Enjoy the arts of Japan at 55th annual Ginza Festival
Konnichiwa in Old Town
From anime to Zen, with tons of sushi in between, Americans have embraced Japanese culture like jolly sumo wrestlers. Get a better sense of the rich history and arts of Japan at the 55th annual Ginza Festival. Indoor and outdoor performances and activities include Taiko drummers, folk dancers, live music, martial arts demonstrations, bonsai and flower arranging demos and anime screenings. Master Waza craftsmen from Tokyo demonstrate generations-old skills creating crafts, and booths teem with Japanese dry goods and snacks, children's toys, kimonos, jewelry, anime and origami folding and food.
5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13; 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14; and 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, at the Midwest Buddhist Temple, 435 W. Menomonee St., Chicago. Admission is $4-$5, free for kids younger than 12. Call (312) 943-7801 or visit ginzachicago.com.
Air or water?
It may be middle-aged, but at 52, the 2010 Chicago Air and Water Show show is still about lean and mean flying and gliding machines like the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team who star over three days along Chicago's lakefront. The largest free show of its kind in the country also features wave riding, water-skiing and wakeboarding.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 14-15, at North Avenue Beach, 1600 N. Lake Shore Drive. (312) 744-3370 or visit chicagoairandwatershow.us.
Don't cry for me, Armenia
This isn't your common church picnic, although Armenian Fest began that way 35 years ago. It's a full-blown festival that attracts folks from the city and suburbs for dance performances, lots of games for children, live Armenian music, raffles and more unusual food than you can shake a kebab at.
5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, at St. Gregory Armenian Church, 6700 W. Diversey Ave. Call (773) 637-1711 or visit stgregorychicago.tripod.com.
Midwest
Spore lore
Crystal Falls, Mich., lays claim to the world's largest and oldest living fungus covering 38 acres. The Humongous Fungus Festival is about more than celebrating the 11-ton 'shroom. Visitors can have a slice of the largest mushroom pizza in the world, enter a buckboard and horseshoe tournament, tube down the river, watch the Fungus Fest Parade, take in an ice cream social, live entertainment, a street dance, and enjoy a mushroom cook-off and picnic.
1:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 13-14; and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15 in Crystal Falls, Mich. Call (906) 265-3822 or visit humungusfungusfest.com.
Group tug coming on
It's a giant tug on the hamstrings during the 24th annual Iowa Tug Fest when male and female teams from Iowa and Illinois yank on ropes with all of their strength in three-minute tug contests. This is not a kid's picnic game. We're talking a 2,400-foot, 680-pound rope that spans the Mississippi River between Port Byron, Ill., and LeClaire, Iowa. It's the only tug-of-war across the longest river in the United States. Other attractions include local bands, a kids' tug, a parade and fireworks.
6 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12; 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday, Aug. 13; and 7 a.m. to midnight (tug-of-war from 1 to 3 p.m.) Saturday, Aug. 14. Admission is $3 or $5 for a two-day pass. Call (563) 289-3946 or visit tugfest.com.
Fair play
A diaper derby, outhouse races, a mullet contest and butter sculptures are only part of the fun at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Entertainment includes Sheryl Crow, Boys Like Girls, Lee Greenwood and Darius Rucker. Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson will lead the parade through downtown Des Moines. This fair will feature 50 different foods on a stick ranging from chocolate-covered tiramisu to salad. There also will be an agricultural extravaganza of animals, cooking, contests, cars, auctions, craft shows and flea markets.
Thursday, Aug. 12, to Sunday, Aug. 22. Admission and event times vary. Regular gate admission is $10 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-11, and kids 5 and younger admitted free. Call (515) 262-3111 or visit iowastatefair.com.
Worth the trip
The National Park Service will waive entrance fees on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 14-15, to encourage all Americans to visit the parks before summer is a memory. There are parks with beaches, military encampments and firing demonstrations at Antietam, Gettysburg, Fort Laramie, Fort McHenry, Fort Vancouver and Yorktown among others. Visitors also will be able to enjoy ranger-led programs and a number of parks will offer entertainment. There are 392 national parks across the country in 49 states, many of which will hold free events that weekend. Normal admission fees range up to $25.
Get a complete list by park or state at nps.gov.