A weekend-by-weekend guide to a fun-filled summer

A host of standout events to help you make the most of New England’s short, sweet season.

June 13, 2010|Patricia Harris and David Lyon

06.18 – 06.20International Festival of Arts & Ideas / June 12-26 School may be out, but the streets and halls around Yale are still bursting with brainy concepts. This weekend is the heart of the wildly eclectic festival where almost anything seems like a good idea. Catch sonic art in a park, West African music, Cambodian dance, a discussion about urban utopias, or even learn to make sushi. New Haven, 888-278-4332, http://www.artidea.org

31st Annual Quechee Hot Air Balloon Festival / June 18-20 You don’t have to be a high-flier to get a lift on Father’s Day weekend. The spectacle of almost two dozen hot air balloons ascending at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. alone is worth the trip (evening only on Friday), whether you watch or pay to ride. Friday features a balloon glow – lit balloons against the night sky. Between liftoffs, enjoy live entertainment, a crafts show, and kids’ activities . Festival Grounds near town green, Quechee, Vermont, 802-295-7900, http://www.quecheeballoonfestival.com

Russell Orchards Strawberry Festival / June 19-20 Russell Orchards celebrates the blissful beginning of local fruit season with pick-your-own strawberries and free activities such as face painting and balloon animals for the kids, hayrides, and live music. If you don’t care to stoop, they’ll also be selling strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits and offering tastings of strawberry and strawberry-rhubarb wine to grown-ups. 143 Argilla Road, Ipswich, 978-356-5366, http://www.russellorchardsma.com

06.25 – 06.2710th Annual Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Competition / June 19-30 Mountains of virgin sand are brought in on June 18, and sand artists start shaping it the next day. But the creative juices really flow on June 24, when 10 master sculptors begin to compete for the world championship qualifiers. On June 26, beachgoers vote for the People’s Choice, and awards are bestowed that night. Rain is good for sand carving, so don’t sweat the weather. Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, 603-926-8717, http://www.hamptonbeach.org

20th Anniversary Rhode Island National Guard Air Show / June 26-27 The US Air Force Thunderbirds are the headliners, performing solo and formation flights each afternoon, but some kind of aircraft will be in the air continuously from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at this free event. Among them are a fully aerobatic helicopter and an old-time barnstormer in a two-seater, which lands atop a pickup truck. Quonset State Airport, 1 Hercules Drive, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, http://www.riairshow.org

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