LAKE GENEVA, Wis. -- Music lovers will have their choice of concerts this summer.On Thursdays, July 15, 22 and 29, there will be free lakefront concerts in Flat Iron Park at 7 p.m.
Country music fans can attend the annual Country Thunder USA, with four days of appearances by top acts, beginning Thursday.
Among those scheduled to perform are Reba McIntyre, Brooks & Dunn, the Charlie Daniels Band and Dustin Evans.
Call (414) 279-6960.
For additional information about these events or for a free travel guide, contact the Geneva Lake Area Convention & Visitors Bureau or the Geneva Lake Chamber of Commerce, 201 Wrigley Drive, Lake Geneva, WI 53147; or call (800) 345-1020 or (414) 248-4416. Visit the Lake Geneva Web site at lakegenevawi.com.
Balloons over Wisconsin
MONROE, Wis. -- Ballooning enthusiasts can enjoy the magnificent sight of more than 50 hot air balloons during Monroe's annual Balloon Rally Wednesday through Sunday.
Fifty inflated and tethered balloons will be featured at dusk on Friday for this yearly rally.
Saturday and Sunday start with an early morning hot air balloon competition of target dropping: The pilot who drops his or her sandbag closest to the target wins a cash prize.
Call (608) 325-7648.
Festa Italiana
MILWAUKEE -- America's No. 1 Italian festival, Festa Italiana, July 15-18, is a combination of romantic music, authentic food and 'street festival' spirit.
Held along the shores of Lake Michigan, this fest offers Sicilian brass bands, folk entertainment and gondola rides.
A Sunday Mass features a religious procession reminiscent of Sicily's past.
Italian heritage is celebrated through sacred church art, vintage photos of Italian neighborhoods, and the musical scores and song sheets from the Golden Age of Opera.
Call (414) 223-2180 or (414) 223-2194.
`Abraham' returns
PETERSBURG -- The musical Abraham! returns to Theatre in the Park at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, with a new leading man, Nathan Carls, 27, portraying the young Abraham Lincoln.
The rest of the cast will return to reprise their roles as Jack Kelso, Ann Rutledge and other villagers and neighbors of Lincoln's.
Dates for performances of Abraham! are: July 15, 16, 17, 18 and 27 and Aug. 20 and 22.
Performances at Theatre on the Park are set in the outdoor amphitheater in Kelso Hollow behind the Visitors' Center.
The play, Spoon River Anthology, will anchor the weekend of July 23-25 as the nearby town of Petersburg celebrates the literary legacy of the poet and playwright, Edgar Lee Masters, during the community event, 'Return to Spoon River.'
The event, sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce and Historical Society, will include tours of the Edgar Lee Masters house and garden, sales and activities on the town square.
On Monday, a special performance by the acclaimed Shakespearean company from Illinois State University is scheduled.
This presentation of a selection of short versions of the Bard's most famous plays will appeal to the entire family.
Dyed in the Wood will headline the evening of July 30 accompanied by The Justin Dancers, a local Irish dance group.
Two for the Show returns on July 31 and Aug. 1 with a combination of music from the '50s and '60s and new comedy skits.
Theatre in the Park offers free pre-show discussions and pre-show warm-up entertainment prior to each evening's featured performance, which begins at 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $7 for adults, $5 for groups of 10 or more, and $3 for children under 12.
The site is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The site is two miles south of Petersburg and 20 miles north of Springfield on Illinois 27. For tickets, call (800) 710-9290.
Country Jam USA
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Country Jam USA Festival July 15-18 is a camping and music festival which attracts more than 120,000 country music fans with 36 hours of entertainment by well-known country music stars.
The American Bus Association voted the festival among the top 100 events in North America.
Call 1-888-523-FUNN.
Honor the Earth Powwow
HAYWARD, Wis. -- The 26th annual Honor the Earth Powwow July 15-18, sponsored by the Lac Courte Oreilles tribe, provides an opportunity for the entire family to gain a greater appreciation of this Chipewa tribe's culture.
American Indian children, dressed in brightly colored traditional costumes and feathers, dance alongside their elders.
The celebration also includes many other American Indian tribes and nations, speakers, sports, games, drumming, arts and crafts displays, and traditional American Indian foods.
Call (715) 634-8924.
Fish Day
PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. -- The 35th annual Port Washington Fish Day is Saturday, July 17.
Port Washington's marina is the site of this family-oriented event billed as 'The World's largest Outdoor One-Day Fish Fry.' The day includes a parade, live music on five stages, a carnival, arts and crafts, an antique car show and fireworks.
Call 1-800-719-4881 or (414) 284-0900.
Outdoor Arts Festival
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- The multi-arts Outdoor Arts Festival July 17-18, held at the newly renovated John Michael Kohler Arts Center, showcases artwork by more than 150 artists from across the nation.
The event also includes food, demonstrations, performing arts and workshops for the entire family.
Call (920) 458-6144.
Indiana Black Expo
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The largest and longest-running exposition event of its kind in the nation, Indiana Black Expo (IBE) July 12-18, includes an ecumenical service, consumer exhibition and employment opportunity fair, health fair, boxing tournament, youth summit and an art competition and exhibition.
IBE's goals are to create and maintain awareness of African-American culture and heritage, implement youth programs, support economic development initiatives and promote activities that enhance individuals and society.
The event is held at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis.
Call (317) 925-2702.
Bluegrass festival
WESTFIELD, Ind. -- Opryland bluegrass stars will perform during the 14th annual Little Eagle Creek Bluegrass Invitational festival at Rynearson Farm in Westfield.
July 15-18.
Bands include Lewis Family, Highway 23, Rarely Herd, Red Wing, Classic Grass, Sand Mountain and others.
Door prizes, hayrides, a horseshoe pitching contest, camping and a Thursday night ham and bean supper are featured.
Admission charged.
Call (317) 257-5391, (317) 896-2985 or (317) 896-5337.
