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

IN THE ISLANDS

KAUA'I

Po'ipu, March 23-24, Prince Kuhio Festival. The Grand Hyatt Kaua'i Resort and Spa hosts a cultural festival in honor of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole with ceremonies and pageantry, hula, entertainment, concluding lu"au. www.kauaifestivals.com; (808) 240-6369

O'AHU

Honolulu, June 9-10, Grand Sumo Tournament of Hawaii. Forty top wrestlers from Japan will clash for the Honolulu Mayor's Cup and the Hawai'i Governor's Cup in the Blaisdell Arena. Tickets go on sale at the end of March. www.sumohawaii.com; (808) 946-1039

U.S. MAINLAND

CALIFORNIA

Monterey, Sept. 21-23 Monterey Jazz Festival. The Monterey Fairgrounds, site of the first festival 50 years ago, will again host the event. 2008 dates: Sept. 19-21. www.montereyjazzfestival.org

FLORIDA

Key West, Oct. 19-28, Fantasy Fest. Themed "Gnomes, Toads and White Rabbit Tea Parties," this campy multiday, multi-event celebration includes a costume parade sponsored by Captain Morgan rum, a headdress ball, a street fair, a pet masquerade (featuring cross-dressing animals and their look-alike owners), a fancy dress party, a toga party and more. www.fantasyfest.net

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

TENNESSEE

Nashville, June 7-10, Country Music Association Music Festival and Fan Fair. Annual event allows fans to get up close and personal with country stars who appear at meet-and-greets, and almost constant concerts — day, night and late night. (800) 262-3378; www.cmafest.com

CANADA

Toronto, Ontario, Aug. 17-Sept. 3, Canadian National Exhibition. Affectionately known as TheEx, this annual, family-friendly event is part carnival, part expo, part circus bringing together an aerial acrobatics and ice-skating show, performances by "The Human Cannonball" military displays, an air show, a daily parade and a dog show. (416) 393-6300; www.thex.com

EUROPE

BRITAIN

Wimbledon, England, June 25-July 8, Wimbledon Tennis Fortnight. The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club hosts the queen of tennis tournaments in Wimbledon, 20 minutes outside London. www.wimbledon.org

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

ELSEWHERE

Antalya, Turkey, June 7-July 16, Aspendos Festival. Each year, in a festival sponsored by the Turkish Culture Ministry, operas and ballets restaged in the 2,000-year-old Aspendos Antique Theatre overlooking the Mediterranean. More than 80,000 people attend the dozen or so performances. www.exploreturkey.com

AUG. 6-10

BILLFISH TOURNAMENT

One of Hawai'i's oldest ongoing events, the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament annually draws enthusiasts from around the world; 30 teams competed in 2006. Strict rules apply, and the competitors are deadly serious about trying to land the biggest marlin. Of course, lots of merriment surrounds the event with nightly parties and fishing tales. Dates this year are Aug. 6-10 and Kona fills up fast, so make your plans now. www.hibtfishing.com

SEPT. 22-OCT. 7

OKTOBERFEST

Oktoberfest in Munich is said to be one of those events you ought to experience before you depart the planet. The dates this year are Sept. 22 to Oct. 7, and the place is the Theresienwiese, an open space in the middle of the city. Locals call the event the "Wies'n" after its location. Dozens of vendors set up tents selling beer, sausages and other traditional German fare; insiders say the Hofbrau tent is the one not to miss if you really like to party, but there are more elegant locations, as well. The event kicks off with a brewery wagon parade and there is music throughout. There's also an agricultural show. www.meunchen.de (click on the British flag for English language version)

FEB. 8-MARCH 2

PERTH INTL. ARTS FESTIVAL

The University of Western Australia's Perth International Arts Festival is a multifaceted event featuring nearly a month of cutting-edge theater, dance, music and children's events. It's held each February and/or March (their warm-weather months); dates in 2008 are Feb. 8 to March 2. Many works have premiered at the prestigious festival, which really is international in scope, with performing artists coming from around the world. www.perthfestival.com.au