Wisconsin Jazz Festival

Shades of Blue Kicks Off Wisconsin Jazz Festival

The 44th annual Eau Claire Jazz Festival from April 7 to 10, is a weekend packed with live entertainment, over a hundred Midwestern bands, interactive clinics and thousands of jazz enthusiasts. 

Guest artists this year include jazz saxophonist Eric Marienthal, Afro�Latin drumming sensation Bobby Sanabria, The Hornheads and The United States Air Force Band of Mid America � Shades of Blue. 

The jazz festival kicks off March 29 with a two-week community-wide celebration of jazz, culminating in the four-day festival in Eau Claire and Menomonie.

The United States Air Force Band of Mid America � Shades of Blue kicks off the festival weekend Thursday with a free concert at Memorial High School in Eau Claire at 7:30p.m. Headliner concerts on Friday at 7:30p.m. and Saturday at 7p.m. will feature Marienthal and Sanabria, along with award-winning UW-Eau Claire Jazz Ensemble I, also at Memorial High School in Eau Claire. The Hornheads will perform in the finale concert, Sunday at 2p.m., at Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts in Menomonie, WI.

In addition to guest artists, education is a main focus of the festival. Middle schools, high schools, and colleges from a six-state area travel to Eau Claire to perform, be critiqued, and learn how to enhance their jazz skills. Students also have the opportunity to receive scholarships to Shell Lake and Birch Creek summer music camps and win instruments. Several free clinics are offered Friday and Saturday both for attending schools and community members. All clinics and master classes are free and open to the public.

For more information about top events in Wisconsin take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Wisconsin. 

For more information about the Eau Claire Jazz Festival visit www.eauclairejazz.com 

Winter Activities in Alaska

Alaskans have always embraced winter, and are increasingly encouraging travelers to do the same with a lineup of participation-required activities around the state. Yukigassen � a team snowball fight tournament that will be held for the first time in the United States in Anchorage � is the freshest 2011 offering.

Drawing thousands of spectators every year in Japan, Yukigassen will be the newest program addition to the 76th annual Fur Rendezvous, a winter celebration in Anchorage held from February 25 to March 6. Called "Fur Rondy" by the locals, the festival is known for its wacky, family-friendly events, and Yukigassen shouldn't prove any different. 

Originating from the town of Sobetsu in Japan, "yuki" translates to snow, and "gassen" to battle � and an epic snow battle it will be. Two teams of seven follow strict game regulations enforced by Yukigassen officials on a rectangular court with chateaus, shelters and flags.

Visitors are encouraged to get involved in a Yukigassen team, as well as in other hands-on activities throughout the state. The possibilities range from skiing to dog mushing and snowmobiling:

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race draws spectators from around the world to Alaska each year. This winter, PAWS for Adventure not only will teach guests to drive their own team of sled dogs on multi-day tours out of Fairbanks, but also will host them overnight at the company's newly acquired Tolovana Roadhouse, the first transfer point in the original lifesaving serum run to Nome, which the Iditarod celebrates.

For more information about top events in Alaska take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Alaska. 

To plan a trip to Alaska visit www.TravelAlaska.com