Unique Festivals and Events - September

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.

• California

  • Berkeley - How Berkeley Can You Be Event
    September 17, 2006
    
    The California City famous for its eccentricity holds the most eccentric of events, which includes a colorful parade, with past participants that included a pair of giant bunny slippers, a robotic sea horse, a banana-shaped bicycle and the Explicit Players, a troupe of naked people. There is also eclectic and international music, dance, food and drink.

• Indiana

  • Chesterton - The Wizard of Oz Festival
    September 15 - 17, 2006
    
    This tribute to the famous movie includes a parade, a munchkin/celebrity picnic, and look-alike contests for all major parts in the film, including Dorothy, the Wicked Witch and Toto.

• Kentucky

  • Bardstown - Kentucky Bourbon Festival
    September 13 - 17, 2006
    
    This festival includes the "World Championship Bourbon Barrel Relay," where competitors roll 500 pound Bourbon barrels in a race that demands both speed and accuracy. There is also Bourbon Barrel dancing and a Bourbon breakfast at which Bourbon coffee is on the menu.
    
    
  • London - World Chicken Festival
    September 21 - 24, 2006
    
    Colonel Sander's first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant opened in London, Kentucky, host of the World Chicken Festival. Highlights include fried chicken dinners cooked in a skillet that measures over 10 feet in diameter, requires 300 gallons of cooking oil to fill, and can cook 600 chicken quarters at a time. Other features include a cooking contest, chicken eating contests, and a Colonel Sanders Look-alike Contest.

• Louisiana

  • Rayne - Rayne Frog Festival
    September 8 - 10, 2006
    
    Features a World Champion Frog Jumping Contest, a Frog Festival Queen’s Ball, music and carnival rides.
    
    
  • Natchitoches - Meat Pie Festival
    September 15 - 16, 2006
    
    This festival celebrates the Natchitoches Meat Pie, popular in the area since the late 1700's. Events include a meat pie Eating Contest, a meat pie cooking contest, a beauty pageant and live entertainment.

• Nevada

  • Virginia City - Camel Races
    September 8 - 10, 2006
    
    The Camel Races started when a newspaper editor ran a fictitous story challenging other newspapers to take part in a camel race in Virginia City, and was actually taken seriously by several newspapers which sent their camels to the race. Now teams from around the world compete, and there is also dancing to live bands and a BBQ.

• Ohio

  • Marion - Marion Popcorn Festival
    September 7 - 9, 2006
    
    Includes a popcorn cooking contest, in which one of the past winners submitted a dish called, "Caramel Popcorn Crusted Sweet Potatoes," as well as music, a large parade and other events.

• Oklahoma

  • Grove - Pelican Festival
    September 29 - 30, 2006
    
    This festival celebrates the migration of white pelicans with pelican viewing tours, a hot air ballon festival, a parade, arts and crafts and food.

• Pennsylvania

  • McClure - McClure Bean Soup Celebration
    September 9 - 16, 2006
    
    This celebration was first organized by Civil War Veterans who gathered to enjoy bean soup at their Veterans' post. In 1891, the public was invited to sample authentic Civil War food, bean soup and hard tack. Today, tons of beans, a ton of beef and a ton of crackers are served to the tens of thousands who attend this annual celebration. Other attractions include rides, parades, bands, fireworks, and Civil War reenactments.

• South Carolina

  • Blythewood - Kudzu Festival
    ?
    
    Dedicated to the weedy vine that is engulfing the South, Kudzu Festival activities include a kudzu eating contest, a kudzu landscaping contest, kudzu cuisine, a kudzu parade and the Miss Kudzu Pageant.

• Go to Events Main Page
  
  
• Go to Senior Spin Home Page