From the Argyllshire Gathering, a notable part of the Highland Games in Scotland, to the Chicago Air & Water Show, Andrew Harper shares his choices for favorite events and festivals in August 2015.

August 2015 Events

Through August 23: Each August brings classical strains to Napa Valley, when several wineries host chamber concerts for Music in the Vineyards. The program includes music from Schubert, Fauré, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and many other renowned composers, performed in notable wineries such as Chimney Rock, Clos Pegase, Mondavi and Silverado.

Through September 19: Numerous Highland Games take place all over Scotland during the summer, and Oban (about 2.5 hours north of Glasgow) hosts one of the oldest. The Argyllshire Gathering kicks off on August 26 with an outdoor bagpiping competition, and athletic competitions such as tug-of-war, hammer throw and caber toss (the throwing of tree trunks) follow on the 27th. The Harper-Alliance Isle of Eriska is located 12 miles from the games, and they can still offer availability as of this posting. A two-night minimum stay is required.

August 1-2: Denmark’s capital celebrates classic race cars during the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix, when MGs, Lotuses and Porsches compete against each other on a 2000-meter-long track in Faelledparken, just outside the center of town. In addition to watching the races, spectators can view more than 1,000 vintage automobiles up-close in the Classic Car Park.

August 7-31: Billed as the largest arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival assembles thousands of performers who mount theater productions, operas, concerts and a variety of other events in venues across the city. With a schedule of performances running some 445 pages long, there is surely something for everyone during the festival!

August 12-25: Argentina’s capital heats up the winter with the annual Buenos Aires Tango Festival. Dancers and musicians perform all over the city — in the street, in neighborhood milongas and in grand theaters. The festival culminates with the competitive Dance World Cup.

August 15-16: The Chicago Air & Water Show draws up to 2 million visitors each year, with two days of dramatic flight and watercraft demonstrations, including performances by the Blue Angels. Most spectators gather on North Avenue Beach, but the crowd-averse watch book a ticket for a cruise on the Odyssey and watch from the lake. You should also be able to see some of the action from the beautiful terrace of The Peninsula, a private balcony at the Waldorf Astoria or a lakeview accommodation at the Four Seasons, though the views from these venues are more limited.

August 16: Kyoto’s Obon festival culminates with Gozan no Okuribi, the lighting of five immense bonfires on the surrounding mountains. Set in the shapes of Chinese characters and other motifs, these massive blazes signify the souls of deceased ancestors returning to the spirit world. Just one of these fiery characters, all easily visible from the city center, measures 260 feet wide and 525 feet long.

August 29: Pyrotechnics also illuminate Venice this month in one of the longest fireworks shows in the world. The annual Beach on Fire festival features 10 synchronized launching stations along 12 kilometers of the Cavallino-Treporti beach. The beach’s natural curve affords a fine view, but it’s most exciting to watch in proper Venetian fashion, from a boat.

August 30 – September 3: Budapest celebrates its Jewish heritage during the annual Jewish Summer Festival, the largest Jewish cultural festival in Europe. The ornate Doháhny Street Synagogue, the second-largest in the world, serves as the venue for the most popular performances, and the 19th-century Rumbach Synagogue and the historic Goldmark Hall also host events. The Budapest Klezmer Band kicks off the festival, followed by groups such as Muzsikás and the Ferenc Liszt Chamber Orchestra. Film screenings and theater performances round out the festivities.