ATLANTA, GA – The best events across the Southeast compete to receive the prestigious Top 20 designation. Through a nomination process, the Southeast Tourism Society chooses the Top 20 events in the Southeast for each month of the year and publishes this list of winners quarterly. To be nominated, each event must have 1,000 or more in attendance, be in its third year in existence, and submit a $10 nomination fee per event. The Top 20 Events for September 2009 are perfect for including in any itinerary or getaway.

Top 20 Events – September 2009

Sept. 1-30, Virginia Beach Neptune Festival. Spectacular end-of-the-summer series includes grand parades, pageants, black-tie fund-raisers, beachfront concerts, arts and crafts and Boardwalk events drawing nearly half a million people to the City by the Sea. Virginia Beach, VA, 757-498-0215; wbc@neptunefestival.com. www.neptunefestival.com

Sept. 4-6, Roots & Heritage Festival. Kicking off a month of fun celebrating the achievements of African Americans, with cultural entertainment, renowned speakers, arts, basketball tourney, street dancing and a huge variety of music! Lexington, KY,
859-420-5696; kbaird@kyprosecutors.com. www.rootsandheritagefestival.com
 
Sept. 4-6, WorldFest. Cooking up cultural fun that draws 100,000 with ethnic foods, international crafts and games, Budweiser International Bier Garden, samples of wine, spirits and coffees, a stirring naturalization ceremony and colorful Parade of Cultures. Louisville, KY, 502-574-2320. www.louisvilleky.gov/international
 
Sept. 5-7, Marietta Art in the Park. Stroll galleries, museums, theaters, cafés and 150 artists in historic Marietta Square. Bring the kids for puppet making, easel painting and more in the Interactive Art Alley! Marietta, GA, 770-592-7150; cmorris@wiredearth.net. www.mariettaaartinthepark.com

Sept. 5-14, Tennessee Valley Fair. Remember the sights, sounds and smells of your first big fair? Relive those midway thrills in the Volunteer State! Rides, games, music, agricultural exhibits, yummy fair foods, shows and competitions! Knoxville, TN,
865-215-1477; scotts@tnvalleyfair.org. www.tnvalleyfair.org
 
Sept. 6, 2009 Chrysler Jeep Boomsday Festival. Free admission to this explosion of family fun attracts more than 400,000 with games, inflatables, concerts, thrilling shows, petting zoo, inflatables and the nation’s largest Labor Day weekend fireworks display! Knoxville, TN, 865-523-7263; smalak@knoxville.org. www.boomsday.org
 
Sept. 10-13, Tennessee Williams Tribute Weekend & Victorian Home Tour. Academy Award-winner Olympia Dukakis is the featured performer during this celebration of America’s greatest playwright. City-wide parties, tours and films honor Columbus’s native son. Columbus, MS, 662-328-0222; sbcaradine@cableone.net. www.muw.edu/tennesseewilliams
 
Sept. 11-12, Oka Kapassa – Return to Cold Water. Honoring the area’s rich Native American heritage through education programs, storytelling, singing, colorful dancing, foods, and traditional crafts demonstrations, like basket making, archery, and flintnapping. Tuscumbia, AL, 800-344-0783; colberttourism@comcast.net. www.okakapassa.org

Sept. 11-13, 27th Annual Hampton Bay Days. Premier, free event promotes Chesapeake Bay conservation with headliner entertainment, arts and crafts, car and motorcycle shows and a family carnival complete with rides and games! Hampton, VA, 757-722-1222, x5328; ryan@hamptoncvb.com. www.baydays.com

Sept. 11-13, Hummingbird Migration Celebration at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. Up close contact with Nature’s tiny titans and colorful butterflies, too! Walking tours, wagon rides through the woods, crafts and kids’ fun! Holly Springs, MS,
888-687-4765; info@hollysprings.org. www.visithollysprings.org

Sept. 11-13, MainStrasse Village Oktoberfest. Old World festival presents an international array of amusements, foods and oom, pah, pah that attracts 100,000 to the German neighborhood’s tree-lined 6th Street Promenade. One of the Kentucky’s best-loved events! Covington, KY, 859-491-0458; dkremer@mainstrasse.org. www.mainstrasse.org

Sept. 15-20, Kentucky Bourbon Festival. More fun than a barrel of bourbon, but you’ll find that, too, along with gala balls, jazz concerts, culinary events, auctions, ghost tours, sporting competitions and tons of family activities! Bardstown, KY, 800-638-4877, x4; info@kybourbonfestival.com. www.kybourbonfestival.com

Sept. 18-Oct. 31, Rock City’s Enchanted MAiZE. Popular attraction atop Lookout Mountain sends you through a magical labyrinth of twists and turns in the cornfield below Lover’s Leap. Hayrides, playground and millet maze, too! Flintstone, GA, 706-820-2531, x213; meagan@rockruby.com. www.enchantedmaze.com

Sept. 19-20, Sandy Springs Festival. Celebration in the Atlanta Metro Area city, where civic pride and community spirit come together in lovely Heritage Green park for a weekend of family fun and friendly competitions. Sandy Springs, GA, 404-851-9111; kbranch@heritagesandysprings.com. www.heritagesandysprings.org

Sept. 24-26, IdeaFestival. A broad cross-section of thinkers from around the world come together to promote innovation, imagination and cutting-edge breakthroughs in science, design, the arts, education, business, film and technology. Louisville, KY, 859-233-3503, x223; kkimel@kstc.com. www.ideafestival.com
 
Sept. 24-27, World Chicken Festival. Finger lickin’ fun includes Col. Sanders look-alike contests, parades, carnival, kiddie rides, car shows, hundreds of food and crafts booths, bowling, volleyball, circus, and the world’s largest skillet! London, KY,
800-348-0095; tourism@lltc.net. www.chickenfestival.com
 
Sept. 24-Oct. 4, MOJA Arts Festival. A celebration of African American and Caribbean art through a block party of music, dancing, singing, storytelling, poetry readings, drumlines, custom crafts, and luscious island foods. Charleston, SC, 843-724-7305; cultural_affairs@ci.charleston.sc.us. www.mojafestival.com
 
Sept. 25-26, 2009 Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival. More than a score of high flyers, including glowing orbs every night! Balloon rides, arts and crafts, live music, games and “Ultimate Canines” performances. Knoxville, TN, 865-694-6528; foundation@pstcc.edu. www.pstcc.edu/balloon
 
Sept. 25-27, 32nd Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival. Delicious event in the City of Five Flags includes concerts, chef demonstrations, hundreds of crafts vendors, and succulent sea treats angled in during the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup fishing tourney! Pensacola, FL, 850-433-6512; info@fiestaoffiveflags.org. www.fiestaoffiveflags.org
 
Sept. 25, Oct. 15-Nov. 1, Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern. Nightmares return to Lookout Mountain when the popular family attraction hosts above and below ground events sure to scare up seasonal fun for everyone! Chattanooga, TN, 706-820-2531, x213; Meagan@rockruby.com. www.hauntedcavern.com

Copyright 2008 The Southeast Tourism Society. All rights reserved. From http://www.southeasttourism.org.
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