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Spring is nearly here and with it the anticipation of upcoming summer music festivals; give me that special aroma of exotic foods mixed with the unwashed masses and I am in my element. There are thousands of festivals in the UK alone during the summer months, bringing people together from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and areas, attracted for the same reasons; the atmosphere, passion for the music and the thrill only experienced at an open air festival.

Whether you are a regular festival groupie or have been saving like crazy to get to that one special event this year, then you need to think about getting your tickets now before they are all sold out. If the festival you want to go to is a huge event, such as Glastonbury or WOMAD, tickets will be in demand and are likely to sell out in record breaking time. Once you know the date of the festival, find out where to buy your tickets from and when they will be going on sale.

The best place to start looking for your ticket is to search the internet, this is a great source of information and advice and often you will be able to buy a summer festival ticket online with no fuss. These call centres work from the same database as you can access directly, so it makes sense to sit at home in comfort and do it yourself online.

For big festivals there are a number of agents authorized to sell tickets on the promoters’ behalf. They sell the tickets at their face value and add on a booking and processing fee, usually around 5-10%, for their service. You might have heard of some of the well-known agencies.

If you do find that it seems as if all the tickets are sold out don’t give up that easily as tickets usually go back on sale again closer to the date of the festival. The reasoning behind this is that musical festivals are given permission to operate with a certain capacity awaiting fire and safety checks. After these checks have been made and plans finalized then they receive the actual allowed capacity, which is always higher, and so at this point they can release more tickets. Keep checking out the web sites for tickets if you couldn’t get them before.

Another option open to you if you are finding it impossible to get a ticket is the resale market. Always ensure you use a secure exchange system which can provide guarantees that if you’re a buyer you get your tickets and if you’re a seller you get paid. EBay always has tickets on sale for music festivals, theatre tickets and concerts and is a secure site so see what is available.

When desperately seeking festival tickets be cautious of whom you are buying from as there are loads of touts eager to rip you off or sell counterfeits, it’s always best to buy from the official websites and agents. Ensure any online exchange you use is trustworthy; it’s possible for anyone to create a website or procure links on Google. Lastly, never buy tickets outside the grounds as this is the most common place for fraud. Forgeries can look as good as the originals these days and as you are getting turned away from the door the tout will have disappeared.

If music festivals such as South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits festival are testament to the city’s reputation as the Live Music Capitol of the World, the Texas Book Festival is proof positive that Austin is a hotbed of creativity in the literary world as well. Founded by Laura Bush in 1995, it has grown to become a nationally important event, featuring over two thousand authors, local, national and international, in twelve years of existence. Exciting, fun, musical and educational, this all-ages event is considered to be one of the premiere literary events in the country.
Located primarily in the State Capitol, the festival takes place every fall, drawing upwards of 40,000 spectators to delight in panels, concerts, demonstrations, and other activities in the House and Senate Chambers, as well as tents and stages erected on the sprawling green lawn of the Capitol grounds. Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and other high-profile politicos have given keynote addresses, and the late Governor Ann Richards was a regular as well. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Jim Lehrer, and Roy Blount Jr., and other such notables have made appearances as well.
A variety of themes are represented at the festival, with panels dedicated to mysteries, biographies, photography, retrospectives, periodicals, journalism, and many other topics. A “Lifestyle” tent hosts discussions and activities including parenting, wineries, birding, and yard art.
In keeping with the interests and expectations of Austinites, the festival emphasizes a high level of entertainment and music, dedicating one tent to musical performances throughout the festival, and hosting events at satellite locations including the legendary Continental Club. A concert featuring Austin’s finest musicians is held on the Capitol steps. Musician authors such as Joe Ely read from their works, as do those who write books about musicians, including Kathleen Hudson and Joe Nick Patoski.
Other aspects of the entertainment world are well-represented also. Actors including Eli Wallach and Marlee Matlin have appeared there, and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi offered live cooking demos for exotic recipes. Food and cooking are also highlighted, with an entire tent equipped with cooking supplies and dedicated to cookbooks and examinations of food culture.
The Texas Book Festival has raised over two million dollars for Texas Public Libraries, and their commitment to children is clear. With one tent dedicated to children’s authors, one to children’s entertainment, and one to activities for the little ones, this festival is a perfect way to combine books and literacy with a fun and exciting event. Storytimes abound throughout the festival, and activities can include hula dance, puppet shows, drawing, and sing-alongs. When children’s authors are in town for the festival, they often take part in “Reading Rock Stars,” an affiliated program that brings them to public schools to read their works.
A truly Austin event in spirit, the Texas Book Festival is a lively, creative and exciting way to explore the literary world both on a local and national level.

If you are a live music fan or an aficionado of performance art at all you probably save the concert tickets that gave you entrance to the most memorable experiences. So for you the best concert ticket to a concert or festival would be what? Your first ever festival or rock concert? The Rolling Stones last ever concert before their next last ever concert? My personal all time best concert ticket would be the one I had for a Paul Simon concert during his ‘rhythm of the saints’ tour in 1991 because of the great music and the precious memories that go with it.

But what if I asked you to choose your top concert ticket of all in the history of modern concert tickets. What would you say? I would choose, without hesitation a ticket to that iconic music festival of 1969, Woodstock. But wasn’t it a free concert I hear you ask? How can no ticket be a concert ticket? You are right. It ended up as free ‘festival for peace’ but started out as a paying one and there were 2 types of concert ticket printed. A pure text one and a deluxe picture one.

The 1969 Woodstock concert Ticket! This Woodstock concert ticket was originally meant to be sold for the Festival, but once Woodstock was declared a “Free” concert, all sales stopped.  Many of the single advance sale concert tickets ($7.00 face value) were either taken home as souvenirs or thrown away.  And, most of the sold on site tickets ($8.00 Face Value) were destroyed by the rains or simply discarded as useless because no concert tickets were required. They were also available as 3-day concert tickets covering the whole event. These 3-Day tickets are very rare and with such a concert ticket, you can feel the history.

The best concert ticket of all time would cost you about $350 on the memorabilia market. Concert ticket collectors drool over this item. Are you a baby boomer with one of these babies sitting in your memory box or scrapbook? The Original unused $8.00 ticket set for all three days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 15, 16 & 17th 1969. The full unused concert ticket intact measures about 10″ x 12″. What a line up it describes:

Three-Days of Peace & Music! Friday - Performers were Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Melanie, Tim Harden, Ravi Shankar, John Sebastian, country Joe mcDonald, Sweetwater, The Incredible String Band and Bert Sommer.

Saturday - Performers were Santana, Canned Heat, Mountain, Janis Joplin, Sly & The Family Stone, The Grateful Dead, Creedance Clearwater Revival, the Who, Quill and Keef Hartley.

Sunday - Performers were Jefferson, Joe Cocker, Country Joe and the Fish, Ten Years After, The Band, Johnny Winter, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Cosby Stills Nash and Young. (Performing after midnight or on Monday morning were the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sha-Na-Na and Jimi Hendrix).

Wow! Can you think of an even better concert ticket than the ticket that never was to this incredible concert?

Summer is here – outdoor venues’ event calendars are looking plump! Everyone is gearing up for concert picnics, outdoor plays, and summer concerts – even restaurants and eateries are offering gourmet picnic baskets to take to these events. Get your hats, umbrellas, beach chairs, and picnic blankets ready!

One particular event that I look forward to this summer is the California Philharmonic’s Festival on the Green. It’s held at the Los Angeles Arboretum every summer in succeeding weekends. Each performance features a theme (Classics, Dance, and Movie themes to name a few). This event started in 1997 – a vision of Maestro Vener. The event came a reality with the help community leaders and the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department. This year is definitely special as Festival on the Green is celebrating its 10th year.

There are many events happening in other parts of the country – if you are a big literary fan, the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, OR is the event for you. Founded in 1935, this Tony Award Winning event is among the oldest theatre events in the country. Started by a teacher from South Oregon Normal School, Angus L. Bowmer, the festival was officially launched on July 2, 1935. Bowmer’s idea is to create a festival in conjunction with the city’s Fourth of July celebration. In 2001, the 10 millionth ticket holder was welcome. This festival is definitely one to check out!

An event that has been gaining worldwide notoriety is the Burning Man Project. Founded by Larry Harvey and Jerry James in 1986, it started as an annual fire party at Baker Beach in San Francisco. This event began with a humble group of friends and now grew to a community of 25,000 people. There are different descriptions of this event… Some say it’s Art festival, some would describe it as music festival, and others a social experiment. It is probably a combination of all these – it seems the Burning Man Project is what you want it to be or how you experience it to be. The only way to find out is to go there yourself!

Whatever you are interest in; there is a summer event for you. There’s music, arts, theatre, culinary, and many more. Definitely plan ahead and get your tickets early, as most of the very popular events sell out months in advanced. Be sure to check out the events websites to see any restrictions (such as age, alcohol, transportation, etc.), if any.

To see a calendar of events happening this summer – music, concerts, festivals, theatre, culinary – visit The WhereWhen Project: http://www.thewherewhenproject.com. Calendar access is free with no registration required… And if you have an event to promote, posting events are free as well.

The 12th-annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will take place September 28 to November 11, 2007, with a “Tastefully Inspired” theme and events that include food and wine tastings, celebrity-chef cooking demonstrations, beer and wine seminars, nightly concerts, street performers and children’s activities. Admission to the 2007 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is included with regular Epcot park admission.

“With delicous cuisine, an extensive list of international wines, fascinating seminars and live entertainment through the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, the 12th-annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival promises something for everyone in the whole family,” said Kyle Collins, Director of Interactive Marketing for HotelsCorp.com. “Make sure to plan your itinerary before arriving to Epcot so you can enjoy all that the 2007 International Food & Wine Festival has to offer.”

INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE

The International Marketplace at the 2007 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival allows you to take a one-of-a-kind culinary tour around the world. Stop by each marketplace for eclectic appetizers that are in the $2-$4 range, along with recommended beer and wine pairings.

Africa: Morocco, South Africa

Asia: China, India, Japan

Caribbean: Dominican Republic

Continental Europe: Champagne, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain

Eastern Europe: Poland, Turkey

Latin America: Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru

North America: Canada, Great Beers of the World, Hops & Barley Market, Oklahoma, United States

Pacific Rim: Australia, New Zealand

SPECIAL EXHIBITS

The promenade at the 2007 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will feature a variety of interesting cultural exhibits and demonstrations:

American Wine Adventure: Take a regional tour of the New York and Napa Valley wine regions at the American Wine Adventure.

Andes Mountain Wine Bar: Enjoy great wines from Argentina and Chile at the Andes Mountain Wine Bar.

Australia: Discover Down Under: Take a tasting tour of Australia’s four major wine regions and pick out souvenirs at the Birdsville Provisions shop.

Dominican Republic: Daily culinary demonstrations, live entertainment crafts and more will take place at the Dominican Republic exhibit.

Festival Welcome Center: Conveniently located at the Wonders of Life Pavilion, the Festival Welcome Center will feature a Festival Wine Shop, wine and champagne bar and Festival Merchandise Shop. The Festival Welcome Center also will serve as the official celebrity book signing area.

The History of Beer in America: Learn the history of American beer with complimentary seminars that take place daily at 12:30 PM, 1:15 PM, 2:45 PM, 4:15 PM, 5:15 PM and 6:30 PM.

International Beers of the World: Enjoy complimentary seminars daily at the International Beers of the World exhibit.

Oklahoma 1907-2007: Cooking demonstrations, storytelling, exhibits and children’s activities will all make up this unique exhibit as Oklahoma celebrates 100 years of statehood.

Pearville Fear: A county fair-style exhibit that celebrates the “variety, flavor, diversity and nutritional importance” of this popular fruit.

Peru: Learn all about Inca culture and Peruvian cuisine at the Peru exhibit, which also features arts & crafts displays and Peruvian culinary demonstrations.

10-Day Regional Experiences: Michoacan, Mexico (October 5-14, 2007); Puglia, Italy (October 19-28, 2007); Greek Wine Bar Island (October 26-November 4, 2007).

Turkey Welcomes You: Enjoy Turkish cooking demonstrations, traditional Turkish art and crafts displays, exhibits and a Grand Bazaar.

Twinings Tea Bar: Explore the interesting history of Twinings tea as you stroll through the beautiful Twinings Garden.

EAT TO THE BEAT CONCERT SERIES

All Eat to the Beat Concert Series performances at the 2007 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will take place at the America Gardens Theatre in front of the U.S.A. Pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase. Show times are 5:45 PM, 7 PM and 8:15 PM.

Al Stewart: September 28-29, 2007

Otis Day and the Knights: September 30 – October 1, 2007

The Beach Boys: October 2-3, 2007

The Original Family Stone: October 4-6, 2007

Sheena Easton: October 7-9, 2007

Starship starring Mickey Thomas: October 10-13, 2007

David Cassidy: October 14-16, 2007

Little Richard: October 17-18, 2007

Juice Newton: October 19-21, 2007

The Four Tops: October 22-25, 2007

Village People: October 26-27, 2007

Expose: October 28-30, 2007

Jon Secada: October 31 – November 3, 2007

Chubby Checker and the Wildcats: November 4-6, 2007

The Contours featuring Sylvester Potts – November 7-8, 2007

David Sanborn – November 9-11, 2007

SPECIAL WINE & CULINARY PROGRAMS

A wide range of wine and culinary programs are scheduled for the 2007 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (additional costs apply):

A South African Wine Adventure: Friday, October 12, 2007, World Showplace

Chefs A’ Field – Kids on the Farm: Wednesdays, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, Odyssey – The Chef’s Showplace

The Cook, The Book and The Bottle: Fridays, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, Odyssey – The Chef’s Showplace

Discovering Wine: A Sensory Adventure: Various dates, Citricos, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Food & Wine Pairings: Various locales and dates

Odyssey Kitchen Conversations: Select Thursdays, 3-4:30 PM, Odyssey – The Chef’s Showplace

Sweet Sundays: Sundays, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, Odyssey – The Chef’s Showplace

Vertical Wine Tastings: Saturdays, 1:30 PM-3 PM, California Grill, Disney’s Contemporary Resort

FESTIVAL DINING OPPORTUNITIES

Don’t miss the opportunity to experience incredible cuisine and an extensive wine selection during the 2007 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (additional costs apply):

Exquisite Evenings at Epcot: Enjoy a five-course meal prepared by the Festival’s team of celebrity chefs.

Party for the Senses – Eat, Drink and Celebrate: Enjoy a reserved seat at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and then sit down to a delicious meal, along with entertaining acts from Cirque du Soleil La Nouba.

Regional Feasts: Celebrate cuisine from the diverse regions of the world during Regional Feasts, which includes a welcome reception, four-course meal and live entertainment.

Signature Dining: Celebrity chefs are invited to prepare a five-course meal at select Walt Disney World Resort restaurants.

FAMILY EVENTS

The 2007 Epcot Food & Wine Festival offers something for the entire family such as the Junior Chef Program, Behind the Seeds Greenhouse Tour, Kidcot Fun Stops, Pearville Fair and Oklahoma 1907-2007.