(FORTUNE Small Business) – May 1-12: FLOWER FESTIVAL AT THE BILTMORE ESTATE There's nothing wrong with an FTD bouquet, but if you really want to show Mom you care, take her to the Biltmore Estate Festival of Flowers, featuring 8,000 acres of azaleas, dogwoods, and daffodils, among others. The last day of the festival coincides with Mother's Day, and she'd also probably love a tour of the estate itself, George Vanderbilt's 250-room country getaway in North Carolina's Blue Ridge mountains. Asheville, N.C.; biltmoreestate.com; 800-624-1575

May 16-18: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BARBECUE COOKING CONTEST Sure, you may throw a few hot dogs on the Weber from time to time, but these people are serious. Hundreds of expert teams with names like "Swine, Women, and Song" vie for top honors in categories like rib, shoulder, and whole hog (in Memphis, barbecue means pork, not beef). And of course it's more than just a spectator sport--restaurants and ex-champs are on hand to cook for the crowd. Memphis; memphisinmay.org; 901-525-4611

May 24-26: DANCEAFRICA FESTIVAL This year marks the festival's 25th anniversary--at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the oldest U.S. performing arts center--and will focus on Cuba and on Afro-Cuban dance. Seven troupes will perform, including Cutumba, one of Cuba's most acclaimed ensembles. Brooklyn, N.Y.; bam.org; 718-636-4100

May 24-27: OLD WEST DAYS Some ski towns blossom in the off-season, like Jackson Hole. The Wyoming town's Old West Days includes stagecoach rides, a chuckwagon dinner, cowboy poetry readings, bed races (we're not kidding), and rodeo competitions. Jackson Hole, Wyo.; jacksonholechamber.com; 307-733-3316 --Sasha Smith