by Kathleen Crislip

Fall means festivals and special events! US music festivals? Film festivals? Planning US travel and don't want to miss any fall festivals or autumn special events? Use this handy festivalfinder from Travel Cuts to find US festivals and special events - search by festivals' themes and/or festivels' dates. The festivalfinder search engine offers the option to search for special events up to two years in advance, but you'll probably only see this fall's festivals' dates unless the festivals are annual special events and take place every autumn - you'll see a disclaimer if it's possible that a particular fall festival's details may change.

Themes

A festivalfinder random search for US fall festivals and special events in the ten theme categories pulled up some examples of interesting things to see and do in the USA this fall (click the theme link to see all listings):

Arts - Colorado's Telluride Film Festival, Mississippi's Tennessee Williams Festival, San Francisico's American Indian Film Festival and the Miami Book Fair.

Bizarre - Chicago Supernatural Tours and California's Tarantula Festival and Fall Barbecue (no tarantulas on the menu).

Classical Music - Florida's FIU Music Festival, Washington DC's Kennedy Center Prelude Festival and Alabama's Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers' Convention (fiddlin' is all time American classical!).

Festivals & Heritage - NYC's Brooklyn Carnival (West Indian Day Parade), Boston's Octoberfest Festival, Omaha's Annual Native Pride Powwow (in honor of American Indian Day) and New York's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting.

Gay and Lesbian - Key West's Fantasy Fest, Philadelphia's OutFest, Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and San Francisco's Tranny Fest.

Kids and Family - South Carolina's Chitlin' Strut (every kid should see 128,000 pounds of hog guts once), Wisconsin's US Watermelon Seed-Spitting & Speed-Eating Championship, Salem's Haunted Halloween Happenings and New York's Sleepy Hollow Legend Weekend.

Lifestyle - Houston's International Quilt Festival, Kentucky's Shaker Village Harvest Homecoming and Missouri's Festival of American Music and Craftsmanship (gospel, blues, films and a wooly western celebration of American expansion).

Music & Nightlife - Chicago's World Music Festival, Las Vegas' Fetish and Fantasy Halloween Ball and Oasis, Coldplay, Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, DKT/MC5, U2, Buddy Guy, Gang of Four (yeah!) and more at various venues.

Click to buy concert tickets direct - choose seat and prices.

Science & Knowledge - Daytona Beach's Biketoberfest (Harleys hold many scientific mysteries, like why they Harley ever start), Alaska's Sitka Whale Fest and Arizona's Navajo Nation Fair.

Sport and Outdoors - Ohio's Gravity Games (Freestyle BMX, Freestyle Motocross, Street Luge, Skateboarding and Wakeboarding, music, interactive games, autograph signings and free giveaways), West Virginia's New River Gorge Bridge Day (basejumpers - you brave lunatics!), Maui's Aloha Classic Windsurfing Championships and all the NFL games you can throw a football at (various venues - click to buy grrreat NFL tickets direct - choose seat and prices.].

Details

When you click into an event, you'll be taken to its individual page giving details like dates, venue and contact info, location and directions, a weather link, tourist offices and a link to the event's website if one exists. Because Travel Cuts is a full-service student travel agency, a bonus is that any event's home page also contains links to information about the hosting area:

Overview

Introduction

Government

Environment

Society

Economy

Pre-departure

Climate

Communication

Getting There

Getting Around

Culture

Images

Map

The Bottom Line

The festival finder is surprisingly comprehensive, considering that it attempts to cover events and festivals across the United States. Get out there and soak up some stuff!

"The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes 'sight-seeing.'" --Daniel J. Boorstin