored Combat, Music, and Merry Men
Walk into a medieval fairytale and experience what a spring festival might have been like in 12th century Nottingham England. Fantasy takes flight when you step back to the past at Robin Hood’s Faire. Witness singing, dancing and magic throughout the faire, listen to old world music performed live on stage and in the streets and watch Robin Hood and his Merry Men stop Prince John’s villainy.
This amusing and colorful festival offers continuous themed entertainment throughout the day and some special events including: The Mayor of Nottingham’s Bingo Brunch, Princess Tea Time, Archery & Archery Tag, Opening Ceremony, Daily Tournaments, Paragon Jousting, parade, Prince John’s Plot and join the Merry Men interactive show. For a complete schedule of events: robinhoodsfaire.com/shops-and-crafts/show-information/show-schedule/
The Faire has featured weekends, with activities geared to themes:
May 13, 14 – Pet Weekend– Open up a whole new world for your pet when you attend Robin Hood’s Faire “Pet Weekend”. Participate in daily contests with your pet to win prizes or just watch shows, shop, and enjoy the day. robinhoodsfaire.com/may-13-14-pet-weekend/
May 20-21 – Fantasy & Fairies Weekend- Anything is possible with fairy magic as visitors from a variety of places and times are pulled from the future and past to Robin Hood’s Faire. Come as you are or consider dressing as a fairy or play someone from history or the future. robinhoodsfaire.com/fantasy-fairy-weekend-may-20-21/
May 27, 28, 29 – Bromance & Brew Weekend-What could be better than hanging out with your guy friends, competing against each other in manly contests, and sharing a cold craft brew? Guys will enjoy this weekend and ladies, Sunday is a vow renewals with Friar Tuck. robinhoodsfaire.com/bromance-brew-weekend-may-27-28-29/
Robin Hood’s Faire runs every Saturday, Sunday, and Memorial Day from May 13-29, 2017 (11 am to 7pm). Tickets to the festival are available at the Faire on all days of the show. All food, drink, and games are cash only. 
Location: North Haven Fairgrounds, 300 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT 06473
Dates: May 13 — 29, opened Sat, Sun & Memorial Day
Hours: 11– 7pm
Tel: 860-478-5954
robinhoodsfaire.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitnewhaven.com
US: Royal Palm Beach, FL – Eat Delish BBQ While Supporting A Great Cause
What started out as a family get together has turned into a great community event. The 12th annual Uncle Gary’s Rock & Rib Fest is a labor of love. Uncle Gary’s lost his 3-year-old daughter 14 years ago to cancer and Started this BBQ event in her honor and to benefit the Kids Cancer Foundation.
This feel good festival has fun for the whole family including: great live music featuring three live bands throughout the day, dancing, bounce houses, kid’s Fun-zone, face painting, balloon artist, playgrounds, grab bags, games and prizes for the kids and adults, raffles, auction, Pet Rescue Puppies petting zone, princesses and super heroes.
Don’t forget the delectable BBQ foods: yummy baby back ribs, smoked pork tenderloins, burgers, chicken, hot dogs, side dishes and cold beverages.
Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, sunblock and kids to this admission free event that is so much more than just a chance to have fun with the family, eat ribs and barbecue and listen to local bands. All proceeds will be donated to the Royal Palm Beach-based Kids Cancer Foundation.
Location: Wellington Amphitheater. 12100 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington, FL 33414
Date: Sat, April 1, 2017
Hours: 2 – 9pm
unclegarysrockandribfest.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: palmbeachfl.com
Cosmos Tour: Prague Vienna Budapest – Beloved Sisi, Empress Elisabeth
Just as we have our beloved famous Disney princesses, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had theirs – but she was for real. They call her by her nickname Sisi, and she was their Empress for 44 years.
Their have been numerous movies, plays, operas, ballets, books and music about her in the German speaking world. It is probably the trilogy of romantic films about her life which starred a young Romy Schneider which made her a household name. She is so popular that the 3 movies are shown every Christmas on Austrian, German, Dutch, and French television.
Though her husband Emperor Franz Josef adored her, she felt stifled by Habsburg court life and traveled extensively whenever and wherever she could. She loved learning and spoke English, French, modern Greek and Hungarian. Her domineering mother-in-law made her life miserable and even took away her children to raise. Her first daughter died as a toddler and her beloved son Crown Prince Rudolph, heir to the throne, committed suicide along with his lover, and she never fully recovered from that loss.
Empress Elisabeth was vain and did not sit for any portraits after she was 32 and would not allow any more photographs, so that her public image would always remain of her youthful self. She was tall, and compulsively maintained the same low weight all through her life thru exercise (horsemanship, fencing, hiking) and fasting.
Her interest in politics had developed as she matured. She felt an intense emotional alliance with Hungary, and worked toward it gaining an equal footing with Austria. Elisabeth was an ideal mediator between the Magyars and the Emperor. She was a personal advocate for Hungarian Count Gyula Andrássy (he was a lifelong friend, and possibly her lover).
Finally, the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 created the double monarchy of Austro–Hungary. Andrássy was made the first Hungarian prime minister, and in return he saw that Franz Josef and Elisabeth were officially crowned King and Queen of Hungary.
Sisi was assassinated “by accident” in 1898 by Luigi Lucheni, who had planned to kill the Duke of Orleans, Pretender to France’s throne, but the Duke had left town. Despite warnings of possible assassination attempts Elisabeth, now age 60, traveled incognito to Geneva. She eschewed the protection which the Swiss government had offered and only promenaded with her lady-in-waiting.
You can visit many of her residences: her apartments in the Hofburg and the Schönbrunn Palaces in Vienna, the imperial villa in Ischl, the Achilleion in Corfu, and her summer residence in Gödöllő, Hungary.
These plaques, mounted in Vienna, tell some of her story:
Cosmos Tour: Prague Vienna Budapest – Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest began as a wedding party.
On October 12, 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, all the citizens of Munich were invited to the wedding!
The festivities were held in the fields in front of the city gates. The fields were named Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s meadow”) in honor of the Crown Princess, and have kept that name ever since. Locals have since abbreviated the name simply to “Wiesn” which is what locals call the festival.
Oktoberfest is not a German national event. It is a local Bavarian festival, held in Munich.