Summer Fun Guide: Marvelous in May

May 3-12
Biggest Week in American Birding | Oak Harbor, Ohio
Chirp along with at least 20 warbler species, plus masses of thrushes and other migrants like flycatchers and orioles, at the Biggest Week in American Birding at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center in northwest Ohio.

Registrants from every state, more than 50 countries and six continents attend this event. “It’s truly a big week,” says the observatory’s executive director, Kimberly Kaufman.

Birding at Magee Marsh is a given, and various field trips guide you to pivotal observational points. 

“This year we are very proud to offer an accessible field trip series led by birders with disabilities,” Kaufman says, noting that registration is required for all events. 

Listen to New York Times bestseller Amy Tan, author of “The Joy Luck Club”, as she opens the pages of her latest, “The Backyard Bird Chronicles”, with her nature drawings. “Amy is a very passionate bird watcher and artist, and the book illustrates her own drawings of birds,” Kaufman says. 

Hear from adventure birder Peter Kaestner, who set a new record this February when he recorded seeing 10,000 of the world’s 11,000 species. (It was an Orange-Tufted Spiderhunter in the Philippines that put him over the top.) 

Jerry Berrier is a blind birder from Tennessee who talks about the pastime from a different perspective. Also in the lineup is Christian Cooper of National Geographic’s “Extraordinary Birder” and Kenn Kaufman with his new book, “The Birds that Audubon Missed.”

May 4
Tim McGraw | Buffalo, N.Y.
“Live Like You Were Dying” at Tim McGraw’s Standing Room Only Tour, which added about a dozen new dates, including KeyBank Center. Grammy Award-winner Carly Pearce takes the stage as a special guest.

May 17-19
Downtown Edinboro Art & Music Festival | Edinboro, Pa.
Tune into grassroots folksy performances in the spirit of Appalachian culture, check out artist demonstrations and gallery exhibits — and don’t forget to bring the kids, because crafts and sing-alongs are in the weekend lineup, too. Vendors galore, instrument workshops and spontaneous jam sessions enliven the town. 

May 25-26
Reggae Fest | Cleveland
Jam to irie reggae on The Mall Lawn, where headliners like Carlos Jones and Milton Blake stir it up roots reggae style, and bands like Mighty Mystic offer the rocking side of a genre that begs us to come together. Live music from noon to 10 p.m. Score tickets online in advance.

All Summer Long
Peek-A-Boo Hearts | Pelee Island, Ontario
Search the island for leave-behinds from 2 Chicks Glass Studio, which creates fused and stained-glass creations and holds workshops. Finders, keepers. If you spot one of these hidden gems, the studio requests a text to 519-819-2480 and Facebook tag — then, you’re officially a keeper of the heart. Or you can tuck it away elsewhere on the island for another guest to discover.

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