Now That's Festive

From Maine's Windjammer Days to California's Mother Lode Fair, summer celebrations across this great land recall the historic roots of the regions in which they take place. But a Minnesota town's tip o' the historical hat to its rowdy past has some current residents hot under the collar. Maybe it's the name of the festival: Gilbert Whorehouse Days. "The damage has been done. This is not a family-oriented activity," fumed one Gilbert resident, who's not pleased by the reference to the city's Prohibition-era past as a hub for prostitution and gambling. While the fest won't feature actual working girls, activities will include a car show, an antique fair and a bank robbery re-enactment. Book your flights now.
-- Lewis Wallace