Unique Festivals and Events - June

Many cities and towns hold traditional annual events surrounding a particular regional food, animal or cultural activity. Strawberry Festivals, Jazz Festivals and Summer Festivals abound, but some celebrations are much more unusual, such as the World Grits Festival in South Carolina, Ohio's Moonshine Festival or The Gizzard Fest in Michigan.
Below is a listing of the unique festivals for this month. Click on name of any city to visit a Website about the event. Most of these Sites are quite entertaining and are worth viewing for some enjoyable armchair travel even if you don't plan to visit.
Arkansas
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Malvern - Brickfest
June 22 - 24, 2006
Malvern celebrates its claim to the title "Brick Capital of the World" with a brick toss, a best dressed brick contest, a brick car derby, a parade, music, food and other activities.
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Malvern - Brickfest
Illinois
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Collinsville - Horseradish Festival
June 10 - 11, 2006
"The Horseradish Capital of the World" celebration of the spicy root includes a root toss, a root sacking contest, a horseradish cooking contest, a root derby with cars made from horseradish, along with crafts, music and other events.
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Collinsville - Horseradish Festival
Louisiana
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Church Point - Buggy Festival
June 1 - 4, 2006
Church Point, “The Buggy Capital of the World”, is host to this festival which celebrates both the buggy and Cajun culture. Features include Cajun music, Cajun food, pageants, parades, and a French speaking contest for children.
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Church Point - Buggy Festival
Michigan
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Potterville - Gizzard Fest
June 16 - 18, 2006
Gizzards are on the menu at the Potterville Gizzard Fest, deep-fried for those participating in the gizzard eating contest. Other events include live entertainment, a parade and fireworks. -
Battle Creek - Cereal Festival
June 8 - 11, 2006
Cereal, Pop Tarts, donut holes and bananas are served to 60,000 each year at the "World's Longest Breakfast Table", part of the Battle Creek Cereal Festival. The breakfast table is actually over 300 tables lining an avenue in downtown Battle Creek, and the breakfast, thanks to the sponsoring cereal and other companies and local volunteers, is free to all.
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Potterville - Gizzard Fest
Minnesota
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Henderson - Sauerkraut Days
June 23 - 25, 2006
Sauerkraut Days features brats, beer and three days of free kraut. Highlights include a kraut eating contest, music and a parade.
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Henderson - Sauerkraut Days
Mississippi
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Tupelo - Elvis Presley Festival
June 2 - 4, 2006
This Festival honoring Elvis features a pet parade with a prize category for Elvis look-alike pets, a road race past Elvis' birthplace with a prize for the best-dressed Elvis running in the race and a recliner race in which contestants are pushed in recliners, sofas or other furniture. Entries must be themed to reflect the spirit of one of Elvis' 33 movies.
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Tupelo - Elvis Presley Festival
North Carolina
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Spivey’s Corner - National Hollerin' Contest
June 18, 2006
Hollerin’ has it roots on the rafts of loggers in the 1700s who hollered to each other to avoid collisions. The hollers, which shift between a normal and falsetto voice can be heard up to three miles away. Seperate Hollerin' Contests are held for Men, Women, Teens and Juniors, and the festival also includes entertainment, exhibits, and an arts and crafts show.
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Spivey’s Corner - National Hollerin' Contest
Texas
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Luling - Watermelon Thump
June 22 - 25, 2006
Highlights include watermelon seed spitting contest (one contestant reached a distance of over 68 feet,) melon eating contests, music, exhibitors and rides.
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Luling - Watermelon Thump
