GEORGIA
Valdosta — La Fiesta, July 14-15, is an event featuring authentic food, music and dancing in Wild Adventures amusement park. It celebrates Hispanic and Latin culture. www.wildadventures.com.
Hiawassee — Georgia Mountain Fair, July 20-28, offers music performances, arts & crafts, carnival rides and more. www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com/events/georgia-mountain-fair.
Madison — The Firefly Festival, July 27-28, features a hands-on drum line, cool dance party, music. www.madisonga.com.
Clayton — The 15th Big E Festival & Elvis Tribute Artists Competition, Aug. 3-4, will feature World Champion David Lee and Big E Champion Damon Hendrix. www.bigefest.com.
Blue Ridge — The Mercier Orchards Hard Cider & Beer Festival, Aug. 25, features tastings, live music and food vendors. www.mercier-orchards.com.
Blairsville — The Grape Stomp Fest, Sept. 1, features live music, local vendors, food and wine and a Lucille Ball lookalike contest. www.exploregeorgia.org.
Douglas — The South Georgia BBQ & Outdoor Festival, Sept. 7-8, has a barbecue competition, car and motorcycle show, aviation display and fly-in and shows. www.cityofdouglas.com.
Dahlonega — Trailfest, Sept. 7-9, is a festival for outdoor enthusiasts revolving around all aspects of non-motorized recreation that will feature speakers, workshops, music, food and vendors. dahlonegatrailfest.org.
Blue Ridge — The Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ Music Festival, Sept. 15, starts with a Blues Crawl with bands set up in restaurants downtown and the actual festival is Saturday. www.stayinblueridge.com
Macon — The Ocmulgee Indian Celebration, Sept. 15-16, celebrates the culture of the Southeastern Native Americans with dancing, storytelling, music, crafts, games, food and demonstrations. www.ocmulgeemounds.org.
ALABAMA
Wetumpka — Coosa River Whitewater Festival, through July 31, will have events for competitors and non-competitors for kayaking, canoeing and recreational paddlers. www.coosariverwhitewaterfestival.com.
Birmingham — Sloss Music & Arts Festival, through July 15, features Chris Stapleton, Arcade Fire, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, St. Paul & the Broken Bones and more. slossfest.com.
Hartselle — Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off, July 27-28, has professional and backyard teams compete for prizes, as well as vendors and other activities. www.hartsellechamber.com.
Albertville — The Main Street Music Festival, Aug. 10-11, features regional and national acts on two stages, as well as arts and crafts, children's activities and carnival rides. www.mainstreetmusicfestival.com.
Russellville — The Franklin County Watermelon Festival, Aug. 17-18, features music, a 5K run, an antique car and truck show, watermelon contests and more. franklincountychamber.org.
FLORIDA
Coral Gables — The Mango and Tropical Fruit Festival, through July 15, offers lectures, cooking demonstrations and tips on keeping a mango tree thriving. Also shop vendors and sample brews. www.fairchildgarden.org.
Tampa — SharkCon, through July 15, will feature touch tanks, STEM projects, a shark tooth sand dig, dive now pool, Busch Gardens exhibit, marine rescue exhibit, bounce hour and more. shark-con.com.
Miami — The Miami Salsa Congress, July 25-29, is a five-day Latin music and dance festival with live music and workshops. miamisalsacongress.com.
Tampa — The Tampa Bay Comic Con, Aug. 3-5, will host celebrity guests such as Val Kilmer, Brent Spinrer, Noah Schnapp and Cary Elwes. www.tampabaycomiccon.com.
Key West — Key West Lobsterfest, Aug. 9-12, features a lobster boil, champagne sunset sail, street fair, concert and lobster brunch. www.keywestlobsterfest.com.
Tampa — The Summer of Rum Festival, Sept. 1-2, features live music from Sugar Ray, as well as a variety of drinks made with all kinds of rum. ww.summerofrumfest.com.
Pensacola — The fifth annual Dragonboat Race, Sept. 8, takes place and includes the race along with children's activities and vendors. www.pensacoladragonboatfestival.com.
Mount Dora — The Mount Dora Bicycle Festival, Oct. 4-7, includes a social ride for breast cancer awareness, a reunion party and two challenges which give participants a chance to be awareded Gran Fondo "King" and "Queen." www. mountdorabicyclcfestival.com.
New Iberia — The Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, Sept. 23-30, offers a street fair, coronation of Queen Sugar, photo and art exhibits, a boat parade and more. www.iberiatravel.com.
MISSISSIPPI
Mize — The Mississippi Watermelon Festival, July 20-21, features contests, entertainment and food including all the free watermelon you can eat. mswatermelonfestival.com.
Clarksdale — The Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, Aug. 10-12, celebrates its 30th year. www.sunflowerfest.org.
Jackson — The Mississippi Book Festival, Aug. 18, features hundreds of authors in panel discussions and book signings. msbookfestival.com.
N ORTH CAROLINA
Henderson — The annual Street Dances, through Aug. 13, take place Monday nights in downtown. A 100th anniversary commemoration will take place during the first dance July 9. www.visithendersonvillenc.org.
Linville — The 63rd annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games & Gathering of the Clans, through July 15, features a parade with bagpipes, Highland games, a chance to research your family tree or find your family tartan. www.gmhg.org.
Murfreesboro — The annual North Carolina Watermelon Festival, Aug. 1-4, features amusement rides, crafts fair, a parade and 5K run, street dances and watermelon. www.ncwatermelonfest.com.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Beaufort — The Beaufort Water Festival, through July 22, features water-oriented activities and kids day, Lowcountry suppers, night concerts and an air show. www.bftwaterfestival.com.
Myrtle Beach — The Beach Boogie & BBQ Festival, Sept. 1-2, is an official BBQ Championship of SC competition and also features a beer garden, wing tasting and competition, live entertainment and arts and crafts. www.visitmyrtlebeach.com.
TENNESSEE
Gatlinburg — Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales, through Aug. 11, is a summer-long street performance festival featuring costumed musical performers, storytellers and artisans portraying characters from time periods as far back as the 1800s. www.gatlinburg.com.
Memphis — Elvis Week 2018, Aug. 9-18, will bring fans from around the world to celebrate with concerts and guest appearances including Lisa Marie Presley. www.graceland.com/elvisweek.
Livingston — The Muddy Roots Music Festival, Aug. 30, is three days of camping for hillybilly, bluegrass and punk music like X, Fu Manchu, the Meat Puppets, Pat Reedy & the Longtime Goners and Rock Bottom String Band. www.muddyrootsrecords.com.
VIRGINIA
Alexandria — "Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington's Mount Vernon" exhibit at the Donald W. Reynolds Museum, through Sept. 30, features artwork, furnishings, archaeological discoveries, documents and interactive displays. www.mountvernon.org.
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