Maifest
Brenham, Texas

When: early May [check for this year's dates]

Where: Fireman's Park, Brenham, Texas

Visitors to Brenham receive a warm "Wilkommen!" during an annual homage to the German lineage of the town's founding fathers. Since 1890, only six years after the Washington County comminuty was established, residents have gathered for two days of family fun.

Activities:

* Rhinestone tiaras sparkle in the sunlight as the Junior royal court ride atop the floats that file past waving spectators in the downtown area at the start of the festival, with a similar parade in honor of the Senior court marking the beginning of the second day's events.

* Contestants tee off at the Brenham Maifest Golf Tournament. Held separately from the rest of the festival, the sporting event takes place at the Brenham Country Club.

* A variety of European-style entertainment is on the roster. The crowd can sing along as bands perform such time-honored classics as "Du, Du, liebst Mir im Herzen" and "Ein Prosit" and tap their feet to the beat as cloggers take the stage.

* Descendants of Deutschland's immigrants can learn how to delve into their family's past with instructions from a geneologist.

* No festival would be complete without an arts & crafts sale. Seated beneath the shade of their vendor tents, artisans display wares ranging from silver jewelry to scented candles.

* Visitors can take a gastronomic journey to Germany when tasting authentic Old World treats sold alongside all-American festival food, and everyone should sample a scoop of Brenham's trademark Bluebell ice cream while in Washington County.

Children's Activities: In a celebration of springtime, small pints can skip around a maypole or learn about the daily lives of their German ancestors as they construct craft items in the "Kinder Village," while both the young and the young at heart will enjoy the rides at the carnival.

For more information:

• visit www.maifest.org