Lenox, Mass.
Jazz festival
Aug. 29-31
The Tanglewood Jazz Festival caps the summer at the Berkshires home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Except for single concerts in the Koussevitsky Music Shed and the Tanglewood Theatre, the music fills Ozawa Hall and the surrounding hillside lawn. The opening Latin night presents Michel Camilo and his trio, Gato Barbieri, and Flamenco guitarist Jonathan ``Juanito'' Pascual. Among other weekend performers are Natalie Cole, Donal Fox in a tribute to the Modern Jazz Quartet, Shirley Horn, Kenny Barron and Canta Brasil with Trio Da Paz, Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Orchestra, Duke Robillard, Louisiana Red, Marian McPartland, Norah Jones, Hiromi, and Wynton Marsalis and his septet.
Tanglewood, Route 183.
888-266-1200; 617-266-1492. www.tanglewoodjazzfestival.com.
Tomato celebration
Sept. 7
Not all tomatoes are created equal. At the annual Epicurean Tomato Fete, the Eastern Native Seed Conservancy dishes up samples of 100 colorful heirloom varieties grown by area farmers. The tomato also gets star billing in appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks dreamed up and prepared by more than 25 chefs from near and far. In a new twist to the ENSC's big fund-raising event, the organizers added the National King Ketchup Competition to show that not all ketchups are created equal. With four categories, the contest is open to commercial producers and amateur ketchup makers. Other locally produced foods - garlic-infused oils, wines, and ciders - are available for sampling. The $45 admission includes all tastings. The afternoon fete opens at 1 with a lecture by Andy Smith, a tomato historian.
Eastover Resort, East Street. 413-229-8316; 413-274-1218. www.enscseeds.org.
Milwaukee
Harley-Davidson centennial
Aug. 28-31
The Ford automobile and the Harley-Davidson motorcycle arrived on the scene the same year: 1903. The Ford Motor Co. had its centennial bash in June. Now it's Harley-Davidson's turn, though the decibels are guaranteed to be higher in Milwaukee than Detroit. That's because organizers have 10,000 motorcyclists ready to rumble through town in the Anniversary Parade to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. And we're not counting all the spectators arriving on their own bikes. For those who want to see how Harleys are made, the area's factories offer free tours. Those with valid motorcycle licenses and proper gear get a chance to ride the 2004 Harley and Buell models at the Powertrain Operations in Wauwatosa. The whole city gets into the spirit with block parties and other events to honor William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, who built their first production motorcycle in Milwaukee at the ages 21 and 24, respectively. Bike No. 1 is on display at Harley headquarters. Limited single day tickets for the Summerfest Grounds and the Harley-Davidson Experience Aug. 28-29 are available.
Various locations.
800-HD100TH.
Lockport, N.Y.
Locks and canal cruises
Through Oct. 23
The 363-mile Erie Canal, a marvel of 19th-century engineering, was dug by hand to connect the Hudson River at Albany with the Niagara River at Buffalo. Open since 1825, the canal is no longer the highway of industry and commerce, yet thrives as a popular route for recreational boaters and excursions. In 1987, Mike Murphy launched The Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises. ``I started the business from scratch with two pontoon boats that each carried 18 passengers. Today I have two boats - one for 150 passengers and the other carries 60,'' Murphy said in a telephone interview. The LLECC's two-hour narrated trips depart from dockside at an 1840s building Murphy restored to create the look of an original canal town. Along with facts and lore about the waterway, the 8-mile trip includes ``locking through'' the canal's only twin set of locks in order to be raised over the 49-foot escarpment. It is the same rocky land formation that created Niagara Falls 18 miles to the west.
Lockport Canalside, 210 Market St. 800-378-0352; 716-433-6155. www.llecc.com.
Charlestown, R.I.
Rhythm & Roots Festival
Aug. 29-31
With this sixth annual edition, the Rhythm & Roots Festival proves again that roots music is alive and kickin'. Keeping the beat until midnight each day, the musicians represent the best in zydeco, Celtic, blues, rockabilly, Cajun, bluegrass, Quebecois, and rock. The host band, accordionist Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, delivers its infectious contemporary Cajun sounds each day. Among the other performers are Marcia Ball, Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, Solas, La Bottine Souriante, Paul Geremia, Sonny Landreth & the Goners, Bluegrass Intentions, Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic, Little Feat, Brave Combo, and Magnolia.
Ninigret Park, Route 1.
888-855-6940.
Vinton, Meigs counties, Ohio
Morgan's Raid
Sept. 3-7
In July 1863, the Confederate Army made its longest raid of the Civil War into Union territory. Beginning on July 2, General John Hunt Morgan and 2,400 Confederate soldiers crossed from Kentucky into Indiana and began a rampage eastward before the final battles with Union troops in southeastern Ohio's Vinton and Meigs counties. Morgan tried to flee across the river at Buffington Island before he and 364 troops were captured in Meigs County on July 26. The counties' small towns - Wilkesville, Chester, Pomeroy, and Bashan - relive the historic period as part of the Ohio Bicentennial. Among the activities are encampments, artifact exhibits, reenactment of a cavalry battle, and a Civil War ball with 19th-century attire.
Various locations.
877-MEIGS-CO.
Dallas
Symphony season
Aug. 29-June 6
When summer music festivals are winding down, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra raises the baton on its 103d season. For the first time in its history, the orchestra's yearlong programming follows a theme: ``Masters of the Romantic Era.'' Under music director Andrew Litton, the orchestra and guest artists delve into works of Mendolssohn (1809-47), Berlioz (1803-69), and Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) and their contemporaries, influences, and detractors. Among the guest performers are violinist Joshua Bell, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, and pianists Yefim Bronfman, Lang Lang, and Lukas Vondracek. The ``Masters'' series opens Sept. 11-14 with Gil Shaham performing Mendolssohn. Preceding the ``Masters,'' Linda Ronstadt makes her debut with the orchestra Aug. 29 and Renee Fleming stars in the gala opening concert on Sept. 6.
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St.
214-692-0203.
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