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

IN THE ISLANDS

HAWAI'I 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. 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 but children younger than 12 free. www.visitlahaina.com; Lahainatown Action Committee, (808) 667-9175; (888) 310-1117.

O'AHU

Honolulu, Feb. 9, 2008, Pro Bowl. Annual football game brings NFL stars to the Islands with surrounding hoopla. www.nfl.com.

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.

KENTUCKY

Louisville, April 21-May 6, Kentucky Derby Festival. Two weeks of events, many of them free, lead up to the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, including an immense fireworks display, sporting competitions, a marathon, concerts and the elegant Derby Ball. www.kdf.org, www.kentuckyderby.com; festival hot line: (502) 540-1127.

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 12-15, 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.

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.

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/traditionalevents/a63_fes_chichibu.html.

MAY 12-26

FESTIVAL OF CANOES

Under Lahaina's famed banyan tree and all around the town, the International Festival of Canoes, May 12-26, celebrates Hawaiian culture and, in particular, the Hawaiian style of canoe-building. Craftsmen carve canoes right on site and there are arts and crafts displays, cultural presentations on a variety of subjects and a ho'olaule'a (party) with entertainment and hula on the last day. www.mauicanoefest.com; LahainaTown Action Committee, (808) 667-9175; (888) 310-1117.

FEB. 2010

OLYMPICS

It may seem like a long way off, but Vancouver, British Columbia, and the Whistler ski area already have held kickoff events to mark the preparations for the Winter Olympics, Feb. 12-28, 2010. The event schedule will be finalized and tickets will go on sale in 2008. Whistler is possibly the most popular ski area with Islanders and will get a comprehensive face-lift for the Olympics. It's not too early to begin planning with your travel agent. See www.vancouver2010.com for helpful information.

NOV. 1-JAN. 1

OZARK CHRISTMAS

The music mecca of Branson, Mo., is always a festive sort of place, but especially during the holidays when the concert stages, the streets and, indeed, the whole countryside gets gussied up for Ozark Mountain Christmas, a celebration that kicks off Nov. 1 and runs right through New Year's Day. This year's is the 20th annual event, celebrating Southern culture and hospitality, as well as country and many other kinds of music with holiday-themed concerts, Festival of Lights and Trail of Lights displays, parades and more. (800) 682-1265 or (417) 337-8427; www.ozarkmountainchristmas.net.