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Where to Visit and Party in 2009
From Barack Obama's Town to Festivals & Concerts
Places like the World's Largest Music Festival are prime party spots in '09.
Not all the news for 2009 is bleak.
In fact, there's quite a bit to celebrate. It's just a matter of knowing where to be and when to be there.
To jump start the process, PubClub.com presents our Party Stimulus Plan – the best places to visit and party in 2009.
Here are PubClub.com's Top 10 Party Cities and Places, Top 10 Party Events, the best concerts tours and music festivals, plus a plethora of additional places for the pinnacle in party planning.
• #1 – WASHINGTON, D.C. Barack Obama's newest hometown is off to a great start with some two to three million people having visted for the historic inauguration in January. And that's just the beginning. Many more people are likely to have DC on their travel agenda to see the sites, hit its many bars and, of course, hope to get a glimpse of the new President.
Top Tip: There are many cool bars in Georgetown but Adams Morgan is the hip party area.
Hot Links: DC's Visitor's
Bureau.
Barack Obama may like the White Sox but Wrigley Field rules.
• #2 CHICAGO. Obama's adopted hometown is always a fun place to play and in 2009 it's a hot destination. Obama's house in Hyde Park has become a tourist attraction – the house is off limits but the neighborhood is accessible and tours are available– and the city is celebrating Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial with special events, exhibitions, and concerts, plus there are summer concerts in Grant Park. Of course, Chicagoans also love their beer so the bars and beer gardens are always lively. Finally, there's the loveable Cubbies, who play in the Best Stadium in Sports, Wrigley Field. Sorry, Mr. President, it beats going to White Sox games.
Top Tip: Catch the Cubs and be sure and hit the Wrigleyville bars before and after the game.
Hot Links: PubClub.com Chicago Visitor's
Guide. The bars of Wrigleyville. Chicago's Visitor's
Bureau, including Obama neighborhood tours.
• #3 NEW YORK CITY. The Big Apple is deserving of being at or near the top of this list every year. Afer all, New York is, well New York. There are tons of bars, the city rarely sleeps and there's a great vibe just walking down the street. Inside all those buildings, there's lots of entertainment for the taking.
Top Tip: Hit the bars. Any bar. It's New York!
Hot Links: New York City Visitor's
Bureau.
The beauty of Santorini and the wildness of Mykonos in Greece.
• #4 – GREEK ISLANDS. The PubClub.com tagline – Where The World Goes to Party – comes from a description given by a PubClub staffer when asked to describe Mykonos. In the summer months, there's no better place to party than the Greek Islands. Plus, there's gorgeous Santorini, party hotbeds Ios and Corfo, plus other cool islands and even Athens.
Top Tip: Book a flight but not rooms in advance. The islands have plenty of choices to stay right off the ferrys.
Hot Links: PubClub's Party Guide to Mykonos. PubClub's Party Guide to Santorini. Greece Visitor's
Bureau.
By the waterfront along the circular quay in Sydney.
• #5 – SYDNEY. Despite the fact it seems that all of Australia is in the Greek Islands on holiday or working in the bars, Sydney is still full of locals and fun. It has several areas of nightlife, life-loving locals, a lively waterfront and Bondi Beach.
Top Tip: Wear black when going out on the town.
Hot Links: PubClub's Visitor's Guide to Sydney. PubClub's Bar Guide to Sydney. Tourism Australia Visitor's
Bureau.
The calm before the nightlife storm in historic Berlin. Photo:Visit Berlin.
• #6 –BERLIN. With nighclubs that don't close until 6 a.m., and afternoon beach parteis – yes, beach parties – along the Spree River, Berlin is bustling with action.
Top Tip: Don't bother go out out before 11 p.m.
Hot Links: PubClub's Top Fun Facts About European Citues and Countries. Visit Berlin Website
There's always a party in the Big Easy.
• #7 – NEW ORLEANS. Bourbon Street. Mardi Gras. Pardi Gras. Quarterfest. Jazzfest. The Sugar Bowl. No open container laws. Zydeco music, beinets and New Orleans cuisine. There are many reasons that make New Orleans a prime place to party or to indulge in many of its other pleasure any time of the year.
Top Tip: Stick to the same color of drink. In the French Quarter,
there are a rainbow selection of colored cocktails – blue,
red, green, etc. – and the key to avoiding a terrible ending to
the night (or beginning to the next day) is to pick a color and stay with it.
Hot Links: PubClub's Visitor's Guide to New Orleans. PubClub's Bar Guide to the Big Easy. New Orleans Visitor's
Bureau.
The PubClubettes catch a wave – in a bar – on Waikiki Beach.
• #8 HONOLULU. Barack Obama's childhood home may not have much in the way of landmarks to visit honoring the 44th President, but it does have the World's Most Photographed Landmark. That would be Diamondhead and it makes a perfect backdrop while tanning on Waikiki Beach. Or having a Mai Tai or other drink with an umbrella in it while sitting on a lani. How about a booze cruise at sunset?
We couldn't write about Hawaii and not include a sunset shot.
Top Tip: Don't overdue it in the sun, especially right off the bat. Remember, the only way to prevernt a sunburn is to get a suntan.
Hot Links: PubClub's Visitor's Guide to Honolulu. PubClub's Bar Guide to the Honolulu. Luau Larry's Suntan tips. Oahu Visitor's
Bureau.
T.O., as locals call it, has fun people and great Canadian beer.
• #9 TORONTO. It's one of our favourite cities in the world. The place is clean, there's a great vibe in the summer and the people are super-friendly. Plus, the Canadian beer is fantastic. In July, "the Indy" returns, an Indy Car street race. It's July 10-12.
Top Tip: Drink beer while in Canada.
Hot Links: PubClub's Visitor's Guide to Toronto. PubClub's Bar Guide to the Toronto. Toronto Visitor's
Bureau.
Beauty and the beast of a party atmosphere prevail in Manhattan Beach.
• #10 MANHATTAN BEACH, CA. No guide of Top Places to Visit can be complete without including PubClub.com's hometown. This botique beach community just south of LAX (but with none of the noise) is the birthplace of beach volleyball, has has wide beaches, a true California surfing culture, a bike path that runs right along the sand and spectacular sunsets. Its nightlife is mix of dive bars and lounges that manage to be upscale and casual at the time time. Just to the south is party-heavy Hermosa Beach. Santa Monica, Hollywood and the rest of LA are also within striking distance. Just don't expect to see locals leave the beach.
Top Tip: Rent a bike or rollerblades and "cruise the Strand."
Hot Links: PubClub's City Guide to Manhattan Beach. PubClub's Bar Guide to Hermosa Beach.
– MORE TOP PLACES TO VISIT IN 2009 –
With two music festivals and more, summers are great in Newport R.I.
The biggest party in Amsterdam is Queen's Day on April 30. Hundreds of thousands party in the streets, all wearing orange, to celebrate the Queen's birthday. In Scotland, May is Whiskey Month. Seems only natural. Individual towns and pubs are offering special tastings and events. Homecoming Scotland Website. Liverpool hosts a music festival and it's not all about the Beatles. It's the Mathew Street Festival (Aug. 23-25), a free two-day music festival featuring six stages and about 350,000 people. And here's something really cool – people can bring their own drinks into the event. Visit Liverpool Website. The Mardi Gras of music is the Zurich Street Parade in Zurich, Switzerland. It's a techno parade of "love, peace, freedom and tolerance" on Aug. 8. Zurich Street Parade Website. Of course, the World's Biggest Party is New Year's Eve. PubClub has the Best Places to Spend NYE as well as the Best Places to Be for New Year's Day.
The first big three-day wekeend in the USA is Memorial Day Weekend. That means beaches and barbeques (and the Indy 500, see below), but for a full-on fun party atmophere it hard to beat Lake Travis outside of Austin, Texas.
The city of San Francisco has several street festivals in the summer. One of the most lively is the Union Street Festival, June 6 along trendy Union Street... The upscale yachting community of Newport, R.I., has not one but two music festivals in August, the Newport Folk Festival (July 30-Aug. 2) and the the Newport Jazz Festival the following weekend...Another Newport – Newport Beach, CA, that is – hosts the Taste of Newport on Sept 18-20. Everyone in Orange County turns out for this event, with Friday being the unofficial "singles night."
It's back to the gridiron in September with the start of the college and pro football seasons. The place to be in the fall of '09 is Gainsville, home to the defending national champion Florida Gators. Still, our Top Party School remains Texas. Austin is one great party town.
The first weekend of October provides choices – or dilemmas - for party-seeking people. In Baltimore, the Fell's Point Festival attracts 300,000 in a morning-till-you-drop event. In Manhattan Beach, CA, the beer garden makes the Old Hometown Fair one of the area's top annual events. And across the Pacific, Buccaneer Days on Catalina Island brings in pirates and wenches to yell "arrg" and drink Navy Grogs and the island's signature Buffalo Milk drinks.
Halloween is Oct. 31, a Saturday. New York City is a great place to be for this party event. Then again, it's the same day as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, Fla. That's the annual Georgia-Florida fued. Another traditional college football landmark rivalry that's as much party as a football game, the Red River Shootout between OU and Texas, is Oct. 17 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas...Fantasy Fest. a kind of two-week Hallowen party, is Oct. 23-Nov 1 in Key West, Fla.
In Canada, Vancouver and Whistler are preparing to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Both are buzzing with activity and there are World Cup events happing thru March. Vancouver is always an excellent place to be in the summer months and Whistler is a kickin' ski resort. Add in the buildup to the Olympics and each location will be spirited locations to enjoy spirits.
In Sports, the Super Bowl of racin', the Daytona 500, is Feb. 15. NASCAR.com. ...The World's Fastest Beach Party is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, in the streets of Long Beach, CA, April 17-19.See PubClub's Party Guide. Offical Long Beach GP site. ...The 94th running of the Indianapolis 500 is May 24. Memorial Day Weekend, as usual. Indycar.com. ...March Madness begins March 19, with the Final Four scheduled for April 4 and 6 in Detroir's Ford Field. Detroit!?...The Toughest Ticket in Sports may be even harder to obtain this year as Tiger Woods is due to return to the golf course for the Masters, April 6-12. Masters.com.
Scenic Cooperstown, N.Y., hosts the Hall of Fame ceremony in July.
Photo: City of Cooperstown
Cooperstown hosts the baseball Hall of Fame ceremony on the weekend of July 24-27. This lovely little town in upstate New York also has an 1845-style Fourth of July celebration and other events throughout the year. Cooperstown Website. ..The baseball All-Star game is July 14 in St. Louis...The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio. Its Enshrinement Festival is Aug. 7-9, with the induction ceremony on the 8th and the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 9. Pro Football Hall of Fame Website.
– PRIME PARTY EVENTS IN 2009–
The USA's birthday is a blast, especially at the beach.
• #1 – FOURTH OF JULY. American patriotism is in for 2009 and as a result, this could be one of the biggest Independence Day celebrations since 1976. In addition to fireworks shows at cities around the USA, people head to the beaches, lakes and rivers. One of the best places to spend the 4th is in the LA area with a massive parade in Huntington Beach and huge house parties along the sand in Manhattan, Hermosa and Newport beaches.
Top Tip: It's all about red, white and blue on this day.
Hot Links: PubClub's Guide to Fourth of July Celebrations.
• #2 – KENTUCKY DERBY. The Run to the Roses for many of the hundreds of thousands in the infield is about the running to the Mint Juleps and other drinks. The Kentucky Derby is one of America's Great Parties.
Event Date & Location: May 2, Louisville, KY.
Top Tip: The infield is the insane party place.
Hot Links: PubClub's Kentucky Derby Party Guide.
• #3 – MARDI GRAS/FAT TUESDAY. A series of parades, beads and drinks, all leading up the actual Mardi Gras celebration. Hundreds of thousands of people gather in New Orleans along St. Charles Street and in the French Quarter. Boubon Street is so packed it's nearly impossible to move. Carnival in Rio is just as crazy, and it runs from Feb. 20-24.
Event Dates & Location: Feb. 13. Fat Tuesday is Feb. 24. New Orleans.
Top Tip: Beads must be earned.
Hot Links: PubClub's Guide to Mardi Gras – Photos, Parades.
The beer halls at Munich's Oktoberfest are something to see.
• #4 – OKTOBERFEST. It's heaven for beer drinkers. Huge (and heavy) 1-liter brews are dellivered by strong-armed ladies to people who are singing and dancing in beer halls the size of airplane hangers. Roll out the barrels! The 2010 Oktoberfest, by the way, will be the event's 200th anniversary.
Event Dates & Location: Sept. 19-Oct. 4. Munich, Germany.
Top Tip: The Hofbrau House doesn't require sitting at a table to order a beer. This is why it's the wildest of all the beer halls.
Hot Links: PubClub's Guide to Oktoberfest.
It's all smiles around the country on St. Patrick's Day.
• #5 – ST. PATRICK'S DAY. A time for everyone to be Irish. Which usually means drinking lots and lots of beer and listening to and singing Irish songs such a "Seven Drunken Nights" and "Dirty Old Town." Every place in the USA has a celebration with huge parades in Boston, Chicago, New York and the "Green for a Day" Southern city of Savannah, Ga. St. Patrick's Day in 2009 is on a Tuesday.
Top Tip: Wear green to avoid getting pinched.
Hot Links: PubClub's Guide to St. Paddy's Celebrations.
• #6 – RUNNING WITH THE BULLS. Bulls run, people dash and try not to get gashed through the tight streets of Pamplona, Spain, and bars are full as people talk of their daring exploits.
Event Dates & Location: July 6-14. Pamplona, Spain.
Top Tip: Don't actually race the bulls to the stadium. Instead, go there earlier, get a good seat and wait for them to enter.
Hot Links: PubClub's First-Person Writeup.
• #7 – CALGARY STAMPEDE. This event was described to us this way: "I was told about a party bus to get to the event. When I arrived, there was not one party bus but nineteen! And people were doing body shots during the ride." Yes, this is one wild event.
Event Dates & Location: July 3-12. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Top Tip: Gor for at least three days to make the most of the experience.
Hot Links: Official Calgary Stampede Site.
Bay to Breakers is San Francisco's unique version of Mardi Gras.
• #8 – BAY TO BREAKERS. A crazy street "run" from the Bay Bridge to the end of Golden Gate Park. Some 75,000 people – many dressed in costume and pushing floats or shopping carts filled with cocktails – make this like being in a Mardi Gras parade. Bands play along the route and house parties invite people in from the street. Finishing here is not the objective.
Event Date & Location: May 17. San Francisco, from the bay to the breakers.
Top Tip: Don't hold back. Once you reach the finish line, the party is pretty much finished.
Hot Links: PubClub's Photos and Video.
• #9 – OVER-THE-LINE. A version of softball in the sand in a two-weekend beach party with tens of thousands of people in north San Diego. Kegs in the sand, shots at team tents and the ever-popular "Miss Emerson" contest make it a great beach party.
Event Dates & Location: July 11-12, July 18-19. Fiesta Island, San Diego.
Top Tip: Rent a bike or rollerblades and "cruise the Strand."
Hot Links: PubClub's Photos and video.
The PubClubettes on the Pier with 50,000+ people on the beach.
Photo by Simon
Leung Photography.
• #10 – SURFEST/6-MAN. Beach volleyball meets Halloween meets keg party in this quintessential event of this LA-area seaside city. Men's and women's six-person teams play in themed costumes – Magnum pi, The Sex Kittens, Team PubClub and the PubClubettes – and host parties in their tents. Tens of thousands of people come and crowd the beach. Saturday is the super crazy day but Sunday is also fun. The level of play from the top teams is of Olympic caliber.
Event Dates & Location: Aug. 1-2. Manhattan Beach, CA.
Top Tip: Follow Team Magnum on Sunday. The team's play is phenomenal, JT on the bullhorn is hilarious and the PubClubettes are the cheerleaders.
Hot Links: PubClub's Photos and video.
– CONCERT TOURS –
Parrotheads love to party, and they get their fill at Jimmy Buffett shows
• GRATEFUL DEAD REUNION TOUR. For the first time in more than four years, the popular cult band gathers for a series of 20 shows from mid-April thru mid-May. The " Core Four" of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart are joined by guitar monster Warren Haynes on guitar and Jeff and keyboard ace Jeff Chimenti on keyboards. It kicks off Apri 12 in Greensboro, N.C., and also hits Washington, D.C.; New York; Philadelphia; Chicago; Denver and Los Angeles.
Top Tip: Wear a tie-dye shirt.
Hot Links: Grateful Dead Tour Site: Official Tour Site.
• JIMMY BUFFETT. Moving from Deadheads to Parrotheads, the Margaritaville Man brings in the crowds, nearly all of whom gather hours in advance of the show for a topical tailgate parties. Dressed in grass skirts, coconut bras and other tropical attire, the Parrotheads turn parking lot spaces into personal tiki bars. It's the best show in town when it's in town.
Top Tip: Choose either margaritas or boat drinks, not both.
Hot Links: PubClub's Jimmy Buffett Concert Guide & Schedule. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.com.
• OTHER CONCERT TOURS. Celine Dion, the #5 grossing tour of 2008 includes another schedule for this year with stops currently scheduled thru February in the US, Canada. CelineDion.com...Beyonce hits Euorpe this spring with shows in Prague, Budapest, Paris, Rotterdam and Berlin among other cities. BeyonceOnline.com...Fleetwood Mac is back with its first tour in five years. Called "Unleashed," it runs in March and April and visits Pttsburg, DC, Boston, NYC, Montreal and Toronto. FleetwoodMac.com...Kenny Chesney is often called "the next Buffett" because his shows involve all-day tailgating. Among his 2009 stops are July 10 at the Calgary Stampede. KennyChesney.com...Britney Spears' life seems to be a circus and her 2009 tour is as well, It's called the Circus. Starting in March and running thru June, its stops include New Orleans, Tampa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Kansas City, LA, Anaheim Oakland, Vegas and eight – yes, eight – shows in London. BritneySpears.com
– MUSIC FESTIVALS –
It's jammed – and jamming – at Jazzfest in New Orleans.
• NEW ORLEANS JAZZFEST. They know how to party in New Orleans and they really love their music, so combine the two and, well, you get New Orleans Jazzfest. Held at a horse race track, it has bands playing all day on consecutive weekends, great New Orelans food and beer. Lots of beer. The 2009 lineup includes Aretha Franklin (who performed for Barack Obama's historic inauguration), Joe Cocker, Earth Wind & fire, Tony Bennett, the Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Better Than Ezra, The Neville Brothers, Cowboy Mouth and Bonnie Raitt.
Event Dates:April 24-26 and April 30-May 3.
Top Tip: Bring a 12-pack-sized collapsible cooler. You can buy
as many beers at a time as you like and they also give you ice.
Hot Links: PubClub's Review of Jazzfest. Official Jazzfest Site.
John Mellancap entertains the crowd at Summerfest '08.
• MILWAUKEE SUMMERFEST. The World's Largest Music Festival features local bands and national acts of all varieties day and night on 11 stages. With seemingly endless live music, crowds enjoying the scene of being in a festive atmosphere and socializing in beer gardens, Summerfest is one of the Midwest's top annual festivals. Past acts include Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon; The Tragically Hip, Alan Jackson, Styx, Cheap Trick, Pink and the Goo Goo Dolls,The 2009 headliner is George Strait on June 29.
Event Dates: June 25-July 9
Top Tip:Take sunscreen and a long-sleeve shirt or jacket.
While it's summer, a sudden cool wind can blow in off the lake
at night.
Hot Links: PubClub's Review of Summerfest. Official Summerfest site.
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