World Events Calendar:
Great Food and Drink Events.
Parades, celebrations and festivals of a civic or historical nature, listed alphabetically by country and/or city, with North American cities listed first.
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North America

Brattleboro, Vermont
Apple Days, September.
Pick your own apples at local orchards, apple pie contests, hayrides, craft fair. Call (802) 254-4565.
Chicago, Illinois.
A Taste of Chinatown, August.
Call 1-800-2CONNECT for more information.
The Chicago Air and Water Show as well as
the Concours D'Elegance Antique Car Show are also taking place the same weekend. See Chicago's other listings under "Multicultural Events" and "Sports - Aerial." Colfax, Louisiana
Louisiana Pecan Festival ,Late October - early November.
Parades, blessing of the crops, cooking contests Call(318) 627-5196.
Gilroy, Ceorgia
Gilroy Garlic Festival, July. Garlicky foods, entertainment. (408) 842-1625.

Hope, Arkansas
Watermelon Festival , August.
Watermelon eating and seed-spitting contests, entertainment, crafts. Since 1977. Call (501) 777-3640.

Laredo, Texas
Jalapeno Festival , February. Spicy food, pepper-eating contest, music. Call (210) 726-6697 for info.

McLean's Town, Grand Bahama Island
Annual Conch Cracking Contest. , February. October. The idea is to crack, extract and clean the most in the least time. Native foods, Goombay music, bingo, dancing, swimming races and sculling. Call 1-800-448-3386 for info.

Mystic, Connecticut
Chowderfest, October.
Contests for the most popular chowder style. Visitors can board tall ships, go for buggy rides; children dress is sailor's clothes, move cargo, try out sailor's bunks. Call (203) 572-5315 for info.

Morgan City, Louisana
Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, August-September. Shrimp cookoff, Cajun fare, blessing of the fleet, gospel tent. Call (504) 385-0703.

Nantucket, Massachusetts
Cranberry Harvest Festival October. 200 acres of bogs open to public, chef's food festival, inn tour, cranberry cooking contest. Call (508) 228-1700 for dates.

New Orleans, Louisiana
Mardi Gras, February. One of the world's great celebrations, marking the last day before Lent begins. The fun actually begins in early January and climaxes on "Fat Tuesday", so-called because people often eat their fill the day before Lent.
Check out their tourism website at: New Orleans

Oaxaca, Mexico
Food of the Gods Festival, October.
Market tours, cooking classes, classes on the pre-Hispanic use of medicinal herbs, food tastings, chocolate classes, outdoor picnic, visits to archaeological sites. Call 1-800-446-2922 for more information.

Penticton, British Columbia
Okanagan Wine Festival. September-October. Dinners, tastings, picnics, music. Call (604) 861-6654 for information.
Plant City, Florida
Florida Strawberry Festival, March. Country music, midway, strawberry shortcake-eating contest. Call (813) 752-9194 for info.
Portland, Oregon
Oregon Brewers Festival, July. Waterfront Park. Sixty microbreweries from North America offer beers, plus demonstrations, food, music. Call (503) 778-5917.
Rockland, Maine
Maine Lobster Festival, August. Lobster and other seafood, entertainment, open house on ships, boats and train rides. 1-800-562-2529. Topsfield, Massachusetts
Old-Fashioned Down East Bean Bake, September. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Call (805) 887-9264.

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Berne, Switzerland
Traditional Onion Market, November.
Public festivities. Call (212) 757-5944.
London, England
Great British Beer Festival, August.
More than 300 traditional British beers on sale. The Grand Hall at Olympia. Call +(44-172) 786-7201.
Oyster Fair, late August - early September.
Celebration of the start of the oyster season. Tooley St. near London Bridge. Champagne, oysters, steel bands, sea chanteys.
Menton, France
Lemon Festival , February. Elaborate floats made of lemons.
Munich, Germany
Oktoberfest, Mid-September through early October (the exact dates change each year, but Oktoberfest always ends on the first Sunday of October, and begins the 3rd Saturday prior). This is the original Oktoberfest, held since 1810. One of the World's must-see events. For ticket and other information call: +(89) 2 60 81 34.
or check out their website at: Munich For great, moderately-priced accommodations in a pleasant residential neighborhood, we recommend the: Hotel Uhland. It's great location in Theresienwiese (Theresa's Meadow) is within comfortable walking distance from the Oktoberfest grounds, the center city and the train station.

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Galilee, Israel
Olive Festival , November.
Jeep tours, olive oil production, open houses in Jewish and Arab villages, feasts, workshops, lectures, concerts, dance performances. Between the villages of Kawkab and Hurfeish, near Nazareth. Call 1-800-596-1199.

Hong Kong
Hong Kong Food Festival , March. Food stalls, entertainment. Call (212) 869-5008 for info.

Taipei, Taiwan
The Taipei Chinese Food Festival, August.
Sixty specialty booths. Dumpling banquet, plus contests. Call (212) 466-0691.