Party Across America Blog

2009-06-26T08:53:00.001-07:00

1st annual World's Largest Flipcup Tournament. July 11th NYC. $100 per team, 65 teams will be accepted. Athletes will need superior endurance.

Summerfest is HERE

2009-06-23T13:55:00.001-07:00

Milwaukee's Summerfest begins on Thursday. 11 days of beer, food, music. Guinness Book record holder for world's largest celebration and it's been going strong for over 40 years!

2009-06-19T08:55:00.001-07:00

The City of Los Angeles is a half billion in debt and That Lakers Championship parade cost 3 million. I give credit to city officials - they realize that a hell of a party is more important than fiscal responsibility.

Rehab - Vegas

2009-06-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

The weekly Sunday Las Vegas pool party at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is getting a ton of attention these days. I just found out that there's a TV show based upon the Rehab party. Not much of a TV guy so sorry if everyone knows about this show. Rehab is out of control and probably makes for as entertaining a backdrop as anything else - any party that makes people get to bed early on a Saturday in Las Vegas has to be something to check out. Hats off to Hard Rock - they took the sleepiest day of the week in Vegas, Sunday, and transformed it into the most hoppin day.

2009-06-10T09:40:00.001-07:00

College Baseball World Series - hotels sold out in Omaha - gotta stay in Council Bluffs, Iowa. 5 miles away. 1st weekend-best time 2 go.

Mullet Toss

2009-06-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Nina clued me into a hilarious party on the border of Florida and Alabama in April - The Floribama Mullet Toss - it's been going on for 25 years! Classic and I can't wait to see how a mullet is actually tossed. Here's a youtube vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeGlA6jjirI

Sports Illustrated.com next week

2009-06-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Writing a top 10 list for Sports Illustrated's website - the top 10 summer sporting events not to miss - like greased pig wrestling in Montana, Yo-Yo World Series in Orlando, and Camel Riding Championships in Nevada.....

2009-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Telluride Bluegrass 2006 with Jenn. It's coming up this weekend - tix still available. David Byrne from the Talking Heads is playing this year!

Telluride Bluegrass Festival is beyond words

2009-06-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

One word...unforgetable. Anyone with a remote interest in bluegrass music has to take a road trip to Telluride, Colorado. This festival is a must-do for any music lover! In all my travels to music venues, never have I seen a more mesmorizing, enchanting, awe-inspiring location for a festival. In 2006 BB King was playing...he looked out from the stage and said "I've been to 98 countries and I've never seen anything more beautiful than this place." Enough said.

Talladega Crash - 8 Injuries

2009-05-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

Carl Edward's car went airborne and crashed into a fence at the Talladega last month. A total of eight fans were treated for minor injuries. Those of us who've been to the Talladega 500 know that the infield of that race is one of the wildest scenes in the country. I'd love to see a photo from the air after the race is over because the infield probably resembles a battlefield. I'm very curious to see what action is taken by race officials after this accident. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling that the NASCAR party world is about to suffer a blow. Talladega nights as we knew them before, may be a thing of the past....only time will tell.

Why the Belmont Stakes didn't make the book

2009-05-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

With the 3rd race of the Triple Crown coming up I've received questions about why the Belmont Stakes did not make the list of the nation's top 101 annual parties. I mean after all, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness are both in the book. I'll answer this question simply......The Derby is the Derby - something everyone needs to experience at least once in their lives. The Preakness is a full throttle celebration that caters to a fiery blue-collar Baltimore crowd. Great energy, totally unique. A trip to the Belmont Stakes is somewhere in the middle - and the energy, the feeling of community that the other 2 races have is lacking at the Belmont Stakes. It's definitely in the nation's top 150 parties, but it doesn't rank in the grade A catergory.

Nudity was NOT Banned - neither was booze!

2009-05-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Suffice to say neither nudity nor booze was banned at the Bay to Breakers this year. In fact, I'd have to say that it's close to impossible that they ever could ban em. First off, it wouldn't be possible to go to Bay to Breakers without seeing a ton of dudes jogging in socks, shoes, and with their schlongs dangling in the wind. Secondly, there is no way on earth that you can possibly enforce an alcohol ban. It'd be like telling the Pope not to wear his little hat - it just ain't gonna happen.

Tried to Come in Last Place at Bay to Breakers

2009-05-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

Fun, tiring, and successful weekend of taping in San Francisco. The goal was to come in last place at the Bay to Breakers 12K. The entire procession is insanity, mayheim, a complete rolling party, and an assault on the senses rolled into one. It took us about 6 hours to go the 7.43 miles - which is VERY slow. My goal, for the sake of taping, was to come in last place and have maximum fun along the way. I didn't quite come in last place, but bottom 4% was good enough!

Taping at Bay to Breakers

2009-05-13T16:14:00.001-07:00

Flying from Denver to San Francisco tommorrow for the Bay to Breakers 12K and to witness the first year that beer and nudity isn't allowed. Just bought airline tickets last night so this definitely qualifies as a last minute party trip. We'll be doing some filming to present to Travel Channel who seems to be interested in a Party Across America TV show. If you're out there and you see a guy running in flippers - yes I may try to complete the race in a pair of friggin swim flippers - than say hi.

Bay to Breakers this weekend

2009-05-12T17:55:00.001-07:00

It seems as though cracking down on the greatest annual celebrations nationwide is becoming contagious. San Francisco's Bay to Breakers is a 12K running race, the likes of which is unchallenged in terms of its social atmosphere. Although many runners treat the B to B as a competitve race which begs their best time, many do not.

Jet set participants fly in from across the country, wearing the craziest costumes imaginable, for an early morning Mardi Gras of sorts. It has never been out of the norm to see kegs being pushed in shopping carts while "runners" do their best to turn the 12K distance into the slowest possible race on planet earth. The atmosphere is similar to a rock n roll circus.

This year, however, will be a different Bay to Breakers. Nudity (which was never uncommon) and open containers have been banned. Will these new restrictions effect the always jovial crowd....I'm headed to San Fran on Thursday and will let you know!

Preakness Preparedness

2009-05-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

The third Saturday in May will be here in the bat of an eyelash, and that can mean only one thing....Preakness time. Often times overshadowed by that other little horse race in Louisville, many Baltimore natives would argue that their hometown horse gallop is the wilder of the two. In my opinion they may be right.

If you're planning to attend this year's Preakness Stakes be aware that as of 2009 fans can't carry in alcohol anymore. I think this move has been a long time coming, considering that the infield of this race is borderline insane at times. Welcome to the modern world of liability insurance - it's a shame that race officials felt that this was the answer to their problems. We all know that drunken meatheads will always find a way to be drunken meatheads - now they'll just hit the booze extra hard in the parking lot.

Bring cash for parking and have a Black Eyed Susan for me.

Just Returned from Jazz Fest

2009-05-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

Jazz Fest is one of the greatest events you can go to in your lifetime. Not only is it argueably the greatest time of year to vist New Orleans, but it attracts a wonderful mix of people from all backgrounds, ages, and social standings. Jazz Fest is New Orleans - plain and simple. The food, the music, and a city thats as unique as they come.

This time around I got out of the heart of the French Quarter a bit more after the concerts had ended. Frenchman St. is basically the area that locals retreat to when they want to escape the neon lights and hand grenade drinks on Bourbon St. It's an incredible place for late night frolicking, but much cooler (in my opinion) than anywhere else in the Quarter. We hit Rock N Bowl as well - a Jazz Fest late night must go spot.

Party Across America author interviewed on CNN (click here first)

2009-01-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

1/2 Page Article in USA Today

2009-01-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

USA Today ran an article about Party Across America this past weekend - it took up half a page.

Check it out at http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-01-01-party-across-america_N.htm

Party Across America Chosen as a "Top Gift Book for 2009"

2008-12-30T16:18:00.001-08:00

Some pretty cool news came in today - the Atlanta Gift Show (the largest gift convention in the world) selected Party Across America as one of the "top new gift books of '09." It's quite an honor because they only choose a handful across all of the publishing houses. The gift show people want the Party Across America book signing to include a live band, disco ball, and take place on the Saturday night of the convention -

NBC interview this morning

2008-12-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

They Brought in a Keg at the Book Signing

2008-12-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

Our family takes a ski vacation in Steamboat Springs, Co. every Christmas. The book store here is a small, locally owned shop, and they were open to a Party Across America book signing. I showed up last night for the "author event," and Off The Beaten Path bookshop had gone out and purchased a keg of Fat Tire - the best beer in the west. Now that's I call a book signing! We sold books, drank suds, and watched the snow fall.

Can you imagine Barnes & Noble doing something like this? No way on earth.

1st Colorado Book Signing was "A Sellout"

2008-12-14T01:05:00.000-08:00

Thank you all so much for coming to the Northern Colorado Centerra Barnes & Noble tonight. The signing was a sellout - 42 books in about 3 hrs. What a cool experience - Party Across America is definitely the antithesis of the doom and gloom news media. We aren't just selling books - we're selling the USA!

The World's Largest Disco

2008-12-09T21:38:00.001-08:00

After we wiped off the clown makeup from the Macy's Day Parade, we headed to Buffalo. Why Buffalo you may ask? Because the World's Largest Disco happens every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Disco has raised over 1.5 million dollars for children affected by cancer over the past 15 years and it's one heck of a party. The organizer (and an incredible human) Dave Pietrowski and I have become buddies through Party Across America. Dave had us up and gave us the V.I.P. treatment - which included going to a Buffalo Sabres game with Greg, Peter, Bobby, and Cindy Brady who were the guests of honor. Buy your disco tickets in September because al 8,000 tickets sell out faster than you can say "Soul Sister." The picture is here is Bobby and Peter - it was hard to remember their real names.

We Were Clowns in the Macy's Day Parade

2008-12-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

It was a whirlwind Thanksgiving trip back east. Somehow the parade organizers got wind of the book and we wound up being clowns in the Macy's Day Parade in NYC. It was definitely a surreal experience to come down Broadway and into Times Square. A mass of people having a great time, kids looking on with sheer joy on their faces - what an adrenaline rush! The craziest part was looking up into the windows of each building - every window in each building was jam packed with people - and nobody was talking about the economy!

Best to Order Through Amazon....for now

2008-11-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone - just wanted to let you know that major bookstores will have Party Across America on shelves by Dec. 17th. However, if you want to get it before Xmas - order it through Amazon.com. Amazon is shipping the book within a day and it's a couple of bucks cheaper - like $10.50 instead of $12.95 (the Barnes & Noble cost).

Which Celebrations Deserve to Crack the Top 101?

2008-11-12T23:25:00.000-08:00

As soon as I landed this book deal, I just knew that this blog would prompt discussion and suggestions about what acutally deserved to be in the top 101. I fully prepared myself for comments like "I can't believe that so-and-so isn't in the book!"

You know what, bring it on! The publisher wants a second edition of Party Across America. The second edition will include events from the original version ( Burning Man, Kentucky Derby, Tour De Fat, Mermaid Parade, St. Patty's Day in Savannah, Over The Line, Halloween in NYC ), but I will add about 15-20 new extravaganzas. So please, let me know what should be considered!

Try to keep these few things in mind:
1. It has to be a public party ("my buddy Dave's Memorial Day Barbeque Bash" doesn't qualify)
2. It has to be an annual event that happens in the SAME PLACE each year
3. It has to have an intangible quality of energy - something that people rally around and look forward to all year long

Please provide some stuff to back up your suggestion - how many people go? how long has it been going on? what's it like to be there?

If it ends up in the book you will get a contributing credit

The Party Version of 1000 Places to See Before You Die?

2008-11-12T22:45:00.000-08:00

There have been a couple of "pre-release" news articles written about Party Across America and they've all said that it's like the party version of 1000 Place To See Before You Die. I guess I can see the parallels, but as the bias author, I have to respectfully disagree.

1000 Places To See Before You Die pretty much lists each place and gives a super brief description of each. This book is more like a Lonley Planet or any other guidebook - it provides complete guidance, including where to stay, hotel prices, when to buy tickets, local public transportation, what to pack, and tons of party tips. I guess it's nice to be compared to such a successful book, but I just feel like 1000 Places to See is more of a list than an actual guidebook. Anyone agree?

Has the election changed our attitudes?

2008-11-12T22:20:00.000-08:00

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or John McCain, one thing has become quite clear. This country is ready to move out of the black hole that we've been in for quite some time. I am a total believer that the attitude of a depression or a recession is self-perpetuating. The worse we think things are, the less we spend, and the further we sink. The news media daily doom and gloom sessions have only pushed these great United States lower and lower.

Your 401K plan will bounce back! Housing prices will rebound - we need to relax and have some fun. I'm not trying to sell books - I'm trying to sell the United States! We live in a truely amazing place and we need to take advantage of it. The best way to do this is to take our limited time on earth to celebrate our existance. After all, when we're all old and grey, we will look back on certain times and experiences in our life and smile - now is the time to make those memories.

PROMO VIDEO

2008-11-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

The Samples play Party Across America party

2008-11-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

The Samples came over, checked out the book, and decided to play a few tunes

Welcome to the Party Board!

2008-06-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

"Party Across America: 101 of the Greatest Festvials, Sporting Events, and Celebrations in the U.S." is published by Adams Media and will be available in ALL Barnes & Noble stores throughout the U.S. The book comes out in November 2008, but you can always place an early order on Amazon.com. Also, please check out our website www.partyacrossamericabook.com