THE UNITED STATES OF EVENTS Where to go and what to do

Following are picks for the festivals, fairs and celebrations nationwide in August that are most worthy of planning a trip around. For more events, check www.festivals.com or the comprehensive "Chase's Calendar of Events" (Contemporary Books).
2-10 Covington, Ky. to Gadsden, Ala.: World's Longest Outdoor Yard Sale. A 450-mile corridor of outdoor shopping, with furniture, crafts, rugs and antique cars. (800) 327-3945, www.127sale.com.
4-9 Winston-Salem, N.C.: National Black Theatre Festival. African-American theater companies from the United States, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean present nearly 100 play performances. Tickets $20-$40. (336) 723-2266, www.nbtf.org.
7-10 Fall River, Mass.: Fall River Celebrates America. Portuguese, Lebanese and Polish culinary delights are just a sample of what's offered at this celebration of the area's diversity. (508) 676-8226, www.fallriverchamber.com.
9-17 Memphis: Elvis Week. Walk down Beale Street with Elvis impersonators, carry candles at Graceland and tap your feet to new renditions of the King's music. Many events free, others require tickets ($5). (901) 332-3322, www.elvis.com.
15-17 Monterey, Calif.: Historical Automobile Races. Two major milestones -- 100 years of Ford racing heritage and the event's 30th anniversary -- give this year's historic motoring extravaganza added panache. With nearly 400 vintage racing and sports cars. Tickets (about $45 per day) can be ordered from www.laguna-seca.com. (805) 686-9292, www.montereyhistoric.com.
21-Sept. 1 Palmer, Alaska: Alaska State Fair. A 100-pound cauliflower may sound like organic experimentation gone wrong, but last year more than 300,000 people showed up for the weigh-in (and other fun fair activities, like craft shows and flower exhibits). (800) 850-FAIR, www.alaskastatefair.org.
22-24 Bangor, Maine: National Folk Festival. The country's oldest multicultural traditional arts show, with Portuguese fado, "dieselbilly" music, zydeco, Flying Indian Pole Dancing and Franco-Canadian step-dancing. (800) 91-MOOSE, www.nationalfolkfestival.com.
25- Sept. 7 Flushing Meadows, N.Y.: U.S. Open. Will Serena Williams continue her domination of the sport? See game, set and match play in Queens. Same-day tickets sold at the gate (around $30). www.usopen.org.
28-31 Milwaukee: 100th Anniversary Celebration of Harley-Davidson. Blowout centennial celebration for Hogs. (800) 258-2464, www.harley-davidson.com.
30-Sept. 1 Atlanta: International Twins Association Convention. A Twin Look-Alike Contest, golf tournament and a ball. (763) 571-3022, www.intltwins.org.
31-Sept. 1 Hatch, N.M: Hatch Chile Festival. Chiles in every shade of hot are the objects of honor. (505) 267-8230, www.las-cruces-events.org.
Source: Washington Post