Though tulips did not originate in America, bulbs will be bursting into bloom in May across the land, with festivities to match. Art lovers should find plenty to feast their eyes on too, at a juried arts fest in Florida and an open studio weekend in Vermont.
May 1-2: Dandelion Festival, Dover, Ohio, http://www.dandelionfestival.com. Sample dandy recipes for dandelion sausage, bread, lasagna and ice cream.
May 1-3: Lincoln funeral re-enactment, Springfield, Ill., http://www.lincolnfuneraltrain.org. Period carriages and Civil War re-enactors are in attendance for the 150th anniversary of presidential tragedy.
May 2-4: Clun Green Man Festival, Clun, England, http://www.clungreenman.org.uk. Medieval malarkey and mayhem mark town and castle celebrations.
May 2-9: Holland Tulip Time Festival, Holland, Mich., http://www.tuliptime.com. 86th Dutch treat features Bob Newhart in performance.
May 8-10: ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival, South Walton, Fla., http://www.artsquestflorida.com. Mother’s Day weekend exhibition brings 125 juried artists on board.
May 8-10: Hamburg Harbor Birthday (826th), Hamburg, Germany, http://www.hamburg.de/hafengeburtstag-english. Elbe elations are headlined by Tugboat Ballet on Saturday.
May 8-17: Rochester Lilac Festival, Rochester, N.Y., http://www.lilacfestival.com. Spring fling in Highland Park displays “largest collection of lilacs in the United States.”
May 8-18: Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa and Gatineau, Ontario, http://www.tulipfestival.ca. Line dancing, sword fighting and fireworks blossom at “world’s largest tulip festival.”
May 9-10: Albany Tulip Festival, Albany, N.Y., http://www.albanyevents.org. Tiptoe through 100,000 bulbs at Washington Park.
May 9-Sept. 6: “Van Gogh + Munch,” Oslo, http://www.munchmuseet.no/en/exhibitions/van-gogh-munch. Munch Museum meshes two past masters.
May 10-17: Amgen Tour of California, statewide, http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com. Eight-stage north-to-south professional cycling tour takes 10th annual spin.
May 13-17: Outside Bike & Brew Festival, Santa Fe, http://www.outsidesantafe.com. New Mexico craft beer and cycle extravaganza heads into high gear.
May 15-24: Trails Tales Tunes Festival, Norris Point, Newfoundland, http://www.trailstalestunes.ca. Strolling, storytelling and singing in Gros Morne National Park.
May 16: Gettysburg Outdoor Antique Show, Gettysburg, Pa., http://www.gettysburgretailmerchants.com. Cupboards, crocks, coins and more, rain or shine; sale repeats Sept. 26.
May 17: Portland Pug Crawl, Portland, Ore., http://www.oregonhumane.org/pug-crawl. Fashionable pugs walk the runway, benefiting the Oregon Humane Society.
May 20-26: Fleet Week New York, http://www.fleetweeknewyork.com. Swabbies display their maritime skills across the city.
May 21-31: Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Wales, http://www.hayfestival.com. Small-town book bash brings on Stephen Fry, Germaine Greer and Kazuo Ishiguro.
May 22-25: Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle, http://www.nwfolklife.org. Memorial Day weekend cultural fete presents 6,000 performers.
May 23-24: Spring Open Studio Weekend, Vermont, statewide, http://www.vermontcrafts.com. Behind-the-scenes peek at weavers, potters, carvers and other skilled crafters.
May 30-31: Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival, Monterey, Calif., http://www.artichokefestival.org. Produce fair gets to the heart of the matter with field tours and an agro-art contest.
Dates may change; always check in advance to confirm.
Backenheimer is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
