How many are ready for the Leap Year? Mark your calendars as MMXX is the year we gain a day in February. But on the upside if you were born on February 29 – you’re younger than the rest of us.
For the earth lovers in us all, we’re making a toast to Earth Day on April 22 as the worldwide event celebrates 50 years.
But the other big natural phenomenon sure to increase bookings for the moon and sun lovers is the total solar eclipse viewing set to take place in far flung places like Chile and Argentina in December.
Picture an expert astronomer joining a group for the entire eclipse day in a special 11-day itinerary fuelled by explorations of the diverse landscape of the Southern Cone. This trip also nails down Bariloche mountains, the Chilean Lake District and the famous Atacama Desert, considered one of the world’s best places for astronomic observations. Tour operators like Boundless Journeys, which has been ranked among the ‘world’s best’ tour operators by Travel+Leisure are creating this off-the-beaten-path trip. Dates: Dec. 10-20, 2020. Www.boundlessJourneys.com
Here’s a look at some other smashing events in destinations sure to be making headlines. It’s my look at some of the many Milestone Anniversaries and Blockbuster Events in 2020:
UK
An Epic Tale of England
Kynren 2020 is the year 1,000-strong cast and crew perform on a huge 7.5 acre outdoor stage dazzling the audience on a spell-bounding voyage through 2,000 years of history. Anticipate stunts, music, horsemanship and pyrotechnics. The entire spectacle takes place in the North Eastern hamlet known as Bishop Auckland. Town reps indicate this destination received major investment from Jonathan Ruffer, a millionaire you’ve likely never heard of, who is trying to make this a tourism mecca.
August 1-September 12 . www.kynren.com
Millenial Anniversary of Abbey of St. Edmund
The first Patron Saint of England and King of East Anglia, Saint Edmund was enshrined in the Abbey. Millions of pilgrims arrive from across the UK including Royalty as the Abbey became one of the most famous and wealthy pilgrimage locations in England. However, in 1539 the Abbey was destroyed and Edmund’s bejeweled shrine was plundered as his body went missing. To this day, his whereabouts remain a mystery. The Abbey also played an important role in the Magna Carta story. While year-round celebrations are planned the momentous historic occasion is slated on May 23-24 with a procession of 100 Benedictine monks and nuns, plus 400 others from across Britain.
https://www.visit-burystedmunds.co.uk/abbey-1000
Mayflower 400
Commemorating the historic journey of the Mayflower ship the UK has announced exciting events laced around this monumental Pilgrim voyage to the New World. Dubbed ‘the world’s biggest family reunion’ you’re invited. In England, expect events in key towns and cities that comprise a new Mayflower Trail. Cities like Southampton, London, Harwich, the town for which the Mayflower is believed to have been constructed, and many more places.
https://www.mayflower400uk.org/
The Tercentenary Celebration of the world’s first ecologist
Gilbert White, considered the world’s first ecologist due to his life-long investigation of the natural world which resulted in his book, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, is celebrating his posthumous 300th birthday. Expect plenty of events in Hampshire village of Selborne.
150th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ death
The acclaimed author whose prolific renowned works include A Christmas Carol, the classic Christmas tale which follows the miserly ways of the protagonist Ebeneezer Scrooge, will get a special retrospective. Universally recognized as one of the great Victorian writers Charles Dickens created stories that painted vivid pictures of Victorian England. Commemorate the 150th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ death with a trip to see the Dickens memorabilia at the Victoria & Albert Museum, visit his former London home or discover his origins at the Charles Dickens’ Birthplace museum in Hampshire. Death date: June 9, 1870
EUROPE
Switzerland
175 years of Lindt Chocolate
The yummy chocolate maker – a connoisseur of fine cocoa is marking the occasion in sweet ways. Visitors can anticipate a new visitor centre in the Lindt’s Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg.
https://www.lindt-spruengli.com/about-us/lindt-home-of-chocolate/
50 years of Art Basel
The city that spawned a highly sought after international art world gathering now has art fair franchises worldwide. But the grand belle of the ball remains in Basel.
https://www.artbasel.com/basel
Austria
100th anniversary: Salzburg Festival
Around Salzburg major institutions will be feting the prominent music festival which originates in the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. On August 22, 1920 the first performance took place on the steps of the Salzburg Cathedral which quickly transformed into an annual festival. The Salzburg Museum has planned a themed exhibition (April 25-October 31) of the festival’s past, present and future. On April 25, entry to the Salzburg Museum is free to Salzburg Card Holders.
Full programme https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/tickets/programme?season=8
July 18-August 30
Germany and worldwide
Beethoven 250
It’s time to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of this famous composer who brought us Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise and the symphony of symphonies, the powerful Fifth, revered for its moody minor-key darkness. The German National Tourism Board has launched #DiscoverBeethoven, an international campaign featuring the life and times of the German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven through various exhibitions. Watch for the routes Beethoven travelled and sites associated with his life and legacy, offering visitors a chance to discover Germany as a land of music.
http://www.lvbeethoven.de/en/beethoven-2020
USA
Mayflower 400
Head to the Bay State to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony, two historic events that helped shape the USA. While events are scheduled year-round, one of the not-to-miss events is the official sailing of a replica Mayflower to Boston, Provincetown and Plymouth (dates May 14-19). There will be a maritime festival hosted by Mayflower Sails 2020 in Boston Harbor alongside the USS Constitution and Mayflower.
https://mayflowersails2020.com/
Maine’s Bicentennial
A popular New England state known for its lobsters and great outdoors that has inspired renowned artists and writers alike is blowing out the candles in a highly anticipated 200 year old birthday party commemorating “The Pine Tree State.” Expect the blockbuster partying to start with a special Statehood Weekend running March 14-15. Prepare for the Bicentennial Parade on May 16 and The Grand Finale Weekend (Oct. 9-12), which is a 4-day event featuring diverse cultures and commercial innovation.
https://www.maine200.org/
Nantucket, Maine – 200 years of Moby Dick
If you haven’t picked up a copy of any Herman Melville thrilling page turner, now’s your chance. As you flip through the real-life horror that inspired the best-selling novel which traces the sinking of the Essex, a ship that started its deathly sail in 1819 from Nantucket, you will discover Melville’s favourite haunts of this New England town. Visit the Ocean House, now known as the Jared Coffin House. The historic property’s restaurant the Tap Room has been revived and re-opens following a 14-year closure.
West Palm Beach celebrates 125 Years
While the rest of the country shovels snow and turns up the heat dreaming of warmer days past, West Palm Beach remains breezy and balmy! A longtime coveted destination for seasonal luxury travellers, golf aficionados and boating enthusiasts during the winter months, a new wave of developments is attracting foodies and modern travellers as the city celebrates its 125th anniversary!
Centennial Year: Hotel Pennsylvania
Okay, this Grand Dame hotel made its splashy debut on a cold winter day back in January 25, 1919 but the hotel owners have been making a centenary celebration of the Manhattan beauty that ends on January 25, 2020. So you still have time to walk through these illustrious doors to see a revived, re-invigorated classic NYC hotel. Find out why it was called, “the most important hotel of the 20th century.” E.M. Statler, the American businessman behind the 2,200 room hotel – he is also considered the father of the modern hotel industry – famously once quipped one of the most important hospitality edicts: “The Guest is Always Right.”
100th anniversary – Suffrage Movement and 200th anniversary of Susan B. Anthony’s Birth
It’s unofficially Women’s Year in America. Watch for two significant anniversaries tailored around ground-breaking historic moments in the United States. In Rochester NY, this must-visit destination is set to tell the story of the important women’s rights milestone anniversary. Rochester is the home of legendary suffragist Susan B. Anthony among many other trailblazing women who changed the world around them. Visit the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House for a chance to discover a treasure trove of memorabilia and walk through the rooms where Anthony met often with leaders and stand in the parlour where Anthony was arrested in 1872 for the ‘crime’ of voting.
75 Years of the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge
One special place that wraps around nature is a patch of wilderness on Sanibel Island known as the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Back in 1945, growing fear for the wetlands disappearance which makes up most of the Sanibel Island turned into an environmental crusade for one conservationist: Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling. He created this sanctuary. Now home to 51 types of reptiles and amphibians, 32 mammal species, and over 230 species of birds, the special wilderness haven has prepared many highlights for the upcoming 75th anniversary season. Ding Darling twice won Pulitzer Prizes for his cheeky political cartoons in the Des Moines Register that focused on conservation issues.
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/jn_ding_darling/
AUSTRALIA
Ever think the world’s most visited moving image museum is situated in Australia? Known as ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image), the unique venue in Melbourne is set to re-open its doors after a major 1-year closure. Since first opening in 2002, the venue reports over 14.7 million visitors checked out Australia’s only museum of film, TV, video games, digital culture and art. Think Mad Max and My Brilliant Career, blockbuster films shot in Australia in 1979.
https://www.renew.acmi.net.au/
April 2020 reopening date
250th anniversary Cooks Landing: Cooktown Expo 2020
The British explorer who ventured into places unknown sailed up the east coast of Australia documenting his epic journey which ultimately had British Lieutenant James Cook land in a frontier area far north of Queensland now known as Cooktown. Today, the town is rich in indigenous tourism experiences, world-class rock art, stunning encounters with nature and more.
Mark your calendar July 17-August 4 for a 3-week event called Cooktown Expo 2020 includes a rock music festival
https://cooktown2020.com/
Qantas Marks a Century in the Sky
Local lore has it that Qantas was conceived in Cloncurry, launched in Winton and raised in Longreach. Now as the clock ticks down to November 16 and a massive 100 years of Qantas’ operation, why not show your Aussie pride and jet back to where it all started?
The official launch date of the Spirit of Australia a.k.a. Qantas AU was back in November 1920.
https://www.qantas.com/au/en/100-years-of-the-spirit-of-australia/history.html
SOUTH AMERICA
500 Years of Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage to Cape Virgenes
This idyllic cape in Argentina must have made the great Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sport the widest satisfying grin. He and his fleet who were undergoing the world’s first circumnavigation reached Cape Virgenes “Cape of the Virgins” becoming the first Europeans to sail into the Pacific Ocean on October 21, 1520. They ventured through today’s Magellan Strait aboard one of the Australis expeditionary cruises, the Stella or the Ventus Australis. World adventurers can retrace the footsteps of this historic voyage through a special 4-night expedition run from October through April through the fjords and glaciers of Tierra del Fuego. Called the Last Frontiers Southern Land Tour, see the full itinerary https://www.lastfrontiers.com/itineraries/southern-grand-tour
JAPAN
Tokyo Summer Games
Eyes of the sporting world will be honing in on the spectacular world event followed by the Paralympics (August 25-Sept. 6). The last Tokyo Olympics occurred in 1964 as a post-war recovery with the country keen to show off. That it did. The Shinkansen (bullet train) zipped past like a bolt of lightning, giving all the world great pause as the world’s first high-speed train started. Expect loads of competitive spirit and breathtaking world records to be made.July 24-August 9
75 Years After
In a catastrophic world-changing event, the world’s first deployed atomic bomb destroyed two Japanese cities and a nation. “Little Boy,” the name of the first atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima with the subsequent bombing of Nagasaki.
August marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb droppings. Expect commemorative ceremonies across the nation. Consult with tour operators like Inside Japan https://www.insidejapantours.com/
ASIA
45th anniversary of World Expeditions
Pioneering adventure company World Expeditions which celebrates 45 years in operation will launch four exclusive trips in 2020. Watch for Everest Base Camp, Gokyo and Renjo La, the Everest Circuit and the Everest Trek. Experience special tours of the Tibetan Buddhist monastery of Thyangboche and an exclusive meeting with the ‘Ringpoche’ (Head Priest).
10th anniversary of the Great Himalaya Trail
Insiders report it takes 150 days to complete the 1,700 km trails that hover 6,190 metres above sea level. For the inaugural trip in Nepal, two trekkers over five months documented their experience on the Great Himalaya Trail blog, http://www.trekthegreathimalayatrail.com/ describing how they would often find themselves ‘in the middle of nowhere.’ A decade later, the number of trekkers who have completed the entire trail has grown to 15 trekkers. World Expeditions is the only operator to offer the ‘trekking’s holy grail’ as a fully guided trek. https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal/Trekking-Hiking/GHT-Nepal-The-Full-Traverse
The Great Himalaya Trail is set to return on February 24 for its 10th anniversary.
Rest of The World
45th Year of Independence – Cape Verde
Cape Verde often referred to as the “African Caribbean’ because of its white sandy beaches, music, and no stress island motto celebrates 45 years independence. The island nation once part of Portugal is known for its carnival and music festivals including a unique fusion of Brazilian, Portuguese and African cultures. More exotic than the Canary Islands, you’ll find beach properties like the Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort on Sal Island, Cape Verde as ‘the’ place to soak in celebrations.
25th James Bond Film returns to Jamaica
In celebration of the April release of “No Time To Die” movie buffs who venture to Jamaica will have a chance to retrace the island life of Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming. This 25th film in the popular movie franchise also marks the final appearance of Daniel Craig as the infamous British secret agent 007.