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500 Festival revs up fun in Indy

Indianapolis 500 Festival, Indianapolis, Ind., through May 25. Events leading up to the Indy 500 (May 25) include: Kids' Day, the state's largest free outdoor festival for children when kids can interact with mascots and clowns, race mini cars, bounce in giant inflatables and create arts and crafts. Community Day, which offers fans free admission to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum and numerous activities, including a lap around the Speedway in their own vehicle, driver autograph session, visits to Pit Lane and tours of the suites and the official timing and scoring area in the Pagoda. 500 Festival Parade, when nearly 300,000 people line the streets of downtown to see all 33 drivers in the Indianapolis 500 as well as floats, bands and giant balloons. (204 miles from O'Hare, (800) 642-4639, www.500festival.com)

Fill your stein in Frankenmuth

World Expo of Beer, Frankenmuth, Mich., May 16-18. Dozens of brews to sample, live music and foods to enjoy at Heritage Park. (316 miles from O'Hare, (800) 386-8696, www.frankenmuth.org)

Creating art from stitches and patches

Bishop Hill Quilt Show -- Posies, Patterns and Patches, Bishop Hill, Ill., May 16-18. Area quilters exhibit their work at the Colony School in this historic Swedish community. Categories include antique, applique, patchwork, miniature and others. (163 miles from O'Hare, (309) 927-3345, www.bishophill.com)

Attend pair of events in Madison, Ind.

Madison in Bloom, Madison, Ind., May 10, 11, 17 and 18. Tour private gardens not otherwise open in one of the Ohio Valley's most historic small towns. (297 miles from O'Hare, (812) 265-2335, www.jchshc.org)

Ohio River Valley Folk Festival, Madison, Ind., May 16 and 17. Nationally known folk musicians perform on the riverfront. Traditional crafts, food, regional wines and beer, kids' area and storytelling. (297 miles from O'Hare, (800) 559-2956, www.ohiorivervalleyfolkfestival.com)

Asparagus rules Empire, Mich.

Fifth Annual Empire Asparagus Festival, Empire, Mich., May 16-18. A poetry contest might produce an ode to the slender green stalk, plus there is an asparagus-themed dinner, 5K Kick Ass-paragus Run, parade and cook-off. (330 miles from O'Hare, (800) 644-2489, www.empirechamber.com/pages.php?tabid=2&pageid=14&title=Empire+Asparagus+Festival)

Visit Wisconsin's morel capital

Morel Mushroom Festival, Muscoda, Wis., May 17 and 18. Visitors can sample and purchase the delicious mushroom prepared by local vendors (availability set by Mother Nature). The weekend also includes a parade, arts and crafts, flea market, ball tournaments, wine tasting and food vendors. Saturday evening is highlighted by the fire department's annual steak feed along with entertainment, refreshments and fireworks over the Wisconsin River. (201 miles from O'Hare, (608) 739-3182, www.muscoda.com)

Missouri's German town welcomes May

Maifest, Hermann, Mo., May 17 and 18. A traditional spring celebration including winery tours, tastings, live German music and German food. (371 miles from O'Hare, (800) 909-9463, www.hermannmo.info)

Celebrate Norway's independence

Syttende Mai, Stoughton, Wis., May 16-18. The longest-running Norwegian Independence Day festival held outside of Norway. Syttende Mai commemorates the May 17, 1814, signing of the Norwegian Constitution. Stoughton honors its Norwegian roots with two parades, folk dancing, arts and crafts, Norwegian costumes, rosemaling exhibitions, Norwegian paintings, a quilt show and authentic Norwegian foods. (116 miles from O'Hare, (608) 873-7912, www.stoughtonwi.com)

Wine poured as orchards bloom

Blossom Days, Old Mission Peninsula, Mich., May 17 and 18. What began as an annual blessing of the blossoms for the area's fruit farms has evolved into a time of food, wine and fun amid the flowering orchards and vineyards of the Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City. Celebrate the new season at barrel tastings at the five wineries of Old Mission; $15 ticket available at wineries on days of the event. (333 miles from O'Hare, (231) 696-4009, www.visittraversecity.com/index.php?catid=33&month=5&year=2008&eventid=384)

Tour lighthouses, orchards and gardens

Door County Festival of Blossoms, Door County, Wis., through May 31. This festival celebrates the May blooming of more than 1 million daffodils and tulips, as well as apple and cherry blossoms. The area offers walking and boat tours of several lighthouses at the 15th annual Door County Lighthouse Walk, May 16-18. Also available are bicycle touring maps for viewing public and private gardens; and the Maifest and parade in Jacksonport May 24 and 25. (228 miles from O'Hare, (800) 527-3529, www.doorcounty.com)

Go fly a kite in Michigan

Great Lakes Kite Festival, Grand Haven, Mich., May 16-18. Kite ballets and fighter kite competition take turns in the sky over Lake Michigan at Grand Haven State Park. Other highlights include kites competing at the Indoor Fly, giant kites more than 90 feet long and illuminated kites at Saturday's Night Fly. The festival is free; there is a state park entry fee. (116 miles from O'Hare, (616) 846-7501, ext. 228, www.mackite.com)

Tiptoe among tulips in western Iowa

Orange City Tulip Festival, Orange City, Iowa, May 15-17. Showcases community's rich Dutch heritage for 100,000 visitors. Festivities include music and dancing by hundreds of children and adults in authentic costumes, two daily parades featuring top area marching bands, nightly musical theater, a carnival, ethnic food, thousands of tulips and a dozen reproduction windmills. (554 miles from O'Hare, (712) 707-4510, www.octulipfestival.com)

Far

Kick off summer in Seattle

Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle, Wash., May 23-26. The largest folk, ethnic and traditional arts event in North America, drawing in excess of 250,000 attendees and more than 1,000 musicians, dancers and visual artists. Donation of $10 per person per day or $20 per family per day is welcome. ((206) 684-7300, www.nwfolklife.org)

Kansas City festival is finger-lickin' good

Great American Barbecue, Kansas City, Mo., May 23-25. Known as the "Mardi Gras of Meat," this event features championship cooking competitions, live music, a kids' barbecue contest, a hot air balloon rally and family entertainment in celebration of Kansas City's barbecue heritage. ((913) 422-9599, www.bbqcontest.info)

See the running of the cheese in Britain

Cheese Rolling, Cheltenham Spa, England, May 26.

Participants hurl themselves down a steep hill in a race to chase after an 8-pound Double Gloucester cheese; four races, including one for ladies. Past participants have included Belgian international soccer players and Japanese TV stars. The winner takes home the cheese. Up to 2,000 people gather to watch this event, which might have its origin as a Pan festival celebrating the onset of summer. Others maintain the festival is related to ancient fertility rights and hopes for a successful harvest. ((877) 899-8391, www.cheese-rolling.co.uk)

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