The Rocket Festival ประเพณีบุญบั้งไฟ Bun Bang Fai is a merit-making ceremony traditionally practiced by ethnic Lao people at the beginning of the wet season in various villages and municipalities in Northeastern Thailand and Laos.
The festivities typically include music and dance performances, competitive processions of floats, dancers and musicians on the second day, and culminating on the third day with the competitive firing of homemade rockets.
Local participants and sponsors take advantage of the occasion to enhance their social prestige, as is customary in traditional Buddhist folk festivals throughout Southeast Asia.
The festival in Thailand also includes special programs and specific local patterns like Bang Fai (Parade dance) and a Beautiful Bang Fai float such as Yasothon on the third weekend of May, and continues Suwannaphum District, Roi Et on the first weekend of June, Phanom Phrai District Roi Et during the full moon of the seventh month in Lunar ...
The Downtown Farmers’ Market is celebrating its 50th season in 2025. For five decades, The Market has supported farmers, growers and artisan food entrepreneurs from all around the state of Iowa, creating a vibrant gathering place in the heart of the city.
Visitors can explore an array of offerings, including produce, meat, cheese, eggs, baked goods, plants, flowers and artisan packaged food, handmade art, and ready-to-eat prepared food, alongside unique attractions and activities.
The Market will run every Saturday from May 3 through Oct. 25, in Downtown Des Moines' Historic Court District. The Market operates from 7 a.m. to Noon (8 a.m. to Noon in October).
This is a great activity to do in Des Moines and worth checking out.
Downtown Farmers Market - Celebrating 50 Years - Des Moines Iowa 2025
Iowa Cubs vs Buffalo Bison
In 1887, the Des Moines Hawkeyes played in the Northwestern League - against such teams as the Minneapolis Millers and the Duluth Freezers - to mark the inaugural season of professional baseball here.
And for parts of three centuries - the 19th, 20th, and now the 21st - the national pastime would be an important part of life in the capital city.
Professional baseball would come and go as leagues and teams rose and folded. The Hawkeyes became the Colts and Prohibitionists of the Western Association. The Western League teams had nicknames that included Midgets, Undertakers, Underwriters, Champions, Champs, Boosters, Demons and Bruins. Since 1969, Des Moines has been fortunate to lay claim to a Triple-A franchise. The Iowa Oaks were among the six American Association teams that year. And in 1982, the Oaks became the Cubs - one year after they became the Chicago Cubs' top minor league team.
Located at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, Principal Park, ...
When Nevada became the 36th state in 1864 during the American Civil War (1861-1865), Carson City was confirmed as Nevada's permanent state capital. Carson City's development was no longer dependent on the mining industry and instead became a thriving commercial center.
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad was built between Virginia City and Carson City. A log flume was also built from the Sierra Nevada mountains range into Carson City. The current Nevada State Capitol building was constructed from 1869 to 1871. The United States Mint also operated its branch of the Carson City Mint between the years of 1870 and 1893, which struck gold and silver coins of United States currency.
The Nevada State Museum in Carson City features exhibits on Nevada's mining history, including a replicated mining town and an underground mine tour. The museum is housed in the former Carson City Mint and is one of seven Nevada State Museums operated by the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.
The museum's ...
