Themed getaways in 2026: Cruises, conventions and foodie events

The adage "It 's not the destination, it's the journey," is a great credo to live by; however, sometimes the destination is the most important part, especially when it comes to vacations. Here are destination events taking place in 2026 worth the trip. Choose one and enjoy both the destination and the journey to get there.

Music and movie-themed getaways

May 7-10: Welcome to Rockville

WHERE: Daytona Beach, Florida

Daytona International Speedway is eschewing cars for rock stars during this huge concert event expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans. Welcome to Rockville 2026 has a lineup featuring more than 160 bands from the '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s, including Guns N' Roses, Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Turnstile, Godsmack, Simple Plan and more.

COST: There’s more than music at the event, too. Visitors who buy tickets (starting at $175 for a single-day pass, $450 for the four-day event) also have access to carnival rides, water slides, art installations and shopping. Food, drinks and VIP passes are extra.

If you want to remain at the event, consider buying a camping pass, which comes with access to showers. A Thursday-through-Sunday car and tent pass starts at $392.75, while an RV camping pass starts at $557.76. Hotel packages are also available. A package that includes a four-day pass, hotel, commemorative ticket, mini guitar, $50 merchandise voucher and fast-track entry starts at $1,169 per person.

MORE INFO: welcometorockville.com

June 5-7: Ocrafolk music & storytelling festival

WHERE: Ocracoke, North Carolina

Jump on a ferry (Swan Quarter Ferry and Cedar Island Ferries are $15 per person, Hatteras Ferry is free) to head to Ocracoke for its roots music weekend, Ocrafolk Festival, which celebrates Appalachian, bluegrass and maritime folk music. Musicians will appear on multiple stages across the village as the entire island becomes a venue.

Produced by a local nonprofit, Ocracoke Alive, the festival draws about 1,500 people, making it an intimate celebration of local music and customs. There’s a big emphasis on live music and regional storytelling, with plenty of folk music, gospel and coastal sounds on multiple stages. Expect to see local artists as well as regional visiting musicians who just love the traditional sounds. Storytellers also take center stage — literally. You’ll hear tales of island history, ghosts and pirates. A puppet parade was part of last year’s event.

Past Ocrafolk Festivals have featured workshops and craft demonstrations. Learn to dance, make soap or bake bread. There’s an artisan section, too, that’s set up in tents on the grounds of the Berkley Manor near the harbor and ferry docks. Artisans are chosen by jury so the curated mix is always eclectic and fun.

Ocraoke is a nature-lovers dream, with secluded, award-winning white sand beaches that are part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The island itself has no chain stores or stoplights, so you feel transported back in time. You will find local shops, art galleries and restaurants, and many entertainment options outside of the festival. For example, you can rent a kayak, paddleboard, and bike to tour the island and its waters (Surf Ocracoke rental pricing starts at $24 for an hour paddleboard rental).

COST: Early-bird tickets for adults start at $60 for a single day and $120 for the entire weekend. You get a lot for your ticket price. When you’re hungry, you can find options at the festival. Last year there was a fish fry to benefit a local fishing association. Restaurants include Fire It Up BBQ known for its chicken, and the Creole- and southern-inspired Flying Melon that’s heavy on locally caught seafood. Hotel options include The Castle Inn at Silver Lake with suites and The Crews Inn, a B&B with rates starting at $140 per night.

MORE INFO: ocracokealive.org

Oct. 13-18: TCM Classic Cruise

WHERE: San Diego to Catalina and Ensenada, Calif.

Fans of Disney Cruises gush about the Disney Wonder, a 2,400-passenger ship, and for good reason. Its immersive Disney decor, themed dining, five pools including a water slide, and extensive spa services provide plenty of relaxing distraction. This October, the ship is being taken over by Turner Classic Movies, merging the magic of Disney with the nostalgia of your favorite films.

The event producers promise movie "screenings, presentations, events and entertainment" centered on classic movies. There will be at least six movies running throughout the day between 9 a.m. and midnight, with panels and discussion before and after. And the best part: There will be celebrities and opportunities to interact with them during panels, Q&As, and informal talks.

This year’s lineup is still being finalized, but expect well-known celebrities like those from previous years. In 2025, for instance, Stefanie Powers, Lesley Ann Warren, Keith Carradine, Nancy Kwan and TCM hosts Ben Mankiewicz, Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Eddie Muller and Jacqueline Stewart all showed up.

Cruises are famous for interactive events and the TCM Classic Cruise has plenty with a cinematic twist. You’ll be able to get in on movie-themed game shows, listen to live musicians playing movie themes, and belt out show tunes in the karaoke lounge. Even the food will be themed.

COST: This cruise always sells out quickly even with the secrecy around the guest stars. There are still family veranda and balcony rooms available starting at $5,180 per person. There’s also a First Available program where you can book unassigned staterooms as they are released on Fridays.

MORE INFO: tcmcruise.com

Must-attend conventions

May 8-9: Halfway to Halloween Expo

WHERE: Ann Arbor, Michigan

If you’re looking for a way to get thoroughly scared without having to wait until fall, Halfway to Halloween Expo might be a good option. This two-day convention is held at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor. Dubbed "the ultimate celebration of all things dark, creepy and macabre," the event is a combination of attractions and shopping, the perfect excuse to dress up in your favorite spooky costume.

Horror enthusiasts swear by the expo's haunted experience that's designed to "break" visitors and leave them screaming and running for the doors. The haunted area features seven distinct walk-throughs and experiences, each crafted by a different organization. The result is a bone-chilling adrenaline rush, according to past visitors. There are several other booths that feature scary experiences, too.

Once you’re heart stops pounding, check out the hearse show or walk the halls where you’ll find booths selling the weird and awful, such as concrete Chuckie statues, Halloween wreaths and black arts-inspired press-on nails. Other vendors include Vonbones Bits and Pieces, which sells taxidermy artwork, and Lunar Spell Soap and Scent Co., where you’ll find soaps, candles, wax melts and scrubs. People-watching is fun, too, because the event includes a costume contest that leans gory and scary.

COST: $20 for Friday’s adults-only ticket; $10 for those 13 and up on Saturday

You can eat at the event at one of multiple food trucks that will assemble, but if you’re in the mood for something off-grounds Ann Arbor has plenty to offer. Try the Blue LLama Jazz Club and Restaurant if you’re in the mood to be entertained and fed. A $25 cover charge applies in addition to the food, which is innovative small and large plates like charred broccolini ($14) and seafood etouffée ($52), respectively. Another upscale option is Sava’s Restaurant, which features appetizers such as delicata squash tempura ($13) and a creamy tuna dip served with lavash ($13) and dinner options such as mushroom risotto ($25) and lamb shank with eggplant bechamel ($42).

When it comes to lodging, Ann Arbor has a mix of midprice hotels, like the Residence Inn by Marriot Ann Arbor North (starting at $154 per night) and the Kensington Hotel (starting at $109 per night). Stay for a few extra days to explore more of Ann Arbor, home of University of Michigan. The city is celebrating Mother’s Day that weekend with Ellen Rowe’s Annual Mother’s Day Concert at the Kerrytown Concert House. You can also get into the Matthaei Botanical Gardens for free, with 11 gardens and trails and a conservatory.

MORE INFO: halfwaytohalloweenmi.com

Oct. 16-18: 90s Con at Connecticut Convention Center

WHERE: Hartford, Connecticut

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM LI: About two hours 

Created for anyone who spent Friday nights in the 1990s watching "Full House," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Boy Meets World," 90s Con is awash with nostalgia — and plenty of your favorite 90s television and movie stars, too.

The three-day show gives you access to selfies, panels, and autograph sessions with 1990s celebrities. There are 22 panelists in the lineup now, but the list should hit 50 by October, according to the organizer. Confirmed guests include Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter and AJ McLean, Mark Linn-Baker and Bronson Pinchot from television’s "Perfect Strangers," and Rachael Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr. from the movie "She’s All That," among others.

The celebs appear on panels all weekend, with fun themes related to the pop culture of the 1990s. This convention is famous for holding television and movie cast reunions. Previous years have featured panels such as Boy Bands of the 90s, the Fabulous Ladies of the 1990s and a '90s trivia show. There’s usually a 1990s dance party as well. The organizers haven’t released the full schedule or lineup yet but say attendees can expect a panel dedicated to "Step by Step," with Patrick Duffy and Christine Lakin already signed up. A "Hocus Pocus" panel is also in the works.

COST: One-day tickets start at $58.50 and a weekend pass is $176.10. Of course, the whole point of coming to a Con is meeting your favorite stars. There are plenty of free and paid options available. You can purchase tickets for photo ops and autographs as the event gets closer. Expect to pay between $50 and $500 depending on the star power of the celebrity and how many people are in the shot.

As the conference gets closer, the organizers say hotel packages will be available. If you want to make sure you’ll be there to get slimed Nickelodeon style, sit on the orange Nick couch, and meet all your '90s faves you can book a room now at the Hartford Marriott Downtown ($418 per night), which is attached to the convention center. Other walkable options include Hampton Inn & Suites Hartford ($243 a night) and DoubleTree by Hilton Hartford Downtown ($313 per night).

MORE INFO: thats4entertainment.com/90scon

Food and drink events

May1-3: New Jersey Wine & Food Festival at Crystal Springs Resort

WHERE: Hamburg, New Jersey

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM LI: About two hours 

Come very hungry and bring lots of cash when you take on the three-day New Jersey Wine & Food Festival hosted by Crystal Springs Resort.

COST: The event kicks off on Friday night with a $69.31 Champagne reception. After that, attendees can choose among three 8 p.m. events — a cabaret and cocktails party (starting at $123.14) with a Battle of the Bartenders competition, a wine cellar dinner, or a Top Chefs and Top Wines dinner and discussion ($382.39) where three fan favorites from Season 22 of "Top Chef" serve a five-course meal.

After a good night’s rest at the resort, Saturday is packed with events starting with goat yoga at 9:30 a.m. ($42.65) and ends with a Biosphere afterparty at 10 p.m. ($175) around the indoor pools and underground aquarium. In between, guests can spend the day eating and drinking while discussing eating and drinking. For instance, there’s a conversation and book signing with British cooking and television star Marco Pierre White ($63.98), the youngest chef to earn three Michelin stars. Another panel, Foraging: Forest to Table ($47.98), teaches how to hunt for food in the forest and cook it up, too. Everyone who attends gets a dish from Restaurant Latour and a cocktail made with a foraged ingredient and wine.

There are other things to do in between. Crystal Springs is a destination on its own. It should be warm enough for guests to escape to one of the resort’s six golf courses or take in some spa treatments at one of the two on-site wellness centers, Reflections Spa and Elements Spa. The pools indoors and out are always open, too along with a sauna and steam room. Other amenities include archery, ax throwing, fishing, laser clay shooting, rock wall climbing, lawn croquet, pickleball courts and access to the Minerals Sports Club.

Crystal Springs offers multiple packages for couples and families with prices starting at $500 for a double room. However, before you bring the kids, keep in mind all the Wine & Food Festival offerings are 21-and-over.

MORE INFO: njwinefoodfest.com

Nov. 6-11: Chefs Making Waves Bobby Flay & Friends

WHERE: Miami to Montego Bay, Jamaica and Grand Cayman

Cruises are free-for-alls when it comes to food, and offerings have only gotten better as cruise lines added upscale dining and signature cuisine. tBut the Food Network-sponsored Chefs Making Waves, held on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Joy, takes the level of quality and offerings up a notch.

The five-night cruise, which leaves from Miami, brings together some of the top chefs across the country for live demos, panels and Q&As dedicated to all things epicurean. One of the main offerings is a seating with Bobby Flay in the ship’s Manhattan Room that includes an exclusive multicourse menu. There are also 11 other well-known chefs from various Food Network shows who will make appearances and whip up some food, including Shota Nakajima, Leah Cohen, Marc Murphy and Antonia Lofaso.

When you’re full, check in with some of the celebrity chef Q&As, wine and spirits classes and tastings, chef-hosted bingo, casino tournaments and karaoke. There are also standard cruise activities including onboard go-karts, mini golf, spa offerings, a headphone dance party, yoga and wellness classes and off-ship excursions, such as snorkeling, golf and shipwreck tours.

COST: Prices start at $2,245 for interior staterooms and $2,915 for balcony rooms per person, respectively.

MORE INFO: chefsmakingwaves.com