Spoleto Festival USA - Charleston, South Carolina
May 24-June 9
Spoleto Festival USA was founded in 1977 as an American counterpart to the annual Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.  For 17 days, Spoleto Festival USA fills the fairytale city of Charleston, South Carolina with performances in opera, theater, dance and music.  Piccolo Spoleto runs simultaneously and is geared to children, providing a wonderful complement to the parent festival.  Piccolo Spoleto offering 700 events including visual arts exhibits, classical music, jazz, dance, theatre, poetry readings, children’s activities, choral music, ethnic cultural presentations, crafts and film.

Maker Faire - NYC and San Mateo, California
May 18-19 at the San Mateo County Events Center
September 21-22 at the New York Hall of Science
This offbeat festival celebrates innovation, creativity and do-it-yourself spirit.  It’s a favorite with the Mommy Poppins team, making the list of top New York City festivals.  It was originally launched in San Mateo, California in 2006, but now also takes place in NYC.  Participants show off their high and low-tech creations, with the weird and wacky being well represented.  There are loads of hands-on demos and crafts. There is a special section where those under 18 present their work, so don’t be surprised to meet a 8- year- old who has engineered his or her own robot.

Norfolk’s Harborfest - Norfolk, Virginia
June 6-9
Norfolk, Virginia is festival central.  Waterfront Town Point Park hosts special events nearly every weekend. Harborfest is a three-day party with music, dance, and theater to go along with the Parade of Sails. This parade of tall ships and antique sailing vessels is a showstopper.  The Saturday night Fireworks is one of the largest pyrotechnical shows on the East Coast. Hands-on art projects focus on kid-centric topics such as making your own pirate accessories.

International Festival of Arts and Ideas - New Haven, CT.
June 15-29
Each June, this intellectual hotbed gets an additional boost with 15 days of performing arts and interesting ideas.  Many of the events are held in the city’s open spaces and 80% are free.  Unique events include Box City.  Kids construct a miniature city from boxes and found materials, with the advice of grown-up city planners and architects.  Free musical performances on the New Haven Green are a highlight. 

Bread and Puppet Circus - Glover, Vermont
All summer
This non-profit, political puppet theater is one of the most venerable theatrical groups in the country.  It was started on the Lower East Side in the early 60’s, but now calls Vermont’s rural Northeast Kingdom home. Thought-provoking political and social issues infuse the performances with anti-war messages being a main theme, but the giant puppets, stilt-walkers and predominantly non-verbal performances will be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Stop by June 16 for the 38^th annual Open House or catch the Bread & Puppet Circus performances any Sunday afternoon from July 7th to August 25th.  Either way, make time to tour their puppet museum and glimpse the incredible collection of giant puppets. Puppet parades are also scheduled in nearby local villages all summer.

Summerfest - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
June 26-July 7
This giant music festival offers musical performances on two-dozen stages and over 700 bands. It’s a primarily rock-oriented festival, so if your kids are into retro sounds from the 80’s and 90’s this is a super event to attend together. There are pop music concerts too and past performers have included kid favorites Justin Beiber, Katy Perry and Britney Spears. A splash zone and play zone are good spots to take a break.  Special Kids' Days are offered throughout the festival.

Artscape - Baltimore, Maryland
July 19-21
Billed as America’s largest free arts festival, this three-day event is chock-full of fun for families and every single event is free. Baltimore is super family-friendly all year, but open-air theater, dance and music crowd the streets during Artscape, making this a perfect time for a visit.  Kidscape provides young people with non-stop hands-on art and craft projects. Try and peel yourselves away from the events to visit a few of Baltimore’s many worthwhile family attractions.

Tanglewood - Lenox, MA.
June 23-Sept. 1
The Tanglewood Music Center is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and hosts a stellar program of classical, jazz, folk and pop music.  Free lawn tickets are given to young people under the age of 18.  The Berkshire Mountains are the perfect place to picnic and listen to music as the sunsets.  Your kids are welcome to frolic on the grass as the music plays.

Jacob’s Pillow - Becket, MA.
June 15-August 25
What Tanglewood is to music, Jacob’s Pillow is to dance.  The Inside/Out Series presents free outdoor performances every Wednesday through Saturday at the family-friendly hour of 6:15pm.  A variety of dance styles are preformed, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and flamenco.  If it rains, they move the show indoors, so no one will be disappointed.  You can bring food and drink and the casual atmosphere is a mellow way to acquaint your kids with dance.

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair - Ann Arbor, Michigan
July 17-20
This cosmopolitan Midwestern University town’s juried festival is a great place to take kids.  Artist demonstrations and non-stop art activities offer tons of creative outlets for the family.  Strolling street performers engage with visitors and there is loads of live music.  There’s an eclectic and vibrant food vendor scene, so no one will go hungry. Make sure to allow some time to enjoy this town’s super family attractions.

Festival d'été de Québec - Québec City, Canada
July 4-14
This gorgeous walled city is a breathtaking venue for a festival.  11 days of creative street performances with a special emphasis on circus and acrobatics should have most kids in a state of Nirvana.  Stilt walkers and fan jugglers roam the French-inspired streets.  There is always a terrific line-up of world music offerings.  Family Place is a giant tent with a slew of entertainment all day, every day.  Typical events include Brazilian drumming, puppet shows, an acrobatics course, a skate park, a visual arts workshop, a wooden toy-making workshop, a workshop for budding scientists, extreme face painting and much more.

Lucille Ball Comedy Festival - Jamestown, NY
August 1-4
Fans of the iconic 1950’s television comedy series “I Love Lucy” make regular pilgrimages to Lucille Ball’s hometown and museum.  The younger generations seem to like Lucy as much or even more than their parents. You pay for individual events like a conga workshop, comedy class, a Lucy trivia contest and a re-enactment of Lucy’s famous chocolate wrapping and grape stomping episodes.  The festival is filled with look-a-likes of all ages, so you will spot lots of bright red wigs.  Older children who have an interest in comedy should have a great time at this unique festival in Western New York State.