Southeastern festivals near Atlanta

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia

Adairsville — Easter Weekend, April 22-24 at Barnsley Gardens Resort, features Easter egg coloring, bonnet making, live music, breakfast with the Easter Bunny, an Easter egg hunt, carriage rides, a sunrise service, a brunch and more. 1-877-773-2447, www.barnsleyresort.com.

Madison — The Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage, April 27-May 1, spans seven historically significant communities including Athens, Watkinsville, Madison, Eatonton, Milledgeville, Gray/Old Clinton and Macon. These cities will offer a wide array of museum tours and special events as well as entrance into private historic homes not generally open to the public. 1-800-709-7406, www.antebellumtrail.org/PilgrimageTrail.htm.

Vidalia — The Vidalia Onion Festival, April 28-May 1, draws about 70,000 guests for pageants, onion-eating contests, a carnival, arts and crafts, the Blue Angels air show, a car show, a rodeo, a golf tournament and fireworks. 912-538-8687, www.vidalia
onionfestival.com.

Pine Mountain — Symphony on the Sand, 8 p.m. April 29 at Callaway Gardens, is a family-friendly program by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Columbus native Robert Pound will lead the orchestra in a variety of popular and classical favorites, including the theme from “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” selections from the musical “Mame,” Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture” and more. 1-800-225-5292, www.callawaygardens.com/aso.

Gay — The Cotton Pickin’ Fair, May 7-8, is an agritourism event that supports sustainable rural development. The fair includes art, antiques, crafts, demonstrations, regional cuisine, folk dancing, storytelling, puppetry, music and more. 706-538-6814, www.cpfair.org.

Alabama

Gadsden — First Friday celebrations, every month, feature classic cars, live entertainment, special events, sales, food and artists. 256-547-8696, www.downtowngadsden.com.

Huntsville — The Panoply Arts Festival, April 29-May 1, includes the Alabama State Fiddling Championship, a songwriting competition, arts and crafts, a drum circle, street performers, musicians, storytellers, fireworks and children’s activities. 256-519-2787, www.panoply.org.

Florida

Destin — Southern Star Dolphin Cruises, 9-11 a.m., noon-2 p.m., 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. daily, offer up-close looks at dolphins, seabirds and other marine life. Adults, $27; seniors, $22; ages 4-12, $15.50; ages 3 and under, free. 850-837-7741, www.southernstardolphin
cruise.com.

Panama City Beach — The Seabreeze Jazz Festival, through April 17 at Pier Park, features smooth jazz performances by Grammy winner George Benson, Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Norman Brown, Richard Elliot, Euge Groove, Peter White and more. 1-800-595-4849, www.seabreeze
jazzfestival.net.

Melbourne — The Melbourne Art Festival, April 23-24, features more than 250 artists competing for $25,000 in cash awards, plus student art competitions and scholarship awards. The event also features performers, hands-on kids’ activities and workshops. 321-722-1964, www.melbourne
arts.org.

White Springs — The Florida Folk Festival, May 27-29, features more than singers, dancers and storytellers. The event also includes hundreds of artists, crafters and cooks, as well as a fiddle and banjo contest. 1-877-635-3655, 
www.floridafolkfestival.com.

Kentucky

Louisville — The Kentucky Derby Festival, through May 6, features the Thunder Over Louisville fireworks kickoff, parades, street parties, hot-air balloons, concerts, paddle wheelers, food and more. 502-584-3378, www.kdf.org.

Owensboro — The International Bar-B-Q Festival, May 13-14, features cook-offs, crafts, carnival rides and games, a road race, an antique car show, entertainment and more. 270-686-7707, www.bbqfest.com.

Louisiana

Lake Charles — The Contraband Days Pirate Festival, April 26-May 8, features live music, a carnival, rides, food, special events for kids and fireworks. 1-800-456-7952, www.contrabanddays.com.

Sulphur — Sulphur Heritage Days, May 27-28, celebrates the city’s founding and discovery of sulphur. The event features tours of the Brimstone Museum and Henning Cultural Center, music, regional dishes, crafts, carnival rides and games. 1-800-456-7952, www.visitlakecharles.org.

Mississippi

Jackson — “The Orient Expressed: Japan’s Influence on Western Art, 1854-1918,” through July 17 at the Mississippi Museum of Art, explores the cultural phenomenon known as Japonisme through the presentation of more than 200 works of art from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Highlights include paintings by Paul Gauguin, Pierre Bonnard, Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, James Sidney Ensor and James McNeill Whistler, as well as decorative pieces by Gorham Manufacturing Co., Rookwood Pottery and Tiffany and Co. $12, adults; $10, seniors; $6, students. 601-960-1515, www.msmuseumart.org.

Oxford — The Double Decker Arts Festival, April 29-30, features concerts, Southern foods, and arts and crafts. 662-232-2367, www.oxfordcvb.com/doubledecker/2010/index.html.

North Carolina

Asheville — The Festival of Flowers, through May 15 at Biltmore Estate, features thousands of tulips, azaleas and more, as well as garden tours, wine tastings, panels, an Easter egg hunt, a grape stomp and children’s activities. 1-800-411-3812, www.biltmore.com.

Beaufort — The Beaufort Wine & Food Weekend, April 27-May 1, features vintners, winemakers and celebrity chefs, as well as
an outdoor tasting village,
bottle signings, auctions, art exhibits and concerts. 1-800-575-7483, www.beaufortwineand
food.com.

Belmont — Mother’s Day at the Garden, May 7-8 at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, features free admission for Mom, including a mini-massage, a beauty consultation and a professional photograph. 704-825-4490, www.dsbg.org.

Charlotte — Food Lion Speed Street, May 26-28, draws 400,000 guests. The event features more than 60 musical acts and entertainment on three stages, interactive exhibitors, NASCAR drivers and children’s activities. 704-455-8888, www.600festival.com.

South Carolina

Greenville — Artisphere, May 13-15, features local, regional and national talent; demonstrations; sidewalk artists; street musicians; music stages; children’s activities; and food. 864-271-9398, www.artisphere.us.

Mount Pleasant — The Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival, June 4, is a Gullah Geechee cultural heritage event that features unique Lowcountry sweetgrass baskets, arts and crafts, gospel music, African drummers and dancers, storytelling and authentic Gullah cuisine. 843-856-9732, 
 www.sweetgrassfestival.org.

Tennessee

Knoxville — The Dogwood Arts Festival, through April 30, features more than 60 miles of dogwood trails, the Dogwood Art DeTours, the Market Square Art Fair, the Tapestry of Flowers, Rhythm & Blooms, the Chalk Walk, a parade, biking, theater, heritage tours, music and dancing. 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com.

South Pittsburg — The National Cornbread Festival, April 30-May 1, features an open-air shoppers’ mall with live entertainment, juried arts and crafts, historic bus tours and a variety of cornbread dishes. 423-837-0022, 
 www.nationalcornbread.com.

Winchester — The International Dogwood Festival, May 6-8, features children’s activities, a bass classic, entertainment, a teen dance contest, car and tractor shows, an art fair and food. 1-866-967-2532, www.winchester
 dogwoodfestival.com.

Virginia

Warrenton — Old Town Warrenton Spring Festival, May 21, features crafts, photography, jewelry, pottery, handbags and more in 250 booths. The event also includes music and food. 540-347-4414, 
www.fauquierchamber.org.

West Virginia

Lewisburg — The Battle of Lewisburg Living History and Reenactment, May 21-22, pays homage to the 1862 Battle of Lewisburg. The event features a military camp, scholarly speakers, living-history demonstrations and re-enactments. 304-645-2154, www.battleoflewisburg.org.

White Sulphur Springs — The West Virginia Dandelion Festival, May 26-30, features art shows, live music, children’s activities, fireworks, a parade and more. 304-536-5060, www.wssmainstreet.org.

If you find a mistake in the Travel Calendar, please let us know by sending an e-mail to travelcal@ajc.com. Events are subject to change, so it’s a good idea to call the venue.