Name: The Romeo Peach Festival
Brand: David McLaughlin
SKU: 9780738540597
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

The Romeo Peach Festival

9780738540597

$24.99

In 1813, Michael Bowerman built a cabin two miles south of what later became Romeo. Bowerman carried a small number of peach pits from his father's farm in New York, introducing the popular fruit to Macomb County and establishing the roots of today's Westview Orchards. In 1931, hoping for an economic boost, area orchard managers convinced village president Edward Jacob to create a festival. Jacob embraced the idea and traveled to northern Michigan to study the Michigan Cherry Festival in Traverse City. Upon his return, the first annual peach festival was held with much success with the cooperation of local merchants. Held on Labor Day weekend in Romeo, and called the Romeo Peach Festival by the locals, the Michigan Peach Festival has been sponsored by the Lions Club since 1951 and is the second-oldest festival in the state. In honor of the 75th anniversary, a collection of over 200 photographs has been assembled, including images of Peach Queens, the Floral Parade, and the surrounding orchards.

Sea Girt Lighthouse

9781626195066

$24.99

The Jersey Shore lighthouse that stands in Sea Girt has been a guiding beacon for seafarers since the end of the nineteenth century. A revolutionary lens, designed by Frenchman Augustin-Jean Fresnel, captured the flickering flame of a burning wick and projected a unique flash that could be seen for fifteen miles. The genius of Fresnel's design, on full display at the lighthouse, impresses as much now as it did in the days of sail. Many colorful characters were put in command here, including a Civil War soldier, a pioneering woman, an inventor and, for one day, the twenty-year-old daughter of a keeper. Sea Girt Lighthouse played an important role in defending the coast during World War II, when U.S. Coast Guard troops stood watch in the tower and patrolled the beaches. After its decommissioning, the lighthouse served for over two decades as the town library and recreation center, but by 1981, it was at risk of being closed and sold. That's when a group of community members--the Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizens Committee--successfully fought to save and preserve the shore landmark. Today, the lighthouse is the community beacon, alive with activity and attracting visitors who flock from around the country and the world to experience its history.

Cover image for Sea Girt Lighthouse, isbn: 9781626195066

Lighthouses of Lake Winnebago

9781467124560

$24.99

Lake Winnebago has a rich history as a major settlement area in the Midwest, and a significant part of its times gone by involved water transportation for both commerce and passengers. Throughout its history, the 137,700-acre lake has been home to six current lighthouses, two navigation lanterns that have long disappeared from the landscape, and one that was scheduled to be built but never came to fruition. History has forgotten a few, but Lighthouses of Lake Winnebago will take you on a trip around the largest lake within Wisconsin's borders and show you the familiar, while introducing you to the forgotten.

Cover image for Lighthouses of Lake Winnebago, isbn: 9781467124560

Alameda County Fair

9780738581934

$24.99

What began as a ranching family's Sunday pastime of horse racing, with cheering crowds and thundering hooves on dusty roads, would give way to the Alameda County Fair that we know today. The Bernal family built the original racetrack in 1859 on their 52,000-acre ranch, which was part of the Northern California land grant, Rancho Valle de San Jose. Looking to turn his newly acquired racetrack into profit, businessman Rodney G. MacKenzie approached a group of county businessmen and ranchers with a proposal to hold a county fair on his property. The first Alameda County Fair ran from October 23 to October 27, 1912. Local leaders sought to form a modern fair, and in 1939 the Alameda County Fair Association was established. Once considered a racing fair, the Alameda County Fair now boasts livestock and agriculture. For young and old alike, the thrilling carnival rides, beautiful quilt exhibits, baking contests, fast-paced horse racing, or just a corn dog and cotton candy provide something for everyone, as the Alameda County Fair now prepares to celebrate its 100th year.

Hudson-Fulton Celebration of 1909

9780738562810

$24.99

The Hudson-Fulton Celebration of 1909 honored the tercentennial of Henry Hudson's great find for the Dutch and the centennial of Robert Fulton's steamboat. These events anchored settlements along the Hudson River valley and helped to define this famous region. The celebration, which coincided with the heyday of the penny postcard, was a multi-week, cross-state parade and party. Among its many vintage images, Hudson-Fulton Celebration of 1909 features unique postcards from the magnificent event by blockbuster artist Bernhardt Wall, renowned publisher Raphael Tuck, and an official souvenir series from the Redfield Brothers.

National Hard Crab Derby

9780738542539

$24.99

In 1947, The Crisfield Times published an editorial prompting an annual crab derby, a sort of Kentucky Derby spotlighting one of Crisfield's greatest natural resources: the Chesapeake Bay blue crab. The next year, the National Hard Crab Derby began. Since that brief crab race in front of the Crisfield Post Office in 1948, the annual Labor Day weekend event has grown into one of the most recognized festivals in the United States. The entire country participates each year through the Governor's Cup crab race, and all eyes are on contestants as they attempt to break world records in crab picking and boat docking. Champion chefs from throughout the Eastern Seaboard hone their skills during the annual crab cooking contest. Skiff races recall days of the past when work boats sped in from Tangier Sound to sell their day's catch to the area's seafood packers. And Crisfield may be the only city in America where little girls grow up with the dream of someday being called Miss Crustacean!

Calle Olvera de Los Angeles

9780738524993

$24.99

El mercado mexicano de Olvera Street y su plaza forman el hogar de la cultura Latina en la región de Los Angeles. En este sector de la ciudad donde se realizan muchas fiestas, incluyendo el Cinco de Mayo, todavia se mantienen en pie Avila Adobe, la iglesia de la plaza--La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles, Pico House, Sepúlveda House y L.A. Firehouse No. 1. El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles fue fundado en 1781. La plaza construida en los años 1820 fue gobernada por décadas por el magnánimo Juez Agust n Olvera. Wine Street fue renombrada en su honor después de su muerte y tomo una dureza de callejón representada en las primeras pel culas de Hollywood. En los años 1920, Christine Sterling hizo una campaña para salvar Avila Adobe de una demolición y transformar Olvera Street en un destino turstico reconocido internacionalmente, el cual se inauguró en 1930. Hoy la antigua plaza y las tiendas de Olvera Street, junto con sus restaurantes, museos y vendedores atraen a un millón de personas anualmente bajo el auspicio de El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.

The Oregon State Fair

9780738548777

$24.99

Since the first Oregon State Fair was held on four acres along the Clackamas River in the Gladstone/Oregon City area in 1861, the fair has been the focal point of Oregon culture—a place to see
and be seen and to compete against the best in the state. It has been a place of victory and a place of discovery for nearly 150 years. For many generations of Oregonians, the fair was a chance for families and friends to reunite and share the excitement of this grand, uniquely Oregon event. Today the fair's popularity continues and, for 12 days each year, transforms the fairgrounds in Salem into the fifth largest city in the state.

Cover image for The Oregon State Fair, isbn: 9780738548777

Nebraska State Fair

9780738583273

$24.99

The Nebraska State Fair commenced in Nebraska City in 1859, long before Nebraska became a state. Agriculture was recognized as the prime industry in the region, and the promotion of land and products was a driving influence for developing an exposition to put Nebraska on display. In 1901, the state legislature passed a bill declaring Lincoln as the official permanent site for the annual event. In the fair's 140-year history, Lincoln held 108 Nebraska State Fairs. The event was cancelled twice--in deference to the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, a world's fair held in Omaha in 1898, and when the government suspended all fair events in 1945 due to World War II. The fair offers food, entertainment, exhibits, and competitions for visitors of all ages and interests. Each year, there are bigger and better shows, midways, and performers to entice new crowds and to draw those who attend year after year. The history is preserved in precious photographs and memorabilia. Though the fair bids a sad farewell to Lincoln, new memories await as it moves to the centrally located community of Grand Island for its grand opening in late August 2010.

Escondido Grape Day Festivals

9780738559490

$24.99

Escondido is the lilting Spanish name meaning hidden and was given to an irregular-shaped inland Southern California valley where an investment group planted 100 acres of grapes in the early 1880s.

The dry-farmed grapes grew unusually large and sweet, which prompted business leaders to envision an attraction similar to Pasadena's Tournament of Roses. The first Grape Day Festival in 1908 commemorated an auspicious occasion in Escondido's water history and celebrated the grape as a symbol of the agricultural abundance of the region. The event attracted thousands of guests who could view the valley, farm displays, a grand parade, and entertainment while eating their fill of free grapes. But by mid-century, Grape Day disappeared along with the grape in Escondido. With the memory of the grape remaining clear, the Escondido Historical Society began the revival of the celebration in the 1970s.

Cover image for Escondido Grape Day Festivals, isbn: 9780738559490

The Aurora Farmers Fair

9780738551685

$24.99

In 1908, the Aurora Business Mens Association decided to bring a celebration to its sleepy river town. Little did these men realize that the Aurora Farmers Fair would bring their community together for the next 100 years. During the 1909 fall festival, Second and Main Streets were blocked off and lined with farm exhibits and storefronts were decorated. There were over 700 entries and 12,000 people attended. Every year merchants and manufacturers parade, and contestants are selected from area schools to compete for a place in the royal court that presides over the festivities. Class reunions and family homecomings are held around the event, and schoolchildren are released early to participate in a bicycle and pet parade. In 1959, the Aurora Business Mens Association ceded management and sponsorship of the fair to the Aurora Lions Club, and in 1969, the Lions Club purchased a beautiful old building from the Aurora Casket Company to house exhibits. Sadly, in 1998, arson destroyed the fair building, and years' worth of fair history was lost. This book has been created, in part, in an effort to regain a portion of the collection that was lost.

Cover image for The Aurora Farmers Fair, isbn: 9780738551685

Egmont Key

9781609497088

$21.99

Quirky, unique, and unexpected, the history of Ermony Key comes to life in rare historic images.

Egmont Key has been a sentinel for ships entering Tampa Bay from the Gulf of Mexico for hundreds of years. Early European explorers recognized the island's strategic location. Its story reflects major events in the history of the United States and Florida, as the island played a role in the Seminole Wars, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II. Its lighthouse, now automated, is still a beacon for ships. For many years, people have enjoyed the beaches of Egmont Key, walked the red brick roads to nowhere and explored the ruins of Fort Dade. Authors Don and Carol Thompson aim to foster an appreciation of the uniqueness and beauty of Egmont Key, as well as an understanding of its place in history.

The Charlottesville Dogwood Festival

9780738542102

$24.99

During the month of April, the residents of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, and Orange Counties converge on the city of Charlottesville to celebrate the beauty of Central Virginia and honor the state flower. Beginning in 1950 as the Apple Harvest Festival, the festival took on its current name, the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival, in 1958. Each year, Charlottesville comes alive not only with the blooms and blossoms of spring, but with fireworks, amusement rides, and a host of local royalty. The beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and fall foliage as well as breathtaking springs and some of the nation's oldest and most prestigious plantations make this area one of the most popular places to visit in the South. The Charlottesville Dogwood Festival takes pride in being a long-standing part of an area rich in tradition and heritage.