Recently in Celebrate Category

You may want a gel seat for this one. The country's only all-urban 100-mile bike ride takes over NYC on September 12, 2010, giving you a rare opportunity to bike through Central Park, across bridges, through Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Harlem - surrounded not by cabbies and slow-moving tourists, but by other bicycle enthusiasts.

If you didn't get the Lance Armstrong gene, don't fret: The NYC Century Bike Tour has 15-, 35-, 55-, 75-, and 100-mile options, all of which feature stellar views, stocked rest stops, and safety marshals. The inaugural ride, in 1990, attracted 200 cyclists; today, some 6,000 show up. Proceeds benefit the biking advocacy of Transportation Alternatives, meaning that by riding in New York City, you're helping to make New York City ... safer for bikers the other 364 days a year. And because the ride is an effort to promote the idea that bikers can traverse NYC soundly on two wheels - and deserve to - there are no street closings: You'll ride along city streets and obey all traffic laws. You pick the location that's more convenient for you - either in Prospect Park or on the north side of Central Park, easily accessible from Le Parker Meridien New York, which skirts the park's south end. Don't want to lug a bike there? No worries: There are rental options.

Wrap up the summer in celebration of the grape at New Mexico's premier wine festival, located 20 minutes north of Albuquerque in the historic town of Bernalillo, over Labor Day weekend.

The 23rd Annual New Mexico Wine Festival at Bernalillo runs September 4-6, 2010, and is the biggest wine celebration in the state, drawing some 20,000 oenophiles who come to taste the fruits of more than 20 wineries' labors. If New Mexico doesn't strike you as the likeliest wine-producing state, you may be surprised to learn that the state's first grapevines were planted on the banks of the Rio Grande in 1629. By 1920, however, drought and Prohibition had all but brought winemaking to an end--until family-owned wineries started sprouting up in the late 1970s, ultimately creating the wine country that exists today. Your festival entrance fee includes a wine glass that allows you to taste away; you can also purchase wine by the bottle or case. Most of the state's wineries will be present, including Black Mesa Winery (see video above), Anasazi Fields Winery, and St. Clair Winery. In addition to the vino, there are performances throughout the day, with an emphasis on soul and R&B, arts and crafts, and great summer foods. As a bonus, you can explore the fest from the comforts of the brand new Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel, which opens September 2, 2010, and boasts dramatic views of the Sandia Mountains.

For an explosion of music, dance, pageantry, and so much more, start making your way to West London. That's where, from August 29-30, 2010, the annual Notting Hill Carnival takes place, filling the streets with 20 miles of vibrant, colorful costumes in the celebration of all things Caribbean. The festival goes back to 1966, when Notting Hill residents of West Indian ancestry organized a small gathering to share their cultural traditions with their neighbors. It has grown exponentially over the ensuing decades, and today is the largest street festival in Europe, welcoming more than a million revelers from all walks of life. This year's festival promises to be one of the biggest ever, and if you plan on checking it out, you'd better bring your appetite. With hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, you'll eat your fill of jerk chicken and conch fritters before you know it. But you'll need the fuel to shake your stuff along with a sea of costumed dancers, whose intricate headdresses, jewelry, and body painting signify traditions from Trinidad, Tobago, and all across the West Indies. Music is at the heart of the festival, and you'll groove to calypso, soca, steel pan, samba, reggae, jazz, hip-hop, and more. Before long, you'll be infused with the island spirit that pervades this little patch of the Caribbean in England. Starwood has hotels throughout London, including the Sheraton Park Tower, London.

This summer, relax in Halifax while the kids have the time of their lives. The Westin Nova Scotian is offering great rates on fun-filled family vacations with the Westin Nova Scotian Kids Club Package. It's got everything kids need to have a wonderful time, from a special Westin Kids Club Workout to carnival games and summertime crafts to movies complete with pizza and popcorn. Upon arrival, you'll be met by a Westin Kids Club Ambassador who will offer a warm welcome to the harbor-front hotel and explain all the activities in store. The summer kids club is run by a talented team and is spearheaded by the former leader of a local Boys & Girls club, so everything is top-notch and designed for a safe, fun, and memorable experience for the whole family. Visit here for more information - including a complete list of activities - and book your Halifax family vacation today.

Don't be too quick to pooh-pooh the inaugural LouFest: It may be the first time St. Louis is trying to stage this major 2-day concert event, but it seems to be doing it right, with impressive bands like Built to Spill set to take the stage on August 28 and 29, 2010.

That band will join 17 others in the heart of the city in Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the US (it's 500 acres larger than Central Park) and a spot that's easily accessible from the Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites. The lineup isn't as overwhelming as, say, Lollapalooza's, and thank goodness for that. With only one band performing in each time slot, you won't have to miss anyone. On Saturday, Built to Spill warms up the stage for the evening's closer, Broken Social Scene. On Sunday, things get even better, thanks to performances by the Fruit Bats (hear a sample in the video above), Alejandro Escovedo, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, and the night's headliner, Zooey Deschanel's She & Him. The Nosh Pit food court will sell better-than-your-average fest eats, including blue fin tuna tostada, lobster spring rolls, Southwest smoked trout flatbread, vegan cookies, and blueberry Italian ice. Better still, the fest has a strong eco angle: More than 20 vendors will be on hand to teach you about conservation and clean energy, and a plastic-conserving water bottle filling station means you won't have to fork over cash to get a new bottle of water.

The National Gallery of Modern Art in Bengaluru is a sister site to National Galleries in Mumbai and New Delhi. It typically receives artifacts on loan from its familial sites, but this outpost still has its own unique look and feel, largely due to a beautiful juxtaposition between traditional architecture and modern art. Manikyavelu Mansion on Palace Road, an iconic early 20th century building, is the site of this special collection of Indian art from the 18th to the 21st centuries. While this may be a different sort of definition of "modern" art as compared to Western nations, it captures a relatively new period of time in India. Enjoy curated gallery walks on the topics of the language of modern art or introduction to modern Indian art, readings and live performances in the open-air theater, a bite in the cafe, or just a leisurely stroll on the large 3.5 acre grounds.

Stay at the Le Méridien Bangalore for convenient access to the National Gallery of Modern Art as well as the heart of shopping in the city. Of course, don't be surprised if you find the local architecture and style to be its own forms of art that are everywhere you look in this vibrant area, which has been declared to be the fastest growing metropolis in all of India.

[Image via ngmaindia.gov.in]

The eyes of the world are on Bali this week, not only due to the worldwide opening of the film, Eat Pray Love, but also because Tuesday marks Indonesia's colorful Independence Day. Bali's calendar boasts a dizzying array of holidays and festivals, due in no small part to the rich cultural layers found within the country. The presence of animism, Hindu, Islam and more reveal the movements of peoples and ideas throughout the ancient islands. While many festivals are primarily temple holidays, there are plenty of more secular celebrations, with one of the more notable being its independence. The day commemorates the Republic of Indonesia's achieving independence from the Dutch in 1949. Red and white, the colors of the Indonesian flag, are the order of the day: bunting and streamers adorn every village and city, schoolchildren dressed in the colors participate in parades, bamboo torches are lit everywhere, processions and traditional music and dancing abound. It's a spirited occasion to don red and white, step out from The Laguna Resort & Spa, stroll the streets, and join the locals in joyous celebration of the country's sovereignty.

Edinburgh, Scotland isn't the only city starting with "E" with a fringe theatre festival in August. The 29th annual Edmonton International Fringe Festival in Edmonton, Canada begins this week and runs through August 22.

The festival is the second largest in the world, after Edinburgh, and this year will feature more than 1,200 performances of 230 shows in traditional theaters and just about any other available space, including but not limited to bars, churches, bookstores and even "the old shed just south of the railroad tracks." Shows range in complexity and style from full staged productions to single performers busking on the street, and tickets range from $14 down to whatever change you can spare. The Westin Edmonton makes an excellent home base as you explore the cutting edge of theatre.

Not familiar with fringe theatre? That's OK, it's easy to learn. The festival even offers a free "first-time fringer program" at the festival's Internet Cafe and Wine Bar, explaining everything you need to know and giving you access to a coupon for three shows for just $30.

If you're looking to squeeze a little sightseeing and exercise into your next trip to St. Louis - but want to do it in a less typical way - book a room at the Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites for the weekend of August 20...and pack your bike helmet.

The Moonlight Ramble, a St. Louis tradition for nearly 50 years, started - sort of - in 1964, when Dick Leary organized an urban nighttime bicycle ride...except he was the only one who showed up. But he tried again next year, and good thing: Today, some 10,000-plus riders take to the streets of the city just after midnight on August 22. You'll have your pick of a 9- or 19-mile route, and the whole family is encouraged to participate; about 10% of riders are under the age of 12. The event kicks off at 9 p.m. on Saturday, with the opening of the vendor village. The ride starts at 12:01 a.m. on the dot, and the after-party kicks off at 1 a.m. (riders have until 3 a.m. to finish). Your registration gets you into the post-ride bash, and a T-shirt that is, of course, glow-in-the-dark. Upgrade to the premier rider package, and you'll also get access to a VIP tent, a bike flashlight, glow-in-the-dark water bottle, and two tickets to a Schlafly Patron Party. Don't want to lug your bike in from out of town? Visit here for bike rental options.

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

For such a small nation, Singapore makes a big name for itself in the international community with events such as the world's first night Formula 1 and now the world's first Youth Olympic Games. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will be held between August 14-26, 2010 with more than 3,600 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age competing in 26 sports such as basketball, gymnastics, sailing and even, table tennis. As with all Olympic Games, the Olympic torch, will be lit in Greece and will travel to one city (Berlin, Dakar, Mexico City, Auckland & Seoul) in each of the five continents before arriving in Singapore where it will travel through the five communities of the island nation in August. In Singapore, you can choose to stay at the legendary St. Regis Singapore or the Sheraton Towers Singapore. To purchase tickets, visit the official site here.

Did you know that the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Nanjing, China while the first ever Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held in Innsbruck, Austria in 2012? Start planning your next Olympic adventures!