“When the chips are down, pick ’em up and throw ’em!” That’s the motto of the World Championship Cow Chip Throwing Contest or, as the locals refer to it, Cow Chip, held each year in Beaver, Oklahoma. This year marks the 46th annual contest. The actual cow chip throwing takes place on Saturday, April 18th, at 3 p.m., but of course there is much pomp and revelry during the week leading up to the main event. Continue reading
Category: Festivals and Fairs (Page 6 of 7)
Can you eat shad at the 45th annual Grifton Shad Festival, one of North Carolina’s longest-running festivals? The answer to that question is not clear to us, and we’ve never attended the festival (though we’d much like to). You see, the Grifton Shad Festival is named in honor of the Hickory Shad, an ocean fish which swims up the local rivers each spring to spawn. Shad are edible, but the one that’s eaten is generally the American Shad. It’s very bony, but that can be dealt with. The Hickory Shad is bonier still, and many folks do not consider it edible. Continue reading
Bradford County Strawberry Festival, Starke FL, April 11th and 12th 2015
Strawberries, BBQ, seafood, shortcake, country cooking… it must be the 17th annual Bradford County Strawberry Festival in Starke, Florida! The strawberry party begins tomorrow morning (Saturday, April 11th) at 9 a.m. Besides offering your fill of fresh strawberries (and really, is anything else necessary?), there will be plenty of live entertainment, arts and crafts, a kids zone, free train rides, and $25 helicopter rides. Admission is free. Continue reading
Rattlesnake Rodeo, Opp AL, April 11th and 12th 2015
55 years and counting: that’s how long the Rattlesnake Rodeo has been held in the town of Opp, state of Alabama. Gates open Saturday, April 11th, 2015 for the rodeo, and the bands begin at 10:30 a.m. There’ll be snake shows and snake races, a 5K run/walk, a greased pole climb, a buck dancing contest, the introduction of the 2015 Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo Queens, and plenty of musical performances, headlined by Gary Allan and NewsBoys. The rodeo continues Sunday the 12th. Over 20,000 people are expected to attend. Continue reading
In the mid 1800s, Columbia Tennessee was known as a major mule trading center, a place farmers knew they could find quality animals to plow their fields. It wasn’t until 1934 that the reputation evolved into a formal Mule Day, which was held off and on since then, although today’s version began in earnest in 1974. Mule Day has been called “Rural America at its Best.” So just what is a mule, you ask? Good question! If daddy is a donkey and mommy is a horse, you’ve got yourself a mule. They are usually, but not always, born sterile, and tend to combine the best traits of both species. Continue reading
Jumping frogs, cracking eggs, and cow drops – oh, how we wish we could be in Springfield, South Carolina for this year’s 49th annual Governor’s Frog Jump and Egg Strike. The festivities actually began last Saturday, with the traditional beauty pageant. They continue tomorrow night, Thursday, April 2nd, at Frog Jump Arena, where the glorious Cow Drop is held. What’s a Cow Drop, you ask? Don’t worry, no cows will be harmed during this festival! You see, it’s the cows that will be doing the dropping, and if they drop their, er, business on your number, you win! Continue reading
If you are not already in Hawaii, or at least on your way, this is pretty short notice. But it sounds like fun! The 8th annual Maui County Agricultural Festival takes place on the Maui Tropical Plantation in Wailuku this Saturday, April 4th. The festival’s goal is to raise awareness of Maui agriculture by bringing local farmers, ranchers, food producers, and chefs together in a festive environment where they can talk story (Hawaiian for chat) with the public and demonstrate their unique talents. Continue reading
Fort Pierce Oyster Festival, Fort Pierce FL, April 4th 2015
True, not everyone loves oysters, but for those who have a true passion for the bivalve, the Fort Pierce Oyster Festival taking place this coming Saturday, April 4th, features a menu sure to satisfy: oysters grilled, Mexicali, casino, and, of course, raw on the half shell. Don’t eat oysters? Here’s a partial list of what else you’ll find: conch fritters and conch salad, crabs, coconut shrimp, chowder, lobster bisque, a grouper basket, jambalaya, crawfish platters… It ain’t all seafood either – you can score some BBQ, burgers, Italian sausage, gator – but, yeah, it’s mostly seafood. Continue reading
Catfish Festival, Crescent City FL, April 3rd and 4th 2015
Tell a regional food aficionado about a festival that features fried catfish fingerlings, frogs legs, gator tail, and swamp cabbage stew, and she’s sure to know that festival will be happening somewhere in The Sunshine State. Those Florida specialties and much more will be on the menu at the 37th annual Catfish Festival put on by the Rotary Club of Crescent City, Florida, on Crescent Lake, about halfway between Orlando and Jacksonville. The festivities begin 5 p.m. Friday, April 3rd and continue during the day on Saturday, April 4th. Continue reading
Stroll around downtown Belzoni in the state of Mississippi and you’ll notice something right away: what are all these ornately decorated human-sized fish doing here? If you happen to find yourself on Magnolia Street you may come upon the Catfish Museum. Step inside to learn the “complete story of the catfish from fingerling to frying pan.” Outside the museum, admire King Cat, the world’s largest catfish sculpture. Continue reading
When you’re in Blakely, not far from Georgia’s southwestern borders with Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, you’re in peanut country. You’ll see peanut farms all over the region, and it’s those hard-working farmers who are honored each year at the annual Peanut Proud Festival, which takes place this year on Saturday, March 28th. Continue reading
In 1953, a man named Alfred Stucki began managing Elberta’s Locker Plant in Alabama and it was there he originated the famous Elberta German sausage. Mr. Stucki died in 1973, and over the ensuing years the recipe for the sausage has evolved, but its roots can be traced back to Mr. Stucki’s 1953 original. And it’s that sausage that is celebrated twice a year in the town of Elberta, on the last Saturday of March and October. One of those days, March 28th, 2015, is almost here! Continue reading
Louisiana Crawfish Festival, Chalmette LA, March 26th through 29th 2015
Are you ready to pinch some tails and suck some heads? Crawfish season has arrived, and with it comes the annual Louisiana Crawfish Festival in Chalmette! This celebration of the local mudbug began in 1975, and has grown in popularity over the years. Today, people arrive from all over the country to consume crawfish in every way imaginable and then some. The most popular way to eat the tiny shellfish is boiled. The meat is in the tail, and you “pinch” the tail to extract the tasty morsel. Many folks like to “suck the heads,” where the juicy and flavorful crawfish “fat” is located. Continue reading
Maple Weekend, Across New York State, March 21st and 22nd, 28th and 29th 2015
This weekend and next, maple producers all over New York State are presenting the best of their efforts to the public in the annual giant open house called Maple Weekend. Almost 160 producers are participating, each in their own way. The pancake breakfasts many of them host are so popular that the Maple Weekend website has a search function devoted just for that. While the offerings at each producer vary you can be sure you’ll get to pour house-made maple syrup at every one of the breakfasts! Continue reading
Marco Island Seafood and Music Festival, Marco Island FL, March 20th through March 22nd 2015
You’ve got until 9 p.m. tonight, and then all day tomorrow to enjoy the Marco Island Seafood and Music Festival, which began Friday morning. The annual festival, which was first held seven years ago, is put on by the local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs. Seafood and music – that’s what you’re here for! The fresh Florida seafood you’ll find includes fresh fish, grouper, crab cakes, stone crab, shrimp, crawdads, and chowder. That’s just for starters. Continue reading
Arts & Seafood Celebration, Dania Beach FL, March 21st and 22nd 2015
Presented by the Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, the third annual Arts & Seafood Celebration will feature a wide variety of fresh seafood from both local vendors and local chefs, along with a beer and wine garden. There’ll be live entertainment on the main stage all day, and arts and crafts vendors and artists galore. Witness performance artists creating works of art to music. There’s plenty of activities planned for the kids: a hands-on arts and crafts sand clinic, painting the fire truck, creating the Under the Sea mural, face painting, and rides. Watch as Team Sandtastic creates their massive sand sculpture all weekend. Continue reading
Taste of the Sea & Sandy Shoes Seafood Festival, Fort Pierce FL, March 21st 2015
Long-time and former residents of Fort Pierce, Florida have fond memories of a festival that was held in town for many years: the Sandy Shoes Festival. The cattle ranches to the west of Fort Pierce played a big part in Sandy Shoes, especially during the annual Cattlemen’s Parade. Awards were given for the best horsewoman and horseman, most beautiful horse, and best ranch unit. Five years ago, with the rebirth of downtown Fort Pierce, the Sandy Shoes Festival was resurrected and combined with a seafood festival. The fifth annual Taste of the Sea & Sandy Shoes Seafood Festival takes place this Saturday, March 21st, in Veterans Memorial Park, along the Fort Pierce waterfront. Continue reading
Razor Clam Festival & Seafood Extravaganza, Ocean Shores WA, March 20th through 22nd 2015
Between North Bay and the Pacific Ocean, at the southern tip of Washington’s Point Brown Peninsula, sits the city of Ocean Shores. It is here, and up and down the coast, where you’ll find the unique and much prized razor clam. This weekend, from Friday March 20th through Sunday March 22nd, Ocean Shores celebrates its seaside provender with the ninth annual Razor Clam Festival & Seafood Extravaganza. Continue reading
Easter’s coming! The secular aspects of the holiday are filled with cute little rabbits, from chocolate bunnies to the Easter Rabbit herself. So why not round up the kids and take them to the Iowa Rabbit Festival, which was begun in honor of the only rabbit processing plant in the region (now long gone)? The little ones will love the rabbit cook-off, won’t they? In what seems to be intentionally and deliciously perverse timing, the 29th Iowa Rabbit Festival takes place this year on Friday, March 20th and Saturday, March 21st in the town of Iowa, LA. Note that Iowa refers to the town; the state, appropriately enough, is Louisiana, where folks know their ways around the kitchen with the furry little animals. Continue reading
Highland Maple Festival, Monterey and McDowell VA, March 14th and 15th, 21st and 22nd 2015
Let’s start with doughnuts. Maple doughnuts. As fried and glazed by the Mill Gap Ruritans. These pastries are a passion among Highland Maple Festival veterans. You’ll see a long line of folks waiting for their chance to purchase a pair, or a dozen, or multiple dozens. If it’s you first time at Virginia’s Highland Maple Festival (this is the 57th annual edition), which is going on this weekend and next weekend, you might want to make those maple doughnuts your first priority, as they stop selling at 1 p.m. Or would you rather begin your day with a stack of plain or buckwheat pancakes topped with local syrup? Choices… Continue reading
