JANUARY
20: Washington Inauguration Day. Hoopla for Barack Obama, with swearing-in at noon.
22 : St. Paul, Minn. St. Paul Winter Carnival. Everything's on ice, from fishing to softball. Through Feb. 1.
24-31 : Elko, Nev. National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. 25th annual roundup of silver-tongued ranch hands.
25 : Ayrshire, Scotland Homecoming Burns Supper. Poet Robert Burns' 250th birthday party launches return-to-Scotland year.
25 : Hong Kong Chinese New Year Celebrations. Parades and fireworks unyoke the Year of the Ox. Through Feb. 1.
FEBRUARY
3 : Lubbock, Texas Not Fade Away: Remembering "The Day the Music Died." Hometown homage to Buddy Holly (died 1959).
5-11 : Sapporo, Japan Sapporo Snow Festival. Monumental sculptures tower over 60th edition.
7-13 : Boise, Idaho Special Olympics World Winter Games. Snow and ice confront athletes from 100 countries.
13 : Nice, France Carnival of Nice. "King of Masquerades" reigns over the French Riviera. Through March 1.
20-24 : Pensacola, Fla. Pensacola Mardi Gras. Finale finds the Krewe of Wrecks storming the beach.
24 : Liberal, Kan. International Pancake Day. Britain vs. America flapjack race always a tossup.
MARCH
13-17: Dublin, Ireland St. Patrick's Festival. Parks and pubs roll out the green carpet.
13-22: Oslo, Norway Oslo International Church Music Festival. Heavenly sounds as organists pull out all the stops. Maastricht, Netherlands European Fine Art Fair. Dutch treat for serious art and antiques shoppers.
20-22 : Denver Denver March Pow Wow. 98 tribes meet to dance, drum and keep traditions alive.
21-April 4: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival. An oasis of sound, sixth edition.
29-April 4: Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Week. Concerts rock the house as music legends await enshrinement.
APRIL
3-5: Norman, Okla. Medieval Fair. "King Arthur" presides over round table of feasts and follies.
18-19: Cullman, Ala. Bloomin' Festival. St. Bernard Abbey gives its blessing to 140 artisans.
22-25: Tucson, Ariz. Tucson International Mariachi Conference. A swirl of classes and concerts, highlighted by the Mariachi Mass.
28-May 3: Seville, Spain April Fair. Andalusian arts and antics from dusk to dawn.
MAY
2-9: Holland, Mich. Tulip Time Festival. Six million bulbs in bloom for the 80th anniversary.
16-17: Jackson, Wyo. ElkFest. Antlers on the auction block benefit National Elk Refuge.
21-24: Monte Carlo, Monaco Grand Prix de Monaco. 77 laps on narrow streets leave no margin for error.
21-25: Louisville, Ky. Abbey Road on the River. Beatles' festival celebrates 40th anniversary of Abbey Road.
30: Washington Rededication of the Lincoln Memorial. Ceremony commemorates bicentennial of Abe's birth year.
JUNE
2: Brussels, Belgium Opening of the Magritte Museum. 200 works on view in what was once the home of artist Rene Magritte.
13-15: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, N.C. and Tenn. 75th Anniversary Weekend. Park programs salute Cherokee and Appalachian history.
18-20: Tabor, S.D. Czech Days. Check out the Beseda dancers and kolace-baking demonstration.
22-July 5: Wimbledon, England Lawn Tennis Championships. Roger Federer tries to regain the biggest title on grass.
23-28: Geneva, Ill. Midsommar Festival. 60th smorgasbord of all things Swedish.
JULY
2-14: Burlington, Vt. Celebrate Champlain Burlington International Waterfront Festival. Champagne celebration for explorer Samuel de Champlain's arrival 400 years ago.
8-12: Shediac, New Brunswick Shediac Lobster Festival. Bare-handed eating contests mark 60th anniversary of Acadian extravaganza.
16-20 : Halifax, Nova Scotia Tall Ships Nova Scotia Festival. Tall ships tip their sails at 250th birthday of the naval port.
24-26: Sighisoara, Romania Festival of Medieval Arts. Troubadours tout the lore of medieval Transylvania.
25-Aug. 2 : Copenhagen, Denmark World Outgames. "Love of Freedom, Freedom to Love," second edition.
27-Aug. 2: Oshkosh, Wis. EAA AirVenture. 10,000 flying machines take over one tiny airport.
AUGUST
10-16: Chaska, Minn. PGA Championship. Wanamaker Trophy changes hands at one of golf's grand slams.
15: Detroit Woodward Dream Cruise. 40,000 custom and collector cars take U.S. 1 to Pontiac.
17-29: Calgary, Alberta GlobalFest. Canada, Mexico and Spain challenge champion China in the fireworks finals.
27-31: Vilnius, Lithuania Klezmer Festival. Virtuosos roam Vilnius during its Cultural Capital year.
28-30: Colebrook, Columbia and Pittsburg, N.H. Moose Festival. Moose mania, with calling contests and guided tours.
SEPTEMBER
4-7 : Ligonier, Ind. Ligonier Marshmallow Festival. Sticky-finger follies feature beauty pageant, bake-off and bed races.
5-7: Colorado Springs, Colo. Balloon Classic. Rocky Mountain high with mass ascensions at dawn.
10-13: Bismarck, N.D. United Tribes International Powwow. 40th annual gathering showcases champion drummers and dancers.
17-19: Shakopee, Minn. Junk Bonanza. Vintage Western collectibles fill "The Junk Corral."
OCTOBER
4-11: Fryeburg, Maine Fryeburg Fair. Farm fete lineup includes midway amusements, tractor pulls and sheepdog trials.
16-18: Harpers Ferry, W. Va. Sesquicentennial Commemoration of John Brown's raid on the U.S. armory. Living-history observance of 1859 anti-slavery milestone.
22-24: Hamilton, Bermuda Bermuda Tattoo. Music and military precisions mark island's 400th anniversary.
23-25: Rehoboth Beach, Del. Sea Witch Halloween & Fiddlers Festival. 20th edition of fun on the boardwalk and the beach.
NOVEMBER
1: New York New York City Marathon. 38,000 runners take a long day's journey (26 miles, 385 yards) to Central Park.
9: Berlin Festival of Freedom. 20th-anniversary street party celebrates the fall of the Wall.
11-21: Linz, Austria "A Proper Punch and Judy Show." Puppets play a knockout role in city's Cultural Capital year.
20-Dec. 30: Pine Mountain, Ga. Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens. Five-mile drive-through brightens the holiday season.
26-Dec. 31: Carlsbad, N.M. Christmas on the Pecos. Shoreline homes are all aglitter for festive cruise-bys.
28-Dec. 6: Guadalajara, Mexico Guadalajara International Book Fair. Latin America's biggest page-turner.
DECEMBER
4-5: Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Boat Parade of Lights. London Bridge welcomes 27th annual procession of well-trimmed vessels.
7: Milan, Italy Opening Night at La Scala. Annual high note for famous opera house.
11-13: Palmer, Alaska Colony Christmas. Even reindeer are in attendance at this frosty spectacle.
31: Boston First Night Boston. The very first of the First Nights ends with a "Countdown to Midnight."
Dates are subject to change. Always check in advance to confirm dates and details.