T he Guide • 3 - 12 - 2 5 Notable Events That Make Spring Even More Fun Spring is widely considered a season of rejuvenation. The warmer post-winter air that is a hallmark of spring certainly adds an extra hop to the steps of millions of people each year, but a number of notable events also lend a festive feel to this beloved time of year. • St. Patrick’s Day: Though the holiday itself occurs on one of the final days of winter, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations tend to take place throughout the month of March. Many communities host St. Patrick’s Day parades after the spring equinox, and celebrations of the patron saint of the Emerald Isle have a reputation for being especially convivial. A St. Patrick’s Day celebration at a local Irish pub featuring live music and food that would be at home on any dinner table in Ireland can mark the perfect way to close out winter and usher in spring. • March Madness: Basketball fans get their fix and then some each March, when the 68-team, single-elimination NCAA Tournament tips off. Affectionately known as March Madness, the college basketball tournament that unfolds over three weeks from mid-March to early April features its fair share of buzzer beaters, upsets and, of course, busted brackets. Regional contests ensure that just about everyone across the United States is within driving distance of the exciting, if maddening, action. • Major League Baseball Opening Day: Another hallmark of early spring, Opening Day of the baseball season embodies the seasonal spirit of rejuvenation. Baseball fans across the globe know that every team has a chance come Opening Day, when millions of fans return to stadiums to see their favorite teams kick off the six-month campaign. • Spring flower festivals: Spring flower festivals dot the landscape every year. Many occur between mid-March and mid-April and serve as beautiful, awe-inspiring reminders of the blooms that make spring such a colorful and enjoyable time of year. • Kentucky Derby: The annual “Run for the Roses” is held on the first Saturday in May and attracts more than 100,000 visitors to the race track at Churchill Downs. Often referred to as “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports,” the Kentucky Derby serves as the first leg of the Triple Crown and inspires men to don their best seersucker suits and women to showcase their most elaborate, and typically largest, hats as they sip a mint julep and watch the thrilling race unfold. • Memorial Day weekend: Memorial Day is an American holiday that honors and mourns United States military personnel who died while serving in the nation’s Armed Forces. Though there’s a solemnity to Memorial Day events that is not present with other notable celebrations each spring, the weekend itself also has become a time to gather with friends and family for backyard barbecues. Beachside communities also have come to see Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial beginning of summer. There are no shortage of events each spring that serve as reminders of why this time of year is so special and enjoyable.
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