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, 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. Tickets go on sale after May 1. (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, children younger than 12 free. www.visitlahaina.com; Lahainatown Action Committee, (808) 667-9175; (888) 310-1117.

O'AHU

Honolulu, Feb. 9, Pro Bowl. Annual football game brings NFL stars to the Islands with lots of hoopla. www.nfl.com.

U.S. MAINLAND

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.

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.

CANADA

Vancouver, British Columbia, Feb. 12-28, 2010, Winter Olympics. Thousands are expected for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and nearby Whistler; schedules and ticket sales coming in 2008. www.vancouver2010.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.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Pilsen, Oct. 5-7, Pilsner Fest 165, 165th anniversary of brewing of first Pilsner Urquell beer. www.prazdroj.cz/en/come-and-visit/pilsen-brewery/pilsner-fest-165-eng.

FRANCE

Chaumont-sur-Loire, now-Oct. 14, Festival International des Jardins (International Garden Festival). Held in Chaumont-sur-Loire near Bloir, on the grounds of a chateau once owned by Catherine de Medici, this annual multimonth celebration of all things floral includes dozens of show gardens, family activities, restaurants and shops, and tours of a magnificent orchid hothouse and of an experimental garden in a gully traversed by a suspended wooden bridge. www.chaumont-jardin.com (French-language site; if you access via www.Google.com, request translation).

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 horse race 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 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/traditionalevents/a63_fes_chichibu.html.

JUNE 13-17

MAUI FILM FESTIVAL

"Rising Stars, Movie Stars, Shooting Stars, Under the Stars" — The Maui Film Festival, presented outdoors at the Wailea Resort and indoors at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center June 13-17 this year, has built an enthusiastic following. The festival encompasses not just screenings but also hula and chant, food events including the Hollywood Reporters' Taste of the Islands opening reception June 13 at the Fairmont Kea Lani; late-night comedy at Mulligan's on the Blue June 13; filmmaking workshops June 14 at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa; and an awards event June 14 at Diamond Hawaii Resort & Spa. Tickets: (808) 579-9244. Information: (808) 572-3456. www.mauifilmfestival.com.

SEPT. 14-16

FLOWER SHOW

The Harrogate Flower Shows, held each spring and fall in the market town of Harrogate in Yorkshire, England, are known for the beauty and variety of the flowers shown. The fall show is set for Sept. 14-16, and next spring's show is April 24-27. This fall, about 90 of the country's leading horticultural nurseries will participate, competing for awards and trophies and selling from their plant markets. Also represented will be more than a dozen floral societies, from lovers of cacti and succulents to bonsai enthusiasts. Tickets go on sale in June; 01423 561049; www.flowershow.org.uk.

SEPT. 15 - OCT. 31

HARVEST FESTIVAL

In the Smoky Mountains tri-cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tenn., the annual Harvest Festival is a compendium of events, everything from music concerts and theatrical productions to home tours and craft fairs. Attractions, which include Dollywood, dress up for the fall celebration and, of course, the trees turn colors. The dates are Sept. 15-Oct. 31 this year. Information: www.smokymountainharvestfest.com.