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Located in Springfield, Illinois, First Night is a New Year's Eve art event that is dedicated to celebrating local and national art exhibits. The event is a family friendly activity dedicated to providing an affordable, accessible, and welcoming atmosphere. First Night Springfield is the oldest of its kind in Illinois and, by extension, the longest running, with the first recorded event in 1986. First Night's origins go back further, being modeled after First Night Boston which started in 1976.

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The Festival of the Whales has been held annually in Dana Point, California since 1972. Taking place over two weekends in early March, The Festival of the Whales is one of Southern California’s largest and longest running festivals and many area businesses, like local Mexican food restaurant Casa Maria, participate in festival events. The festival celebrates the yearly migration of gray whales, who travel along the California coast during a 10,000-mile round-trip from their winter warm-water breeding and calving lagoons in Baja, Mexico to cold-water feeding grounds in Alaska. Scientists believe that the whales may use the cliffs of Dana Point as a navigational landmark, as they frequently appear close to shore during their migration north. The Festival of the Whales features four days of whale watching, a parade and street fair, arts and crafts shows, classic car exhibits, a sand sculpture contest, concerts, and various educational whale-related activities that support the protection and preservation of oceans and marine life.

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Loyola University Chicago celebrated Hunger Week every November for over 40 years until 2019. Hunger Week was a student organized week of events to increase awareness of hunger and raise funds for organizations fighting hunger. In the final years, this fundraising event contributed to the STEP program and local garden projects to advocate change in the Loyola University area. The program was discontinued to refocus assets and funds to other programs.

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1975 was declared the European Architectural Year by the Council of Europe, which is an international organization that promotes the rule of law in Europe. The purpose of the 1975 European Architectural Year initiative was to develop a policy to protect architectural heritage in Europe. The Council of Europe drafted a charter that explains the legal, administrative, financial, and technical aspects of the conservation policy.

European Architectural Heritage Year was meant to make Europeans more appreciative of their historic structures and get landmark cities to take action to preserve them. Participating countries were asked to choose acclaimed sites which show commendable restoration. Some of the selected projects include Helsingor in Denmark, the landscapes of Central Zealand in Belgium, Berlin and Rothenburg in Germany, Holycross and Limerick in Ireland, Verona in Italy, and Stavanger in Norway. These projects remind tourists that lesser-known cities in Europe have hidden gems for all to enjoy.

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The North Carolina Medical Society was first established in 1799 and their first Annual Session was held in 1849. There have only been four years since then without a Session, three years during the Civil War and one year during World War II. Annual Sessions are held in different locations across North Carolina each year. In 1849, only 25 doctors were in attendance but many more attend the Sessions today and the Association has over 12,000 members. 

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The Vincennes Hotel was historically located at 36th and Vincennes Ave in Chicago, IL, just a few blocks from the historical Lindblom Technical High School, home of the Eagles. Lindblom Technical High School was founded in 1919 and still resides in its original location. While the Vincennes Hotel is no longer standing, in its time, it was nationally known for its fine cuisine and service. It was also the largest black owned and operated hotel in the Northern United States at the time.

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Durham, North Carolina is named for Dr. Bartlett S. Durham, who settled in the area in 1853 after he finished his medical training looking for a place to set up his practice. In 1949, the N.C Railroad wanted to set a station in the area. Dr. Durham donated 4 acres of land for it to be built. The station was called Durhamville, later changed to Durham Station, then simply Durham. This city has been a leader in many ways to North Carolina throughout its history. Following the Civil War, Durham expanded rapidly as the tobacco industry took off.  In 1892, Trinity University moved to Durham from present day Trinity, and in 1924, the name was changed to Duke, a well-known and highly selective university. North Carolina Central University is also located in Durham. Duke University Hospital as well as other private companies help keep Durham as a leader in medicine, not only in North Carolina, but nationally as well. As of 2017, Durham was the 4th most populous city in N.C.

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Drums on the Chippewa was an annual competition in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin for drum and bugle corps. Drums on the Chippewa got its start in the 1960’s as the Eau Claire Boys Drum and Bugle Corps hosted them. Members of the corps competing are youth. In 2010, the average age of those competing was 15. The Sundowners were a drum and bugle corps from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Boy Scout leader, Walter E. Brown, founded the corps in 1953 as an extension of his scout troop. By 1959, they had adopted a competitive angle and renamed themselves the Eau Claire Boys. More members, both male and female, joined over the years and they had a few name changes, but in 1971, they changed their name to Sundowners. The Sundowners competed through the 1985 season and had notable success in 1974 and 1980.

The 1977 Drums on the Chippewa featured 7 competitors from around the Midwest. The Sundowners of Eau Claire and the Brass Regiment of Park Falls Wisconsin competed at an exhibition level. The event was used to raise money to defray the annual costs of the Sundowners Drum and Bugle Corps. Buttons were sold before the event for $1 by Corps members and for $2 at the gate to help with fundraising efforts.

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The Crazy 8s are a Ska band from the Pacific Northwest. Formed in the early 1980s, they opened for bands like Romeo Void and The English Beat. The group was a popular local band in Portland, Oregon, yet, their music never broke through to the mainstream. They released a total of six albums and one re-release under their official record label RedRum Records. In 2007, the Crazy 8s were inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Promotional items for their anniversary tour at the Portland music venue, Key Largo, Eastside Millennium Music record shop, and a local radio station, KBOO included buttons and more.