Take the Time to Visit Las Vegas’s Cultural Side
Take the time to visit some cultural sites during your summer vacation in Las Vegas. With its variety of different museums and art galleries near the heart of the city, Las Vegas offers more than just the usual forms of entertainment that people from all over the globe have come to recognize.
Start your quest for cultural and artistic value at the Bellagio Fine Art Gallery. Displaying some of Las Vegas’s consummate works of art within the Bellagio resort itself, the Bellagio Fine Art Gallery boasts work from such artists as Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, and Alexander Calder. Take the time at the end of the exhibit to watch a film and browse through books about some of the artists whose work is featured. Feel free to take a souvenir home with you by visiting the Gallery Store and its display of merchandise.
Move on to Madame Tussauds Interactive Wax Attraction for an up close and personal view of some of your favorite celebrities and other people of notice. Located right on the Vegas strip and featuring two floors and over 30,000 square feet of space, the world-famous wax museum features wax displays of distinctive people from the world of music, politics, movies, television, and sports. Snap a picture with your favorite celebrities at this truly unique and memorable Las Vegas Site!
Finish your tour of museums in the City of Lights by exploring the lights themselves. Featuring displays of neon lights from as far back as the 1940s, at the Neon Museum you will be given insight into the history of the neon signs that Las Vegas has helped make so famous. The museum provides a fun option for entertainment that you would expect to find only in a place like Las Vegas!
San Diego Summers: Festivals and More
Summer is the perfect time to explore some of the unique cultural advantages a big city like San Diego offers. In addition to enjoying the area activities and attractions, these summer festivals are a great reason to plan a visit to San Diego.
The Annual Scottish Highland Games is a festive event that will entertain visitors of all ages whether they claim Scottish heritage or not. You will be able to watch thrilling displays of human skill, ability, and strength as the game participants show their stuff in competition. In addition to the athletic displays, the festival includes musical features and concerts, sheepdog trials, traditional Highlands dancing, and a piping and drumming competition. Grab your plaid and join thousands of visitors and participants at this annual festival in San Diego. The Scottish Highland Games takes place June 27-28 at Brengle Terrace Park.
For visitors interested in art, the La Jolla Festival of the Arts at the University of California is a perfect event for you. Happening June 20-21, this weekend event is an annual event that draws over 15,000 guests. Past festivals have featured over 200 artists featuring their paintings, sculptures, photographs, and more. Looking at all of this art will make you hungry, and you can sample the offerings of any of the many food vendors at the festival. Live entertainment is also a feature at this weekend festival. Whatever your taste, you will be sure to enjoy this weekend celebrating the San Diego art scene.
A perfect addition to your visit to San Diego when you come for these festivals is the Go San Diego Card. You’ll be able to explore even more of the history and culture of San Diego. This card is your all-access pass to San Diego’s most popular attractions including the world-famous zoo, the Birch Aquarium, the Japanese Friendship Garden, San Diego Museum of Art, and many other museums and attractions. City tours are also included in this card. You can buy a card for a day or for the whole weekend and explore San Diego at your leisure.
Celebrate Music, Culture, and Art in San Antonio This Summer
The San Antonio area offers a variety of unique festivals in June, making it the perfect time to visit this eclectic city. These festivals are sure to offer something to appeal to anyone in your group, and you will not want to miss the great entertainment opportunities these festivals offer for a memorable vacation.
Annual San Antonio Summer Art & Jazz Festival
Known as the SAS Fest, this three-day long festival is happening June 3-5. This festival features 10 jazz concerts, as well as Arts & Crafts workshops and booths, in addition to the great Texas cuisine you can count on in San Antonio. Another feature of the festival is two jazz workshops geared towards budding young musicians. Admission is free, leaving you more money to donate to the charitable institutions the SAS Fest sponsors. The festival takes place in beautiful Crockett Park.
This weekend festival taking place June 11-14 celebrates the many cultures that have made their home in San Antonio and Texas. From the early French settlers to the German immigrants who established themselves in the Hill Country, this festival brings over 40 cultures together in celebration. This festival takes place at the Institute of Texan Cultures located in the HemisFair Park. You can look forward to great food, exhibitions, performances, dancing, singing, and more at this Festival, making for a great addition to any visit to San Antonio.
Central Texas is quickly becoming known as a great area for producing films, and the Festival of Films celebrates this passion of the area. A group of independent film producers created this festival to show off their films. A Festival of Films takes place June 25-29. This is the fifteenth year of the event, which was formerly known as the San Antonio Underground Film Festival. In between seeing a variety of local films, you can enjoy the performances of various local musician. This festival is a great way to experience the art scene of San Antonio.
Make your San Antonio vacation one to remember when you take in one of these great summer festivals! Don’t forget to check out our extensive list of San Antonio lodging options for your visit!
Explore the Chicago Art Scene
Instead of just relaxing at the beach this summer, exercise your mind by taking in some of the cultural advantages of Chicago, America’s third largest city. On top of a host of museums and historic architecture, Chicago also offers special events that make this summer the perfect time to take advantage of the cultural opportunities Chicago has to offer.
Beginning June 1, Chicago’s Street Art Fair will take place daily in June in Hyde Park. Featuring artists from all over the United States, hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and photographs will be on display. Advertised as the oldest and largest art fair in the Midwest, the Street Art Fair is located in historic and beautiful Hyde Park, the neighborhood of Barack Obama. In addition to the Street Art Fair, Hyde Park is home to the University of Chicago and numerous hotels and restaurants.
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago is home to a dazzling range of contemporary pieces. During the summer, the first Friday of each month offers free admission. With new exhibits continually coming, there is always something new and interesting to see at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Located on the Magnificent Mile, this museum is the perfect addition to any Chicago vacation.
The Go Chicago Card is the perfect way to take in as many of the world-class museums and attractions as you want to on your vacation. Featuring free admission to a variety of Chicago attractions including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Children’s Museum and admission into a variety of sightseeing tours, this card is an all-inclusive pass to the best of Chicago. Perfect for family vacations, these cards are a must-have for your next trip to Chicago. Cards may be bought for one day to seven days.
ArtWalk in San Diego adds Style and Color to your Vacation
If you are an aspiring artist or just interested in looking at art, you won’t want to miss ArtWalk in San Diego on April 25th and 26th. This annual event, held in the Little Italy District of San Diego draws tens of thousands of visitors to view painting, sculpture, photography, architecture and design. Displays feature both prominent artists and budding artists hoping to become established. In addition to visual art, live performers will entertain you on the city street corners and on small stages set up around the area. This year’s festival will even include a mile long art mural, part of a collaborative project to bring artists from around the world together. This year’s featured artists will be the Artes de Mexico group, a number of outstanding artists from Mexico. The festival will span 16 city blocks of the Little Italy District and it will only take place over a single weekend. There will also be a special kids’ area for children to participate in fun and creative hands-on art projects of their own.
When visiting San Diego for the ArtWalk, you may also want to see the many other exciting attractions in the San Diego area. The best way to travel to as many places as you like is to obtain a Go San Diego Card. With the Go San Diego Card you can enjoy free admission to premier attractions like the world renowned San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Wild Animal Park, LEGOLAND California, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps and more! The card also entitles you to free San Diego Harbor excursions, whale watching tours and even a tour of Tijuana, Mexico if you choose to head south of the border. In addition, the card entitles you to significant discounts at many wonderful area restaurants including El Fandango, Tent City Restaurant, Indigo Grill, The Prado Restaurant and more! With a San Diego Go Card to complement your visit to the ArtWalk, you can’t go wrong with this spring vacation!
