Online - April 29, 2006

Travel: Summerfest ’06

Food, Theater, and Music Festivals

Want more from your vacation than ill-advised tan lines? Make your way to our favorite annual summer festivals. Here’s the insider’s guide.

Classic in Aspen
What: Foodie nirvana. Food & Wine mag hosts makers, cooks, and eaters in the Rockies for three days of tastings, seminars, demos, and late-night throw downs.
When: June 16-18. (You’ll have to sweet-talk your way in this year. Tickets are scarce.)
You’ll See: Superstars (Bobby, Giada, Jacques), rising stars (Suzanne Goin, Joshua Wesson), and Gail and Tom from Top Chef.
Stay: At the St. Regis (if you’re a player) or The Sky (if you’re there to play).
Be Seen: At Matsuhisa for the power dining (303 East Main St.; 970-544-6628), D19 for the bar scene (307 South Mill St.; 970-925-6019), and Belly Up for late-night music. You hate yourself for going to the Caribou Club, but you always have a great time.
Don’t Miss: The Classic Cook-Off (the original Iron Chef), hosted by Sissy Biggers.
Crash: The Two Twelve Access Aspen clubhouse, the (badly kept) secret after-hours that feels like a kegger (with better snacks and expensive hooch).
When You’re Sick of Food: Go paragliding or hiking.

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Edinburgh Fringe Festival
What: The world’s largest plan-it-yourself theater and comedy fest, with thousands of shows in venues as diverse as hotel boardrooms and a red phone booth.
When: August 6-28. (Score tickets from the venues, not the box office.)
Who You’ll See: Funny blokes with accents (like Ricky Gervais and Will Adamsdale) and thousands of hard-working hopefuls doing anything to get your bum on their cheap seats.
Stay: At The Balmoral for full Scottish grandeur.
Be Seen: At Mamma’s (28-30 The Grassmarket; +44-131-225-6464) for post-show chocolate or haggis pizza.
Don’t Miss: Anything at Smirnoff Underbelly, which is fast gaining a reputation for its award-winning shows.
Crash: The Spiegeltent, a funky traveling circus, for shockingly amusing nightly burlesque shows.
When You’re Sick of Watching: Meet fresh young talents at the Underbelly’s infamous bar.

Tanglewood
What: Music, music, music. The Boston Symphony Orchestra decamps to the Berkshires for outdoor concertos, jazz festivals, wine weekends, and picnics.
When: June 23-Sept. 3. (Buy tickets to individual shows.)
Who you’ll see: Wynton Marsalis, BSO conductor James Levine, and damn near every socialite on the East Coast.
Stay: At Blantyre to destress or Canyon Ranch to detox.
Be Seen: Mezze Bistro attracts urbanites who refuse to give up cutting-edge cuisine, even in the country.
Don’t Miss: The tasting menu at Wheatleigh.
Crash: The scene at Pearl’s, for nightcaps and to escape city-bound traffic.
When You’re Sick of Music: Bone up on modern art at MASS MoCA.