DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   "Piazza del Campo" is still used today for the well known Palio horse race which is one of the most famous popular Italian manifestations. It takes place every year on July 2 and August 16. The Palio is run to celebrate the miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary near the old houses that belonged to Provenzano Salvani. The holy apparition was therefore called "Madonna di Provenzano" in whose honour the very first Palio was run on August 16, 1656. The Palio was run for the first time in 1701 in honour of the "Madonna dell'Assunta" the patroness and Advocate of Siena through all the tragic events since she protected the Sienese militia at the famous battle of Monteaperti on September 4, 1260, against the Florentines. The Palio is a historical secular tradition strictly connected with the origin of the Contradas of Siena (districts into which the town is divided). The Contradas are spectacular agonistic institutions each having

  A growing number of people in Berkshire County and the surrounding areas have been visiting their back yards at the crack of dawn and in the dark of night on a regular basis. Some wear headlamps.  Some bring blanketsThey range in age from kindergarteners to grandfathers. And they're all after one thing: giant pumpkins.   Phil Daignault of Hinsdale started down the garden path with just a seed of an idea and a question, "Can I actually do it?" He needed to know, and now his interest has produced a source of fascination for his whole family.    Some giant-pumpkin growers spend thousands of dollars and some spend a few hundred on what many refer to as their obsession. Its roots may have begun in Canada, with a man named Howard Dill, and the craze appears to have spread from Canada to Australia and almost every continent in between over the past 20 years.    In 1996, Berkshire County growers formed their own self-help group. Dues are $10 a year. They m

So You Want To See a Real Circus?    In the late 1800's and early 1900's the circus was a very popular form of entertainment. Traveling from town to town, they brought their shows filled with exotic animals, daring performers, and rousing music to adoring crowds.   One town in Indiana, USA proudly celebrates it's circus heritage every year. If you want to see a circus come to life in a small town big top, to see amateurs learning the craft, and to learn more of the history of the circus in the US, a visit to "Circus City" Peru, Indiana will be memorable.  This years event takes place from July 15th to the 22nd for 2017. Visit to Peru Indiana    For a number of years, I had seen occasional news articles about a circus training camp and performance in Peru, Indiana. Finally, in the summer of 2008, I decided to make the trek to this small town to see it for myself. I had been to larger, modern circuses and even visited the Ringling Brothers

   San Diego Comic-Con International , also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con , was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans. It is traditionally a four-day event (Thursday through Sunday — though a three-hour preview night on Wednesday is open to professionals, exhibitors, and some guests pre-registered for all four days) held during the summer in San Diego , California , United States , at the San Diego Convention Center . Comic-Con is both the name of the annual event and the common name of the organization.    Comic-Con International also produces two other conventions, WonderCon and the Alternative Press Expo (APE), both held in San Francisco, California . Since 1974, Comic-Con has bestowed its annual Inkpot Award to guests and persons of interest in the industries of popular arts as well as to