A guide to events worth planning a trip around. Events are listed by location first, and then date.

IN THE ISLANDS

BIG ISLAND

Kawaihae, Aug. 18-19, Establishment Day Cultural Festival. The 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Pu'ukohola Heiau as a National Historic site is observed with craft exhibitions, hula and "Royal Court" pageantry. (808) 882-7218.

KAUA'I

Lihu'e, May 24-27, seventh annual Kaua'i Polynesian Festival. Brings together all forms of Polynesian dance — Hawaiian, Tahitian, Maori, Samoan and more in solo and group competition — plus entertainment, arts and crafts, food booths; kick-off lu'au is May 24 at the Hilton Kaua'i Beach Resort ($60, $75). Kapu Kinimaka-Alquiza, (808) 335-6466.

Lihu'e, July 4, Concert in the Sky. Fireworks spectacular and family fair is an annual fundraiser for Kaua'i Hospice, with tastings from top hotels and restaurants, and the largest aerial fireworks show on the island. (808) 245-7277.

MAUI

Lahaina, Sept. 14-15, Taste of Lahaina and Best of Island Music Festival. Grazing event with restaurant sampling, beer and wine garden, children's play area, continuous live music; 5-10 p.m. Lahaina Recreation Park II; fee for adults but children younger than 12 free. www.visitlahaina.com; Lahainatown Action Committee, (808) 667-9175; (888) 310-1117.

NORTH AMERICA

CALIFORNIA

Pasadena, Jan. 1 Tournament of Roses. 119th annual parade (8 a.m.) and 94th annual Rose Bowl football game (2 p.m.) is themed "Passport to the World's Celebrations." Find out about tickets and tour packages at www.tournamentofroses.com.

MINNESOTA

Saint Paul, January (dates vary), Saint Paul Winter Carnival. The world's largest and oldest winter carnival features 10 days of cold-weather activities from dogsled mushing to snow sliding, a display of ice sculptures, a fitness festival and more. www.winter-carnival.com.

NEVADA

Reno, May 10-13, Reno River Festival. Rough-water kayakers and their friends gather annually near Reno for the Invitational Freestyle Competition, instructional clinics with pros, food and beer garden, music, art display, raft races and a trade show at the Truckee River Whitewater Park at Wingfield. www.renoriverfestival.com.

NEW YORK

New York City, July 10-29, Lincoln Center Festival. Three weeks, 100 performances, various sites around New York, including a staging of the Kirov "Ring Cycle." (212) 362-6000; www.lincolncenter.org.

PENNSYLVANIA

Gettysburg, July 6-8, Annual Gettysburg Civil War Battle Re-enactment. Said to be the largest of its kind, this brings together hundreds of Civil War buffs in period clothing, but it also involves demonstrations, exhibits, lectures and more. (717) 338-1525; www.gettysburgreenactment.com.

EUROPE

BRITAIN

London, Nov. 10, Lord Mayor's Show. Half a million people line the streets of London to see the Lord Mayor's carriage go by on his way to be formally presented at the Royal Courts of Justice — and costumed characters, floats, carriages and marching bands representing hundreds of years of British history. www.lordmayorsshow.org.

ITALY

Siena, July 2 and Aug. 16, The Days of Il Palio. Twice every summer since 1656, riders elected by the city's districts compete in a death-defying two-minute bareback horserace around the Piazza del Campo; for days before and after, the city has a carnival atmosphere, with parades to celebrate the winning riders. www.ilpalio.org/index_english.htm.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

JAPAN

Chichibu-shi, Dec. 2-3, Yomatsuri (night-time festival). Thousands make the pilgrimage to this small town near Tokyo, known for its 300-year-old float festival featuring a parade of oversized floats and children performing kabuki drama and folk dances. www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditional events/a63_fes_chichibu.html.

SEPT. 24-30

SWING TIME

The 2007 Presidents Cup will tee off Sept. 24-30 at North America's oldest private course, the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal. The biennial international team match-play competition pitting the U.S. against the world will be played outside of the United States for only the third time. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player chair the team and Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelsen are expected to compete. Information: www.presidentscup.com. Travel packages: Roadtrips, (800) 465-1765; www.roadtrips.com.

MAY 16-20

WINE FEST

The 11th annual Nantucket Wine Festival May 16-20 showcases winemakers and restaurants in the Nantucket area. There will be six symposia on winemaking, exclusive sit-down dinners in some of Nantucket's most historic homes, a gala tasting, a celebrity chef and winemaker tasting dinner, and the signature Grant Tasting events May 19 and 20 with more than 150 wines. Nantucket Island, in Massachusetts, is one of the nation's premier vacation destinations. Information and tickets: (508) 228-1128; www.nantucketwinefestival.com.

MAY 19-20

BOOK AND MUSIC FEST

"A Celebration of Story and Song" is the theme of O'ahu's second annual Hawaii Book and Music Festival, May 19-20 on the grounds of Honolulu Hale. Guests of honor will include writers James Houston, Maxine Hong Kingston and Gail Tsukiyama, and there will be more than 100 events, including children's activities, a music stage, storytelling, book lectures, arts and crafts and food booths. Admission is free. Information: www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org.