To Do March
by J.D. Brown and Margaret Backenheimer
22ND ANNUAL BERKS JAZZ FEST
Reading, Pa. March 23–April 1
The 22nd Annual Berks Jazz Fest features an array of musical styles, including contemporary and traditional jazz, blues and world music. This year’s lineup includes George Benson, Bela Fleck & The Original Flecktones, Chick Corea, The Manhattan Transfer, Tommy Castro’s Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue, Boney James, Minas, Brian Culbertson and David Benoit and more. More than 130 events at major venues, clubs and restaurants throughout Pennsylvania’s Greater Reading area make this a truly unique music festival. www.berksjazzfest.com
ST. MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA
Philipsburg, St. Maarten March 1–4
Round-the-buoy sailing contests and point-to-point destination races are mere run-ups to the harbor parties that follow. Headliners from Jimmy Cliff to the Black Eyed Peas have dropped in at past regattas, where Bliss Nightclub is the place to crew. www.heinekenregatta.com
MELBOURNE FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
Melbourne, Australia March 2–21
This 20-day feast marks its 20th year with an abundance of more than 200 culinary and wine events. The one meal not to miss is the World’s Longest Lunch, where 1,200 diners sit down at a 1,300-foot-long table on the banks of the Yarra River.
www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
ELLERSLIE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW
Christchurch, New Zealand March 7–11
Canceled last year due to a once-in-a-millennium earthquake, this display of the latest in garden design is meant to rival the Northern Hemisphere’s top horticultural shows, including Chelsea. Taking bloom in North Hagley Park, the Ellerslie epitomizes the horticultural exuberance of southern New Zealand’s Garden City. www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz
TELEMANN FESTIVAL
Magdeburg, Germany March 9–18
This is the Year of Reformation and Music in Germany and a prelude to 2017, the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation. No better place to absorb the sound and spirit of the 16th century than Magdeburg, where favorite son Georg Philipp Telemann will be honored in concert after concert, including those on March 11 and 17 in St. John’s Church, where Luther himself once preached.
NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
Washington, D.C. March 20–April 27
The nation’s capital marks the 100th anniversary of the planting of the 3,000 original cherry trees from Japan. Fly a self-made kite at the world-class Blossom Kite Festival in front of the Washington Monument on March 31; take in the music and light at the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival on April 7; and do double duty April 14 at both the cherry blossom parade down Constitution Avenue and the Sakura Matsuri along Pennsylvania Avenue, the largest Japanese cultural festival in America. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
YUKIGASSEN
Vardø, Norway March 21–25
There are food and drink tents on site, as well as plenty of parties, mischief and music nearby; but Yukigassen is a gas because of its Great Snowball Battle. The 64 seven-member teams engage one on one in all-out whiteouts, each team limited to 90 snowballs.
CYPRUS SALSA CONGRESS
Ayia Napa, Cyprus March 30–April 2
Make the island your ballroom and dance with the stars at this four-day, nonstop, annual salsa fest staged in the Grecian Park Hotel. Morning workshops in tango, salsa, kizomba, bachata and cha-cha are followed by after-dinner shows with salseros from 15 countries and, if you’re still on your feet, by DJ-hosted parties running all night, every night. www.salsacyprus.com
LAUNCH OF TITANIC BELFAST
Belfast, Northern Ireland March 31
This is a titanic year for the Titanic, the hundredth since its catastrophic maiden voyage. Read the stories, hear the sounds, walk the (reconstructed) decks and explore the nine galleries that trace the tragedy from the shipyards to the icebergs. The splashy new six-story museum that tells the full story is located on the original slipways where the RMS Titanic was christened. www.titanicbelfast.com
Dates may change; always check in advance to confirm.
