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

IN THE ISLANDS

KAUA'I

Kilauea, May 5, Lighthouse Day. The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge's annual celebration of the anniversary of the opening of the historic lighthouse, featuring hands-on science fun plus entertainment. www.fws.gov (click on links to Pacific Region, Hawaii and then Kilauea Point); (808) 828-1413.

Lihu'e, May 24-27, 7th Annual Kaua'i Polynesian Festival. Folksy gathering sponsored by the Kamanawa Foundation 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.

MAUI

Makawao, June 28-July 1, Makawao Rodeo and Paniolo Parade. The 52nd annual Makawao Rodeo brings together all the elements that express the Upcountry lifestyle — cowboying, of course, but also family, food and fun. The Rodeo at Oskie Rice arena draws hundreds of booted and spurred participants in qualifying rounds, the Bull Bash and rodeo events and the Saturday morning parade is a Fourth of July weekend tradition for Valley Islanders. (808) 572-8102.

U.S. MAINLAND

CALIFORNIA

Newport Beach, February 14-17, 2008, Newport Beach Jazz Party. Four days of mainstream jazz — nightly concerts, poolside sessions, jazz brunch at Marriott Newport Beach Hotel and Spa. www.newportbeachjazzparty.com.

San Francisco, June 23-24, 37th Annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade. Rainbow flags sprout along the streets at the beginning of June, and late June sees the actual event with a film and arts festivals, marches, craft fair, concerts with multiple stages and the grand parade. (415) 864-0831; www.sfpride.org.

COLORADO

Denver, July 6-8, Cherry Creek Arts Festival. Said to be the nation's No. 1 outdoor arts festival, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival features more than 200 artists — visual and performing — with exhibits in a wide array of forms of visual arts, performances ranging from storytelling to Elvis impersonations and a Culinary Avenue featuring dishes from local restaurants. (303) 355-2787; www.cherryarts.org.

MARYLAND

Baltimore, May 11-May 19, Preakness Festival. Weeklong series of events culminates in the Preakness Stakes, one of three events in horseracing's Triple Crown. Activities include fun runs, a parade, nightly concerts, a balloon fest, fireworks and more. (410) 578-4451; www.preaknesscelebration.org.

TENNESSEE

Manchester, June 6-18, Bonnaroo Festival. Headliners for this annual rock blowout on a 700-acre Tennessee farm this year include The Police, Tool and Widespread Panic. www.bonnaroo.com.

CANADA

South Pender Island, British Columbia, April 6-9, Easter Art Walk. Art galleries open their doors for the annual display and sales of arts and crafts works, 45-minute nature trail walk offers glimpses of otters and other wildlife, Poets Cove Resort hosts Easter basket and egg-coloring workshop and Sunday Easter Brunch. Poets Cover Resort & Spa, (888) 512-7638; www.poetscove.com.

Stratford, Ontario, April-November, Stratford Festival of Canada. The 55th annual theatrical festival ranges from Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde, "Oklahoma" to "To Kill a Mockingbird," plus lectures, tours and family/children's events. www.stratford-festival.on.ca.

Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, April 3-Oct. 27, Shaw Festival. Ten plays in overlapping runs in three theaters make up this annual theatrical festival that celebrates the works of George Bernard Shaw but includes plays of other masters. www.shawfest.com.

EUROPE

BRITAIN

London, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, Notting Hill Carnival. In the historical neighborhood made famous in America by the Julia Roberts-Hugh Grant film, Caribbean immigrants imported the Carnival tradition in the 1960s, and it's been going strong every since, with a masquerade parade, steel-band competition and music from calypso to samba, said to be Europe's largest street festival. www.londoncarnival.co.uk.

Carnoustie, Scotland, July 19-22, British Open Golf Championship. The R & A's annual golf tournament, played on one of Scotland's ancient and treacherous links courses, this year is at Carnoustie. www.opengolf.com.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

CAMBODIA

Phnom Penh, November, Festival of the Reversing Current (Bon Om Tok). Three days of boat races mark the annual natural phenomenon in which the Tonle Sap River switches direction each year, around the time of the full moon in November. More than 100 carved and brightly painted boats compete on the Mekong River where it meets the Tonle Sap. www.whatsonwhen.com/events/~6440.jml.

FRIDAY-APRIL 1

SCOTTISH FESTIVAL

The rich but not widely known history of Scots in Hawai'i is celebrated annually at the Hawaiian Scottish Festival, held each year on the first weekend in April. This year's event begins with a Celtic Beer Night on Friday at The Willows. The celebration continues Saturday and April 1 with the highly competitive Highland games, entertainment, a gathering of the clans, food and craft vendors. www.scottshawaii.org.

JULY 4-8

HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA

Held annually since 1839 (with the exception of the two World Wars) on a particularly beautiful stretch of the Thames River, the Henley Royal Regatta is so much more than just the boat races that are its heart. The history-drenched event is unique in its racing rules, pageantry, royal patronage and surrounding events — not to mention exceptional people-watching and celebrity-ogling. The event, which this year takes place July 4-8, benefits a charitable foundation that supports rowing education. 01491 572153; www.hrr.co.uk.

JULY 6-14

RUNNING OF THE BULLS

What began hundreds of years ago as a fall religious festival honoring St. Fermin has become Spain's largest and best-known summer celebration, centered around the running of the bulls who dog the heels of daredevil festival-goers through the streets of Pamplona. This year's festival is set for July 6-14. Associated events include music, dance (especially flamenco), theater, craft fairs and bullfights. Plan ahead; the entire city books up; nearby San Sebastian is an alternative option. www.spanish-fiestas.com.