A warm-up to November’s larger festival, the Winter Festivalito of Queer Tango sparks up some melancholic passion in Buenos Aires’ milonga dance halls and studios as same-sex couples glide steamily across the floor. Attend workshops, shows, performances and organised milongas.

Colombia is famous for its flowers and exports them all over the world. During the annual Medellín Flower Fair, the city bursts into flames of colour and sweet scent. Medellín’s most important cultural event has been going strong since 1957.

Don’t miss the Desfile de Silleteros parades, where processions of both adult and children campesinos (country folk) move slowly through town with large wooden constructions on their backs, each decorated elaborately with flowers of every colour and fragrance. The popular dog and horse parades also draw impressive crowds.

Browse scented exhibitions of orchids, flowers and artisan crafts and watch flower arranging competitions, where participants really go to town with their floral artistry. There is also a parade of classic cars, a beauty parade to find the Queen of the Flowers and, like all Colombian gatherings, plenty of live music and dancing well into the night.

The Rio Marathon must have one of the most beautiful routes in the world. Cariocas (Rio locals) start running at Recreio, pass through Barra, São Conrado, the beaches of Leblon and Ipanema, and finally cross the finishing line in Flamengo. Crowds in excess of 100,000 turn out to watch and support runners and if you are interested in joining them the race starts at 8am.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Cusco yesterday (Sunday 3 July 2011) for a parade commemorating the 100th anniversary of the scientific discovery of Machu Picchu, Peru’s world-famous archaeological site.

Traditionally dressed dancers representing some thirty institutions such as universities, schools and police departments, marched from Avenida El Sol to San Francisco square, where a food festival is taking place.

Centennial events will continue today (Monday 4 July) with a group of children from schools in the Machu Picchu district performing traditional dances at the Manco Capac square.

The main day of celebrations is on Thursday 7 July, and will see an Art and Culture festival taking over the main squares in Cusco, while at Machu Picchu there will be a re-enactment of a traditional Tinkay ceremony and a Salute from the four corners of the Empire.

In the evening there will be a light and sound show which aims to show Machu Picchu as it was back in Inca times, while the celebrations carry on back in Cusco’s main square.

The festivities will continue on Friday in Cusco with traditional dance competitions, parades, music and fireworks and will culminate in a concert on the evening of 9 July, boasting national and international artists.

The 2011 Rio das Ostras Jazz and Blues Festival returns for its ninth consecutive year with 29 free concerts and over sixty hours of music from internationally recognized musicians. Sponsored by a partnership between the State Secretariat of Culture of Rio de Janeiro and V & M of Brazil, this year’s festival is expected to attract a crowd of over 10,000.

The festival will feature artists such as Medeski, Martin & Wood with saxophonist Bill Evans, Nicholas Payton, Yellowjackets, Jane Monheit, Tommy Castro, José James and Roberto Fonseca. The music will take place on the four outdoor stages Lagoa de Iriry, Turtle, Costazul and St. Peter’s Square.

Rio das Ostras is indeed an idyllic backdrop for such a festival. The city is surrounded by fifteen different beaches; many containing ecological wonders where the stages will be located. For example, The Lagoa de Iriry otherwise known as Coca Cola Lagoon, was given its name because of the natural brown hue of the water due to natural sediment formed by a prior sand bar.

Next, Praia da Tarturuga (Turtle Beach) is located next to Apricot Grove Beach, has warm, emerald waters with calm surf ideal for both adults and children. Costazul, the largest beach of the group, provides visitors with an expansive vista and is more suited for surfing, diving, and if you like sitting on the beach, 15,000 square meters of preserved sand. Lastly, Praça São Pedro in the city centre is the newest stage to the festival and will host a variety of shows daily starting at 11am.

Due to over R$1 billion invested in infrastructure over the last four years, Rio das Ostras is well prepared to handle the influx of show-goers. The city offers approximately sixty hotels and inns, which is about 3,000 beds, and roughly thirty restaurants with several kiosks around the beaches. Still, if you are a serious lover of the outdoors, you can easily skip the hotel room and go to a campsite.

The festival originated from monthly jazz and instrumental music shows, in 2001 and 2002, which were met with an enthusiast response from attendees and demonstrated an increase in tourism. In the past the Rio das Ostras Jazz and Blues Festival has welcomed big names like Ron Carter, Stanley Jordan, John Scofield, Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Kenny Garrett, Egberto Gismonti, Wallace Roney, Robben Ford, Ravi Coltrane, Soulive, Regina Carter, Russell Malone and Spyro Gyra.

This year there is even more of the same rich history to enjoy. It’s hard to find a more idyllic setting to see some of the world’s most talented jazz and blues musicians playing to the laps of the Atlantic’s waves.

For more information and a complete schedule of events please visit: www.riodasostrasjazzeblues.com

The fourth edition of Ciudad Emergente (meaning ‘Emerging City’) will take place from Thursday 16 to Monday 20 of June 2011 at Recoleta Cultural Center.

This Festival, organized by Buenos Aires’s Ministry of Culture, presents established and emerging talent in the genres of music, film, art, dance, fashion, stand up comedy and all forms of artistic expression.

During the 5-day festival the Recoleta Cultural Center’s courtyards, terraces, chapel and even the corridors will be filled from 3pm in the afternoon until 9pm at night with festival activities.

Ciudad Emergente is a good event to observe emerging talent and some of the latest trends in Buenos Aires. Admission is free of charge for all the activities at Recoleta Cultural Cente, with limited capacity.

For more information and a complete schedule of events please visit: www.ciudademergente.gob.ar

On the night of June 15 more than half the world will have opportunity to watch one of the darkest eclipses ever (with a magnitude of 1.7), second only to the July 2000 eclipse.

This one is special because the Sun, Earth and the Moon will line up in an almost straight trajectory. As the moon slips into the earth’s ‘umbra’ (dark shadow), it will slowly assume a coppery red colour, making it a not to be missed spectacle.

The best location to view the eclipse will be in the northernmost region of the ‘entire-eclipse zone’ in central Asia, as well as Eastern Europe and north-eastern Africa.

Many people in South America, Western Africa and Europe will view the eclipse at moon rise, while Eastern Asia and Australia will view the eclipse at moonset.

This is the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2011; the next will take place on December 10.

Hailed as “the world’s biggest naked protest,” the World Naked Bike Ride is staging events in 70 cities and 20 countries across the globe.

While the biking in the Southern Hemisphere occurred in March, the rides kick off across the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June, 2011. This includes events in London, Brighton, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and Mexico City among many others this weekend.

In a statement on the organizations website, World Naked Bike Ride claims, “We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy.”

The freewheeling flesh-fest is used as a means of social protest against car culture, though many enjoy the sheer novelty of pedalling around in the buff. While all rides around the world are clothing optional, the dress code is ‘bare as you dare’ and riders are encouraged to “challenge yourself.” Helmets are not considered a breach of the code and riders are encouraged to use body paint and bike decorations.

London’s ride has traditionally garnered the most attention and boasts the highest participation at over 1000 nude cyclists. That’s up from just 58 riders in 2004. An astonishing 800-1000 riders took part in Brighton’s ride in 2010 and more are expected in 2011.

Curious? Check out the FAQ page on the World Naked Bike Ride website for the answers to such questions as “Won’t it hurt my genitals?” “What if I’m not conventionally attractive?” or “Can I write off contributions to the World Naked Bike Ride on my tax return?”

On 25th June at 12pm in corresponding time zones, people around the world will join hands on beaches and in cities for the second annual Hands Across The Sand to oppose expanded offshore drilling and call for clean energy solutions for a sustainable planet.

Hands Across The Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and crosses all borders and political affiliations. It is about supporting the advancement of clean energy sources that will sustain our planet. This movement is not about politics; it is about protecting coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife and fisheries from the threats of expanded offshore drilling and the accidents associated with this.

Hands Across The Sand participants are joining hands on 25th June to say NO to offshore oil drilling and YES to clean energy. They are joining hands to implore leaders and decision makers to end the United States’ dependence on oil and coal and embrace a clean energy future for a sustainable planet.

Florida surfer and restaurateur Dave Rauschkolb founded Hands Across The Sand in October 2009 in response to a bill passed in the Florida House of Representatives to lift the ban on nearshore drilling. With the support of sponsor organizations, he rallied over 10,000 Floridians to join hands on February 13, 2010, covering the state’s coastlines, to show a united opposition to nearshore drilling.

Two months later the BP Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Dave then organized a global Hands Across The Sand to urge President Obama to abandon his bid to open the continental United States waters to offshore oil drilling.

On 26th June, 2010, over 1,000 Events took place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. International events were held in 42 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Belize, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Greenland, Greece, Croatia, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, Tanzania, and South Africa .

On 20th April, the one-year anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, Hands Across The Sand’s 2011 event website launched, enabling people worldwide to organize and participate in demonstrations in their neighbourhoods, cities, parks and beaches.

Hands Across The Sand is endorsed by national and international environmental organizations including Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, Oceana, Environment America, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, Alaska Wilderness League, Ocean Conservancy, Friends of the Earth, 350, Center for Biological Diversity, Audubon, and CleanEnergy.org

The organisation behind the 18 year history of Camden Green Fair is proud to announce the first ever London Green Fair (www.londongreenfair.org). Spanning two days, the London Green Fair – powered by wind, solar and hydrogen – is an event that reflects the green aspirations and achievements of London, as well as providing an enjoyable and engaging day out for people from all walks of life.

In the prestigious setting of The Regent’s Park, central London – the London Green Fair will be an interactive smorgasbord of both serious and suggestive takes on the environmental issues that affect Londoners. Innovative and exciting, the show will boast over 10 different ecological-zones, and some firsts for London – the revival of Wango Riley’s travelling stage, featuring world music brought to the UK in fair exchange – plus the travelling bike music troubadours, ethical fashion shows, health and healing area, speakers and conference arena and a huge children’s area containing all free natural and organic play!

The event has the backing of important players in the ecological, environmental and recycling communities including the Ecologist magazine, the Co-operative Membership and the London Community Resource Network. As well as supporters and exhibitors, specially selected independent retailers, businesses, small producers and green exhibitors from across the UK will all be showcasing the best of environmentally sustainable produce, schemes and initiatives, allowing Londoners to enjoy an inspiring day out.

The event is organised by dedicated volunteers, supported by a small delivery team, and is set up as a not-for-profit social enterprise. It relies on the support of many local businesses and organisations, community groups and campaigning organisations.