Bridges, books, and bourbon Kentucky Bourbon Festival

One band of buccaneers at the Portland (Ore.) Pirate Festival in Cathedral Park is Captain Bogg & Salty and they play music.

BARDSTOWN, Ky. Sept. 11-16

This year's festival features a "world championship bourbon barrel relay," a horseshoe tournament, and Kentucky Bourbon Shots, which are bourbon-themed photographs. Local distilleries such as Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Jim Beam will offer tastes throughout the week; on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to noon you can take part in a Kentucky Bourbon Breakfast for $6, which gets you pancakes, bourbon butter, and bourbon coffee. (Alcohol-free coffee will also be served.)

Ticket prices vary. kybourbonfestival.com. 800-638-4877.

Last year's event was so popular (10,000 people attended) that the folks in charge extended the celebration by a day and added more entertainment. Features of the gathering in the city's St. Johns area include a tall ship and plenty of people in pirate gear ready to help you open up and say "arrrrg." There will also be a pirate band, a play area for children called Scupper Monkey Island, and a hands-on activity with parrots.

Adults $15, children $8. portlandpiratefestival.com.

This year's lineup includes reality show stars Tim Gunn of "Project Runway," who will pitch "Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style," and Jen Schefft of "The Bachelor," author of "Better Single Than Sorry: A No-Regrets Guide to Loving Yourself and Never Settling." Visitors mingle with authors in historic Mount Vernon Square. Free admission.

promotionandarts.com. 410-752-8632.

Held in New York last year, this weekend dedicated to grown-up playtime and street games moves to Amsterdam this fall. There will be scavenger hunts and adaptations of computer games where your body is the joystick. "We like games which make people interact in new ways," organizers say. "We like games that alter your perception of your surroundings."

comeoutandplay.org.

Not surprisingly, Madison County is proud of its bridges. After all, Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood made them (and adultery) a big deal. That's why the community makes a fuss over its annual festival. It's two days devoted to bridges, the book, and the movie. The weekend includes live music, antiques and craft sales, and bridge tours. Locals recommend stopping at the Northside Cafe, where you can slide onto the fourth stool from the front and pretend you're Clint (that's where he sits in the film). Tickets $2.

madisoncounty.com. 515-462-1185.

Events sometimes are canceled, rescheduled, or sold out; call or check online to confirm. Meredith Goldstein can be reached at mgoldstein@globe.com.