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Minnesota celebrates 150th birthday

Minnesota Statehood Week, May 11-18, begins and ends in the capital, St. Paul, Minn., with sesquicentennial events around the state during the week. The official 150th anniversary of statehood, May 11, will be marked by Historic Statehood Day with a simple ceremony at the capitol concluding with the ringing of bells across the state. It will include historic characters, make it/take it art activities, music and performers in the Capitol Rotunda. Guides will answer questions and escort visitors to the Quadriga, the golden horses on the roof of the capitol (weather permitting). A wagon train of eight wagons, two buggies and 26 riders with mounts will draw up to the capitol after making a tour of the state. Sesquicentennial events the following weekend include a two-mile hike to explore locations where archaeologists uncovered villages from the first European explorers, loggers and homesteaders; Village of Yesteryear Tours with a sesquicentennial display in the Dunnell House; band music and a performance by history actor Virginia Mae Hope (a World War II member of the Women Air Force Service Pilots); horse-drawn trolley rides; an 1860s baseball game; children's games; living-history interpreters; and a presentation on the birth of Minnesota. (384 miles from O'Hare, (651) 269-1870, www.mn150years.org)

Wine and jazz make beautiful music

Enjoy a weekend dedicated to jazz at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, Wis. From May 9-11 you will hear dynamic performances by world-renowned jazz artists and sample from an array of more than 100 wines from international and domestic vineyards. Jazz on the Vine also includes some sophisticated cuisine. (145 miles from O'Hare, (800) 876-3399, www.jazz.osthoff.com)

Relive the days of Lewis & Clark

Commemorate the departure of the Lewis & Clark expedition from Camp River Dubois at the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site near Hartford, Ill., May 10 and 11. During Point of Departure, visitors will view life in 1803 and 1804 as the men prepare for their departure and re-enactors portray military life. View the out building used for blacksmithing and carpentry. (292 miles from O'Hare, (618) 251-5811, www.campriverdubois.com)

Learn about birds at Horicon Marsh

Experience the peak of the spring bird migration during Marsh Melodies -- 10th Annual Horicon Marsh Bird Festival in Horicon, Wis. From May 9-12, you will be able to take guided bird hikes, see a bird-banding demonstration, have a pontoon boat birding adventure and introduce your offspring to birding for kids. There will be a steak fry and the Big Sit, during which participants try to identify as many bird species as possible in a 20-hour period. Reservations are required for some events. (128 miles from O'Hare, (920) 210-4832, www.horiconmarshbirdfestival.com, www.horiconchamber.com/mdevents.cfm)

Mushroom fanatics gather in Michigan

'Shroomers of all ages join in the thrill of the hunt through the Michigan woods in search of the elusive morel mushrooms.

From May 9-11, the Mesick Mushroom Festival in Mesick, Mich., about 20 miles south of Traverse City, hosts its 49th annual event with a mushroom contest, Giant Flea Market, carnival, horse pull, arts and crafts show, 5k run/walk, sports tournaments and Grand Parade. (306 miles from O'Hare, (231) 885-2679, www.mesick-mushroomfest.org)

The National Morel Mushroom Festival in Boyne City, Mich., takes place May 15-18 and features a morel seminar, guided mushroom hunt, farmers market, carnival, craft show, disc golf and softball tournaments. Enjoy a Morel Breakfast and the Morel Taste of Boyne. (367 miles from O'Hare, (231) 582-6222, www.morelfest.com)

Mother's Day fest honors Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln often credited his mother and stepmother with shaping his character. Lincoln City, Ind., site of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial on the farm where Lincoln lived from the ages of 7 to 21, will kick off a multi-year celebration in Indiana of the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth on Mother's Day weekend. Lincoln Bicentennial events on May 10 and 11 will include a Civil War encampment, American Indian encampment, black powder rifle shooting contest and frontier medicine demonstrations. More than 3,600 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are expected to participate in a two-night campout and retrace the route the Lincolns took once they arrived in Indiana by flatboat. The weekend also includes a display of quilts made in patterns of the Underground Railroad. (343 miles from O'Hare, (888) 444-9252, www.IndianasLincoln.org, www.ThinkLincoln.org, www.nps.gov/libo)

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Head to the beach in Virginia

Celebrate the popularity of beach music during a nonstop weekend of fun in the sun and dancing under the stars in Virginia Beach, Va. During Beach Music Weekend, May 15-18, the city becomes the beach music capital of the East Coast, hosting favorite bands for a jam-packed, rockin' and rollin' party. All concerts at the 29th Street stage are free. ((757) 491-7866, www.beachstreetusa.com)

Ride the wind in Kitty Hawk

As the setting for the Wright brothers' first flight, North Carolina's Outer Banks are famous for airborne adventures. On May 16-19 visitors will witness the world's oldest continuous hang-gliding competition, the annual Hang Gliding Spectacular at Jockey's Ridge State Park in Nags Head, N.C. Hang gliding pros from all over the world come to compete. There will be demonstrations, a street dance and awards ceremonies. Families can enjoy a rock-climbing wall, hang-gliding simulator, kite making, face painting and a visit by Wil Bear Wright. ((877) 359-8447, www.kittyhawk.com)

Look sharp, this festival is hot

The fierce and acrobatic art of Samoan fireknife dancing returns to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii, May 14-17. Fireknife dancers from all over the world will battle head to head during the 16th Annual World Fireknife Championships. The art of fireknife dancing is a Samoan tradition in which dancers twirl a sharp knife with both ends on fire at high speeds and with acrobatic finesse. The fire is very real, and dancers often make contact with different parts of their body with only a short lavalava wrap around their waist. The competitions will include the Warrior's Duet Fireknife Competition, the women's competition Teine Toa o Samoa (Female Warriors of Samoa) and the Pacific Junior Fireknife Competitions. In addition to the fireknife competitions, the weekend includes the Samoan Cultural High Schools Arts Festival where Hawaii high school students demonstrate their knowledge of Samoan traditions, such as basket weaving and coconut husking, as well as fire making. ((800) 367-7060, www.polynesia.com)

Learn about wine in Nantucket

The 12th Annual Nantucket Wine Festival will be held May 14-18 in Nantucket, Mass. Over the past 11 years, the festival has become one of the country's most celebrated wine and food events and is attended by world-renowned winemakers, chefs and celebrities. The festival's signature event is the Grand Tasting, but there also will be a Charity Gala, Celebrity Chef and Winemaker Auction Dinner, cooking demonstrations, wine pairings and wine and food seminars. The festival is attended by more than 150 wineries from countries throughout the world. ((508) 228-1128, www.nantucketwinefestival.com)

• Event details are subject to change; contact organizers for updated information.