Out of hibernation

England is waking up, after its long winter nap, and there's so much going on.  In fact, I've already missed Carter's Steam Fair, with actual vintage, steam-powered carnival rides!

• May 9 is the Covent Garden Puppet Festival, where Punch and Judy have been performing for almost 350 years!
• Kenwood house has been hosting Saturday evening concerts since 1951.  (Sadly, they've moved them from the lake to the green.)  This year features Diana Krall, Rufus Wainwright, and Jamie Collum.
• Hampton Court Palace has its own festival in June, with Van Morrison, Jackson Browne, and Gipsy Kings.
• The Royal Horticultural Society hosts the prestigious Chelsea flower show, end of May.
• The National Theatre covers its courtyard in astroturf (photo below) and hosts free events all summer.
• "More London" hosts a series of free events at the The Scoop, a large outdoor amphitheatre next to City Hall.  They usually do theatre in June, music in July, and films in August.
• Trafalgar Square hosts numerous celebrations.  I just missed 'Holland Day' last weekend; St George's day is on April 24.  This year the Fourth Plinth will have (wait for it...) a large-scale replica of Nelson's ship, HMS Victory, in a bottle!
• The Open Air theatre in Regent's Park is like a tiny Hollywood Bowl...with Shakespeare.
• Hyde Park has a series of outdoor concerts, including Hard Rock calling, plus its own "lido" (outdoor swimming area)
• Somerset House hosts a series of concerts and films in its courtyard.
• Wimbledon and Royal Ascot are both in June (and I can't afford to go to either)
• Ben & Jerry's hosts a 'Sundae' concert in July at Clapham Common
• Richard Thompson's 'Meltdown' is at the Royal Festival Hall, with Elvis Costello, Beausoleil, and Seasick Steve.  (I already have my tickets for Loudon Wainwright--whoo-hoo!)
• The Southbank Centre will be hosting the Royal Society's summer exhibition this year, with life-size pterodactyl models!
• The Kew Gardens treetop walkway is open all summer (Jess gets in free...and we still haven't been!)
• The Tate Britain has Henry Moore and Tate Modern has Paul Gauguin.
• In May and June, over 250 unique elephant sculptures (some life-size!) will go up all over London.
• September has both the Great Gorilla Run and Great British Duck Race where thousands of people don gorilla suits and hundreds of thousands of rubber ducks float down the Thames (uh...respectively).
• And the summer will end with a bang at the Thames festival in September, followed by an always-fantastic fireworks display.

After September things quiet down, with Dewali in October and Bonfire night in November, before England settles back, storing its energy and preparing for another fantastic outburst next summer.