Recently in Celebrate Category

Dubai will play host to the third annual Contemporary Art Fair Dubai, an expansive and globally-inclusive event that is open to the public from March 19-21. 65 different galleries from across the Middle East, Europe, South America, Asia and the United States were selected out of 300 applicants to curate exhibitions, readings and performances that highlight the aesthetic from each particular corner of the globe. Certain to be a program highlight: "The Art of Magical Jewels," a showcase of the glittering wearable art crafted by legendary French jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels. This year's gathering includes the winners of the new Abraaj Capital Art Prize, where a total of almost a million dollars in endowment money was awarded to three international curator/artist teams to afford their works a global stage and identity. It also marks the occasion of the third annual Global Art Forum (March 18-21), bringing together artists and involved intellectuals to posit the Middle East's place within the art world and to expose the art of cities such as Tehran, Iran to a larger audience. Convenient to the Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Dubai, Art Dubai power-packs a world of creativity into one enlightened city.

The brisk winter weather will undoubtedly keep many people huddled inside their warm homes this January, but a few thousand fans of independent cinema know that the real heat can be found in Utah. The Sundance Film Festival will be held January 15-25, 2009, continuing a three-decade tradition that has transformed the motion picture industry and inspired generations of filmmakers. Venues in and around Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah will screen the best new dramas, comedies, and documentaries by filmmakers from the U.S. and around the world, and if history is any guide, a few lucky festival attendees will be among the first to see a film that will go on to become an all-time classic. After all, Sundance is the place where filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, and Quentin Tarantino got their big breaks. This year's candidates include Sophie Barthes's Cold Souls, a story starring Paul Giamatti about a man looking for his own soul; Big River Man, a documentary by John Maringouin about endurance swimmer Martin Strel; and The Cove, the powerful tale of the challenges faced by dolphins in the world's oceans. Festival attendees will schuss down the slopes of the various ski areas in the morning hours and take in screenings during the afternoons and evenings. Of course, the festival is as much about the grand parties as it is about the silver screen, but there's nothing wrong than discussing movies with friends and family while enjoying a fine meal and a glass of wine. Some might even say that's what life is all about. Guests at the Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel will enjoy the cinematic experience of this legendary film festival.

"I want to assassinate painting," declared a 34-year-old Joan Miró in 1927, the year the artist kicked off a decade-long attack on the medium. He rejected traditional techniques, delved into collage, and heralded the physical qualities of material, creating works such as "48," on unprimed canvas during a winter in Paris when he shut himself off from the rest of the world. Twelve of the artist's series from this decade of redefinition and reinvigoration now hang at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the exhibition "Joan Miró: Painting and Anti-Painting 1927-1937."

The vast exhibition traces Miró's creative output through this ten year period by presenting works from every single year, beginning with the "Paintings on Unprimed Canvas" series and ending with "Still Life with Old Shoe," the colorful piece that brought the artist back to the realm of the still life, and catapulted him into the next phase of his career.

Miró may have set out to assassinate painting, but in my humble opinion these works are just delightful. Go see them now, because on January 12, they all come down, and if you live in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, why not make a weekend out of it? The Sheraton Manhattan at Times Square and Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers are both offering Tri-State area residents ten percent off regular rates. Both hotels are just right down the street from the museum. Watch the video to get a glimpse of Miró's oeuvre.

Before setting foot inside La Cité des Sciences et de L'Industrie, the exterior architecture, both natural and man-made, is a stunning sight to enjoy, from the vast expanses of green lawns to La Géode, the giant dome that reflects the sky and the world from the outside, and plays host to lMAX and 3D films on the inside. It's a point of pride not only for Paris, but for all of Europe as the most prominent science museum on the continent. The museum complex is open from Tuesday through Sunday, but is closed on Mondays. It is easy to find via Métro or taxi, and is convenient to Le Méridien Etoile. And unlike so many museums around the world, La Cité des Sciences et de L'Industrie has a compelling Web site, even in translated English. It is a recommended virtual destination before you go, as it will help you digest the sheer scope of the museum complex and decide whether to focus on, say, the planetarium or the hands-on Explora area. This will save valuable time in the long run. Fun, interactive features, such as a feature that allows the user to customize the emotion and facial expression on the Mona Lisa, from frightened and disgusted to merry and most happy, also help to put you in the mood for the visit. You can also check out the activities available to the younger members of your travel entourage; La Cité des Enfants targets kids aged two through seven for the ultimate imaginative playgroup. Once there, most everything is also written in English, but audio tours are available as well.

Australia is a nation with plenty of elbow room, so when they do things, they tend to go big, and when it comes to Aussie music festivals, it's hard to top the Woodford Folk Festival. Located in the picturesque Queensland town of Woodford, the festival features six days and six nights of entertainment, with everything from jazz and rock 'n' roll to comedy, cabaret, and "social dialog." From December 27, 2008 to January 1, 2009, more than 2000 performers will put on 400 events at venues throughout the festival grounds, with the finest Australian artists taking the stage alongside their contemporaries from around the world. Keep an eye out for the dynamic African ensemble Asanti Drum & Dance Theater and local percussion and brass favorites Jambezi. The Festival is a short drive from the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast.

It all started as a joke. Sixteen years ago, a San Francisco-area stand-up comic named Lisa Geduldig attempted to answer the age-old question, "What are Jews supposed to do on Christmas?" The answer she eventually came up with - go out for Chinese food and have a good time - resulted in the birth of one of the Bay Area's most enduring comedy traditions. Now in its sixteenth year, the Kung Pao Kosher Comedy festival attracts comedy fans of all faiths to enjoy Jewish comedy in a Chinese restaurant, specifically the New Asia Restaurant in San Francisco's vibrant Chinatown neighborhood. But this is no B-list event. Past performers have included comedy legends Shelly Berman and Henny Youngman, and this year's shows will be headlined by David Brenner, making his first San Francisco appearance in fifteen years. The shows run from December 24 to December 27 and tickets are available here. Starwood has hotels throughout San Francisco, including Le Méridien San Francisco and the Westin St. Francis, which is one of the sponsors of the event.

[image via Kung Pao Kosher Comedy]

Phoenix's Desert Botanical Garden will shimmer in the night this holiday season as it celebrates the annual Lumi: Las Noches de la Luminarias festival. It's a feast of lights in the desert, with more than 7,000 flickering luminarias lining the walkways of this gorgeous park now through December 23, 2008. An evening at the garden involves more than just a leisurely stroll among towering, candle-lit saguaro cacti and scarlet-flowered ocotillos. The exhibit Chihuly: the Nature of Glass, for example, places the fantastical class sculptures of Dale Chihuly amid the plants and wildflowers, lending a whimsical air to a natural place. And visitors can savor an alfresco dinner buffet while enjoy live entertainment from acts ranging from mariachi bands and Dickens carolers to swing dancing and Native American cedar flute. It's a pretty eclectic mix, so check the schedule to see what events coincide with your visit. Guests at the nearby Sheraton Desert Oasis or any of Starwood's Phoenix-area properties might appreciate this holiday tradition with a southwestern twist.

Being home for the holidays is a blessing, but I've recently discovered that spending Christmas in another country, where the customs are a little bit different, can be culturally exhilarating. Palma de Mallorca is one of those enchanting locales where the season starts early. Throughout the month of December and well into January, the streets of this tiny Mediterranean city become illuminated with magical displays of colorful lights, and myriad nativity scenes, which include some of the oldest in Spain.

Palma's two main squares, Plaza Mayor, and Plaza de Espana both host traditional Christmas Markets that feature roasted chestnuts, angelic choirs, a local sweet made of nuts called "turron", and all sorts of gifts including intricate hand-cut paper decorations known as "neules."

Midnight mass on Christmas Eve is a memorable event. Whether you attend a service at the impressive Basilica of St. Francis, or one of the smaller neighborhood churches, you'll witness the haunting song of La Sibil, an ancient custom that dates back to Moorish times, sung by a local girl. During all this spirited frenzy, don't forget to enjoy a quiet moment on your balcony and look out upon the twinkling city in the distance. The majestic Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Mallorca, part of Starwood's Luxury Collection, is offering a holiday package that includes a gala Christmas dinner.

[image via mallorcaweb.com]

From the 15th to the 19th centuries, the River Thames in London would periodically freeze during the winter, and when it did, Londoners would take advantage of its solid state by organizing frost fairs. These carnivals on the ice were marked by singing, dancing, puppet shows, and even horse racing, and everybody in old London town would come out to join in the winter fun. It's been years since the Thames has frozen solid, but the frost fair spirit lives on every December at the Bankside Winter Festival. From December 12 - 21, 2008, the area known as Bankside will be transformed into a spectacular outdoor festival commemorating the holidays, with traditional English treats, a proper bar serving mulled wine and ale, and a winter market with more than forty stalls where visitors can find one-of-a-kind gifts. But it's not all eating, drinking, and shopping. Running along the length of the Thames from the Globe Theater to the Tate Modern, festival-goers can join Frost Fair Guided Walks that focus on Bankside's connection with the river and its rich theatrical history. And those who don't feel like walking can relax and enjoy the Lantern Parade or procession of traditional Thames Cutters as they sail by. It's a uniquely English way to usher in the season, and convenient to several Starwood properties, including the luxurious Le Méridien Piccadilly.

New York has many great holiday traditions, from ice skating in the shadow of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, but one of the most enjoyable happens uptown at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. There, on December 18, 19, and 20, 2008, the cathedral will host Paul Winter's annual Whole Earth Solstice Celebration, welcoming thousands of fans of music and drama into one of the world's largest Gothic cathedrals for an eclectic secular event that celebrates the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year - and marks the onset of winter. Various artists from around the world perform classical, gospel, Brazilian, and woodwind music, while the Paul Winter Consort carries the audience to the climax of the show, the chiming of the sun gong. It's a moving tribute to the winter season, and a refreshing break from all the street corner Santas. Starwood has hotels throughout New York City, including the luxurious St. Regis New York, a short cab ride from the cathedral.