BMW Russian Open Golf Tournament
11-15 August
Russians have dominated the world’s slowest sport, chess, for over a hundred years. And yet golf, the second slowest, has yet to take off over here. The BMW Russian Open aims to change that – by bringing major European names to Moscow and giving local amateurs a chance to play in an international-level competition. This year for the first time the Russian Open is on the list of tournaments that count for points toward the prestigious Ryder Cup, a contest held every two years where the best European golfers face off against the best Americans. So although Russian golf may be in its infancy, this is an event to behold. Join the swarm of fans following players from tees to greens and cheer along in patriotic fervor.
The ninth annual BMW Russian Open will be held at Le Meridien Moscow Country Club August 11-15. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday cost 300 rubles at the entrance. Thursday and Friday are free.
The Great Moscow Beer Festival
10-18 July
When the first Moscow beer festival was held six years ago only three of the brews were Russian: the rest were imports. In the last half decade, however, beer production has more than doubled and now so many Russian cities have breweries that Russian schoolchildren can practice their geography by collecting beer labels. Come along to the festival and get acquainted with Afanasy (from Tver), Baltika (St. Petersburg), and Moscow’s Ochakovskoye. And while you’re at it, why not try Klinskoye (Klin), Yarpivo (Yaroslavl), Tulskoye (Tula), Zolotaya Bochka (Kaluga), Sibirskaya Korona (Omsk) and Tri Medvedi (Kaliningrad). And there’s more to do than just build up your beer belly: previous years have seen rock concerts, female mud wrestling, discos, graffiti contests and lots of teary eyed men slurring the words, "You’re my best friend, man. No, you really are."
Join in the fun July 10 through 18 at Luzhniki. Monday-Friday 2-10:30pm, Saturday and Sunday noon-10:30pm. Entrance is 30 rubles. www.beer-festival.ru.
Jazzat the Hermitage Garden
20-22 August
Like hard bop? Ethno-jazz? What about jazz rock fusion? If you have any idea what these terms mean, or even if you don’t but like the idea of music in the open air, then you should head to the Hermitage Garden July 20-22 for their 7th annual jazz festival. Musicians from Russia, Israel, Spain, Argentina and the U.S. will be in attendance to celebrate two anniversaries: the 110th of the founding of the gardens themselves, and the 100th birthday of legendary band-leader Count Basie. Meanwhile, in honor of the Count there will be an emphasis on big band acts, which even people who don’t like jazz can enjoy. Hepcats can sit close to the performers, but insiders say the best place to park yourself is on a picnic blanket farther away. Then you can bring a picnic lunch and some wine, sit under a tree and dig it, man.
Jazz in the Hermitage Garden. August 20-22 Her mitage Sad. Metro Chekhovskaya. Tickets at the door.
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