July literally starts with a bang since Independence Day falls on the first weekend. After the 4th, the fun doesn’t stop.
Check out family festivals in my article about July Festivals in Family Magazine, (www.washingtonfamily.com).
These are the top picks out of hundreds of events I found for July. Stay cool, safe and most of all, have a Frugally Fabulous July.
Know about an event not listed here? Send it: frugalsocialite@aol.com
AMTRAK TRAIN FLORIDA MARYLAND NEW YORK NORTH CAROLINA PENNSYLVANIA SOUTH CAROLINA
VIRGINIA WASHINGTON, D.C. WEST VIRGINIA
Amtrak
The Frugal Socialite LOVES long distance train rides. So many ask me why the train instead of getting there fast by air? Isn't it obvious? Taking the train is like a zen experience where you can slow down, discover all the land, houses, water, animals and people that you don't see when driving down the highway's asphalt. Stay tuned for more information on the new, exclusive Frugal Socialite Train Tips & merchandise later this Summer.
Click for current Summer promotions from Amtrak. I've taken Amtrak from D.C. to Fort Lauderdale, FL for only $15! How? Last minute deals!
Florida
Miami
SUMMER JAZZ CAMP -teens and adults, July 18-August 18, 2011, sponsored by the Arts at St Johns in Miami Beach includes Jazz music history, introduction to the fundamental language of Jazz, Latin rhythms, Jazz theory and technique, Jazz improvisation, and small-group ensemble jam sessions. Taught by Nestor Zurita, creator and director for his 1200 student jazz program at the Ecuadorian National Conservatory in Quito, plus holds accolades for performance and teaching in NYC, Miami, Paris and Brussels. Tuition, class times and other information: www.artsatstjohns.com, or 305-613-2325
Maryland
Annapolis area
First Sunday Arts Festival, Sunday, July 3, Noon - 5:00 p.m. First block of West and Calvert Streets, Annapolis. Admission: Free 410-741-3267 www.firstsundayarts.com Join the fun on the first Sunday of each month when crafts vendors, artists, musical acts and street performers gather to celebrate the arts.
Summer at City Dock, Sundays, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. City Dock, Annapolis, Admission: Free 410-268-1636 www.summeratcitydock.com
Now in its third year, Summer at City Dock--Annapolis’ free performing arts and live music series festival-- continues to provide families with free quality entertainment at the city’s waterfront. Professional street performers take the stage for the first half of the day, followed by a free concert at 4:30 pm. Presented by ARINC, and co-sponsored by many of the businesses in Annapolis’ Downtown Business District, the festival is becoming a staple of Annapolis’ summer entertainment offerings. Come see what's happening at the Dock!
Fourth of July Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony, Monday, July 4, 9:30 a.m.—Naturalization Ceremony , 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.—Family Celebration, William Paca House and Garden, 186 Prince George Street, Annapolis. Admission: Free www.annapolis.gov
Celebrate our nation's birthday at the home of Declaration of Independence signer William Paca. The day begins as immigrants become American citizens in a moving Naturalization Ceremony. Visitors will enjoy tours of the Pacas’ home, live musical performances, and a Revolutionary War encampment. Costumed interpreters portraying Paca and members of his household bring the past alive. Children's activities include patriotic crafts and the opportunity to add their John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence with a quill pen.
Annapolis July 4th Parade, Monday, July 4, 6:30 p.m. www.annapolis.gov Come join the fun! In addition to the traditional fireworks display, the Annapolis 2010 July 4th Celebration continues with an old-fashioned community parade. This patriotic Annapolis salute to our nation is always a crowd pleaser, with thousands of viewers lining the route.
Wednesday Night Sailboat Races, Wednesday evenings, July 6, 13, 20 and 27, First gun at 6:05 p.m. Annapolis Harbor, 410-263-9279. www.annapolisyc.com, Annapolis’ famed Wednesday Night Sailboat Races continues this month through the first of September. Grab a dockside seat for the midweek races where some 150 boats sail around several marks in the Bay then back into Spa Creek for the finish in front of the Annapolis Yacht Club. For many, the post-race party is the official beginning of the weekend.
Annapolis Irish Festival, Saturday, July 9, Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, www.annapolisirishfestival.com Traditional music, Pipe and Drums corps, Celtic rock bands, Irish step dancers, workshops and exhibits, and a massive indoor children's area with activities including pony rides, moon bounces, games, crafts, face painters, and live stage entertainment for the young 'uns. Kids can explore the history of Ireland, learn about and play some of the traditional instruments including the fiddle and bohran, and learn a jig or two from Irish dancers. They can even take part in a "Best Freckles" competition. Vendors offering authentic Irish crafts, foods, clothing jewelry and more, will bring the flavor of the Emerald Isle here to Annapolis.
Annapolis Comedy Festival, Thursday - Saturday, July 14-16, Inner West Street from Church Circle to Westgate Circle, Annapolis, Tickets will range from $10 to $15, depending on the venue. 410-271-3912 www.AnnapolisComedyFest.com Plans are in the works for the first ever Annapolis Comedy Festival featuring a current Saturday Night Live personality as well as local talent and comedians from Chicago, New York, and the Charleston Comedy Festival. The Loews Annapolis, O’Callaghan, and Westin Annapolis Hotels, as well as Rams Head and the Latin Quarter will serve as venues for the event that will culminate in a comedy slam and wrap party at the Latin Quarter.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Public Tours, Saturday--Sunday, July 16-17, 9:00 a.m. / Noon / 3:00 p.m. Annapolis Maritime Museum, Tickets: $70, 410-295-0104, www.amaritime.org, Ferry out to the last screwpile lighthouse left in its original location on the the Chesapeake Bay. This is a rare opportunity to get a docent-led tour of the inside of this Bay icon. Built in 1875, the lighthouse is now a National Historic Landmark and has been undergoing restoration by volunteers for the past 6 years. Check out the progress. Space is limited and advance registration is required.
William Paca Garden Concert Series, Thursday, July 21,6:00 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.) William Paca House and Garden, 186 Prince George Street, Annapolis, Admission: $10 in advance / $12 at the door, children 5-15 $5, children under 5 Free. 410-267-8146 www.annapolis.org Welcome back for the fourth season of outdoor concerts in “The Coolest Backyard in Town.” Concert-goers are invited to bring a picnic supper and spread blankets on the lawn or sit in chairs on the breezy terrace. Bring no drinks please – wine, beer, soda and water provided at a cash bar.
National Harbor, MD
If you have a sitter or want an adult party without the kids, the 2nd annual,The Uncle Sam Jam, Saturday, July 2, 2-10 pm moves from DC to the Harbor this year. Must be 21 to enter! Live music, DJs, food by Famous Dave's activities and alcoholic beverage stations for adults. http://www.theunclesamjam.com/
Park your car for the night at Gaylord National for the Fireworks & Fun Celebration, July 3rd, 6:30 pm- 9:30 pm. Carnival rides and wee activities in the Kid’s Zone. Live music plus a ginormous fireworks show. $239 gets 4 tickets and hotel room. Shrek and crew are taking reservations starting July 19 for their new DreamWorks interactive character experiences: overnight packages plus private character birthday parties starting November. www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-national
Set up on the lawn Sunday nights for free family Movies on The Potomac at the Harbor’s Marina. Check website for movie titles and exact times. www.nationalharbor.com/consumer/entertainment.htm
Ocean City, MD
Budding extreme sports star in your home? The Dew Tour premiers in Ocean City July 21-24, bringing the world’s best athletes in skateboard vert, bowl and BMX park. Autographs, Festival Village, concerts and surf competitions are free. Seating and the Action Zone require tickets. http://www.allisports.com/dew-tour/event/ocean-city-2011.
New York
Manhattan/New York City
Lincoln Center Outdoors - July 27-August 14, 2011 - This free summer festival includes more than 100 live performances. Perfect for the entire family, the month-long program also includes special activities and children’s entertainment. All events take place on the outdoor plazas of Lincoln Center. – www.lincolncenter.org
Classic Coney Island’s just opened amusement park the “Scream Zone” brings new thriller rides. Not daring? Beach, boardwalk and of course hot dogs still rule.www.lunaparknyc.com/screamzone.html
Governors Island is a favorite places to spend the day in the summer for New Yorkers and tourists. There is a free ferry that will take you straight to the island and there are always children activities including bike rentals.- http://www.govisland.com/html/home/home.shtml
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Gettysburg
International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival June 24-July 3 (www.gs-festival.co.uk). Variety of theater troupes from around the country and overseas, as well as a youth production
Of course, you can’t think Gettysburg without thinking reenactment. The weekend of July 1-3 is the annual three-day reenactment(www.gettysburgreenactment.com) but families can also experience an in-town reenactment in the evening of July 2 at the Shriver House (www.shriverhouse.org). Additional living history, ranger walks, and special programs will round out the weekend. A local carnival runs through July 2, so families can take in a small town carnival complete with games, rides and great food Tuesday through Saturday.
July 16-17 is the Gettysburg 19th Century Base Ball Festival. This is the festival’s second year and they have added additional period teams to the lineup as well as more living history programs. The tournament is held at a Hickory Hollow Farm on fields just as it was in the 19th century, in keeping with the period the players don’t even use gloves. www.gvbbt.wordpress.com
What better way to enjoy summer than the 8th Annual Old-Fashioned CornFest at the Historic Round Barn and Farm Market www.RoundBarnGettysburg.com. With fresh corn straight from the field, live music, pony rides and for the kids, wagon rides and fresh peach sundaes – this is what summer in the country is all about.
Philadelphia
5th Annual Global Fusion Festival, Saturday, July 16, 2011, Noon until 8:00pm, The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing. Global Fusion Festival (GFF) draws more than 25k attendees and presents an electrifying week of non-stop entertainment, drawing diverse communities together to celebrate the “cultural fusion” of the world. Fusion-inspired events take place across Philadelphia all week, wrapping-up with a FREE festival featuring big-name performers, ethnic dancers, vendors and activities for the kids! The festival showcases non-stop entertainment with breath-taking performances by the best in Bachata, Hip Hop, Merengue, R&B and Gospel featuring such talents as DJ Jazzy Jeff, Andy Andy, Jazmine Sullivan, Bell Biv DeVoe, En Vogue and Marsha Ambrosious. Initially produced to celebrate MAC’s 20th Anniversary, the Global Fusion Festival has become much more than a one-time event. This festival truly embodies Philadelphia’s dynamic culture and in result, Philadelphia is regarded as a leading multicultural destination with the event being named a Top 100 event by the American Bus Association. www.globalfusionfestival.com
South Carolina
Virginia
Alexandria
Events to come…
Chincoteague Pony Swim
http://www.virginia.org/Listings/EventsAndExhibits/AnnualPonySwimandAuct...
The annual round up of wild ponies from Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore has captured the hearts and minds of visitors for years. Volunteer firemen round up the ponies on Assateague Island and on the last Wednesday in July (before the last Thursday), swim them across the channel to Chincoteague Island where they rest before being herded down Main Street to the carnival grounds. On the last Thursday of July, from 8:00 a.m. until noon, there is an auction held at the Carnival grounds to sell the foals born this year.
Floyd, Blue Ridge area: Floyd Fest
http://www.virginia.org/Listings/EventsAndExhibits/FloydFest/
A 4-day celebration of music and art nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia! Bridging the gap between genres, generations and cultures, the festival features over 50 performers on 7 stages! The 80-acre mountain plateau offers camping, a progressive ‘Global Village’ area of workshops and demonstrations, over 100 artisans and crafters, food offerings ranging from pulled-pork BBQ to fresh
Fredericksburg, VA
Full listing of official tourism events in Fredericksburg http://www.visitfred.com/visitors/events/events.aspx?etid=1&em=7&ey=2011
First Family Table , August 6th – 14th promotes locally grown food, healthy eating butter & cheese making, Veggy Art plus features from Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center and Cobblestone Children’s Museum. The Saturday kick-off will include an expanded farmer’s market at Hurkamp Park.
Fredericksburg’s family-friendly Kid’s Restaurant Week offering special kid’s meals nightly from 5-6:30 p.m. where kids 11 and under ‘pay their age’ for their meal. Adult meals are “two for $20”. http://blogs.fredericksburg.com/frontburner/2011/04/18/391/
Front Royal, VA
More events: www.discoverfrontroyal.com or www.frontroyalevents.com.
Gazebo Gatherings- Every Friday in July & August, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, - enjoy a variety live music every Friday evening during Blue Ridge Arts Council's Summer Concert Series at the Gazebo at the Village Commons in historic downtown Front Royal, www.blueridgearts.org
July 3, 4th of July Celebration, Northern Virginia 4-H Center, http://www.nova4h.com/
July 9, 6:00 pm -11:00 pm Dancing Downtown, Live music, food & drink in historic downtown Front Royal
July 16, 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm Dancin' in the Streets, Featuring the music of Souled Out, in celebration of Warren County's 175th Anniversary, www.warrencountyva.net
July 23, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Warren County Day, Community Family Festival, www.warrencountyva.net
Paddle for the Cause this season - Rent a pink kayak or a pink canoe and help support Breast Cancer Research and Women’s Cardiac Health Research!
When you rent a pink kayak or a pink canoe a small donation fee will be added to your rental. Front Royal Canoe will match the donation fee and all those funds will be given to support the research.
Kayaks - $2.50 each, Canoes - $5.00 each. For more information, please visit www.frontroyalcanoe.com or call 800-270-8808 or 540-635-5440.
Independence Day at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest
http://www.virginia.org/Listings/EventsAndExhibits/IndependenceDayCelebrationatJeffersonsPoplarForest/
Come with family and friends to experience Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest come alive with patriotism! Independence Day at Poplar Forest is a perennial favorite for individuals and families throughout Virginia. In 2011, the celebration will feature music, dance, living history interpreters, historic craft demonstrations (potters, weavers, and soap-making), storytelling, interactive children’s games and much more. The festivities will feature Poplar Forest’s signature July 4th event: a fife and drum parade, followed by the stirring reading of the Declaration of Independence from Jefferson’s porch at 1:30 pm. Adults, $5. Under 16, free. Additional fee for hours tours throughout the day. More information at www.poplarforest.org.
Harrisonburg, VA
July 4, 2011 - Valley 4th Of July celebrates our independence in a big way with all day activities, a parade, and live music. You'll find children’s activities, walking tours, food, beer garden, and more. The day kicks off with a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and continues until the grand fireworks display over Court Square in historic downtown Harrisonburg. Fun for the whole family in historic downtown Harrisonburg. Information (540) 432-8922 or visit www.downtownharrisonburg.org
Shenandoah: Blackberry Delight in Shenandoah National Park
http://www.virginia.org/Listings/EventsAndExhibits/BlackberryDelightinSh...
In mid-summer blackberries ripen in the open areas along trails and streams in Shenandoah. The mountain residents who lived in Shenandoah prior to the national park’s establishment would pick the berries and make their jams and jellies, as we still do today. The staff at Big Meadows Wayside will be using blackberries in an variety of foods such as pulled pork with a blackberry BBQ sauce, grilled chicken with a blackberry relish, blackberry triffle, blackberry cobbler, blackberry jellies & syrup. Celebrate the wonderful flavor of this seasonal berry as we crank the ice cream maker and make delicious home-made ice cream. Entertainment includes blue grass bands and cloggers. It’s a great way to spend the day for the entire family. 11:00am to 5:00pm at mile 51.3 on Skyline Drive.
sushi to hand-churned ice cream, a comprehensive healing arts area, and a Children’s Universe, featuring stage performances geared toward children, puppetry, workshops, playground equipment and babysitting services. The festival is located at milepost 170.5 off the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia
Official tourism events close to DC area: Martinsburg-Berkeley www.travelwv.com/
Entire state of WV: www.wvcommerce.org/travel/eventscalendar/july.aspx
Alderson, WV -50th Anniversary of their 4th of July Celebration, July 1 – 5. www.alderson4th.com .
Small town, great fun for everyone with children's art contest, inflatables, kids fishing derby, street dances, parades and more.
Ripley, Southern WV- 4th of July festival is billed as the largest small town festival.
http://www.ripley4thofjuly.us/
The Annual Friends of Coal Auto Fair, July 15-17. A “car show” with a great lineup of musical entertainment, carnival rides for the kids, games and more. http://friendsofcoalautofair.com/
John Henry Days, July 8-10. Another small town festival, rich in WV folk lore and history is http://johnhenrydays.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/John-Henry-Days-Sche
dule-of-Events-2011.pdf
W.Va. Hot Dog Festival, Huntington, July 30th www.wvhotdogfestival.com/
