5. Tall Ships Festival

The Buzz -- Ahoy there, matey! This fascinating festival captures the romance and intrigue of seafaring days by placing a focus on tall ships, pirate lore, and martime battles. A great educational outing for families, the event highlights living history, sea-chantey concerts, arts and crafts, and great food. Purchasing an adventure pass lets you tour the tall ships and gain admission to the Ocean Institute – a sponsoring organization that features interactive exhibits and live sea creatures. For those completely enamored of the era, cruises aboard the tall ships and participation in the ocean parade and twilight cannon battle are available.