Fall brings a new season of festivals, performing arts and cultural events, making it an exciting time to explore a big city. Here’s a sample of what’s happing around the country.
In New York City, more than a dozen plays and musicals are set to open on Broadway. You can choose from dramatic works by playwrights like August Wilson and Arthur Miller. New musicals range from a show about Neil Diamond to one based on the Korean sensation K-pop. The New York City Wine & Food Festival runs from Oct. 13-16, highlighting the talents of renowned chefs. Open House New York takes place Oct. 21-23. Sites across the city, some of which rarely open their doors to the public, will offer tours and special programming.
If you’re thinking about a trip to Orlando, you’ve still got time to catch one of Disney World’s most popular events, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, which runs through Nov. 19. Universal Orlando Resort gets into the Halloween spirit throughout October, with Horror Nights on select dates. You can tour 10 haunted houses and five scare zones in the park. Every Thanksgiving weekend, this year Nov. 26-27, downtown Orlando is home to FusionFest, celebrating more than a hundred cultures from around the world.
Las Vegas is home to some of the biggest names in music, and this fall is no exception. The stars range from British singer/songwriter Adele, to country’s Miranda Lambert, R&B singer Usher and the legendary Barry Manilow. If you’re a fan of Cirque du Soleil, there’s a new show, “Mad Apple,” a tribute to New York City that combines acrobatics, music, dance, magic and comedy. The Shops at Crystals is home to “Princess Diana: A Tribute Exhibition,” featuring more than 700 artifacts relating to Diana and the British royal family.
In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is undergoing a complete makeover with new layouts, interactive exhibits and artifacts. Eight renovated galleries reopen Oct. 14, including Exploring the Planets, Destination Moon and the Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age. There’s still time to catch the National Geographic Society’s immersive experience Beyond King Tut, marking the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. You can see it through Feb. 6.
If you’re a fan of Harry Styles, the British singer/songwriter brings his tour to Los Angeles for 15 nights, from Oct. 23 to Nov. 15. Other L.A. highlights include an exhibit on pioneering Black actors, directors and movie production companies, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures through April 9. During the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead in early November, families and friends come together to remember loved ones. To mark the event, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery opens its grounds on Oct. 29 for a festival, with a procession, art exhibits, dance and musical performances and food.
