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Courtesy nolabulls.com
Can't afford a trip to Pamplona, Spain, for the Running of the Bulls? Perhaps a trip to New Orleans is more your style. Just remember: you mess with the roller-derby girl, you get the horns.
Maybe they’re just crazy from the heat. While many towns and cities celebrate the season with street fairs, music festivals and other time-tested events, some folks take a, shall we say, less traditional approach to summer fun.
Yes, July is apparently Weird and Wacky Festival Month with events commemorating everything from bagels to B-movies. For those with an itch for the uncommon, here are four that definitely fit the offbeat bill:
San Fermin in Nueva Orleans: Can’t make it to Pamplona, Spain, for the Running of the Bulls? No problemo. Head instead to the Crescent City on July 9 and you can get chased, not by bulls, but by upwards of 300 roller derby girls sporting red outfits and helmets with horns. Ole!
BlobFest: The ooey, gooey villain of the 1958 cult classic is long gone, but its gelatinous spirit lives on in Phoenixville, Pa., where much of the movie was shot. Highlights of this year’s BlobFest (July 8–10) include a veritable schlockfest of low-budget films and the ever-popular fire extinguisher parade. (Why, you ask? Because freezing is the only way to stop a blob, silly.)
Storming of the Bastille: Well, technically, it’s the Eastern State Penitentiary, the former prison turned museum in Philadelphia, but on July 16, it might as well be the notorious French jail. On that day, Francophiles can watch as dozens of costumed revolutionaries storm the walls as 2,000 Tastykakes (a local confection) are thrown from the prison’s towers and bear witness as Marie Antoinette cries out the immortal words: “Let them eat Tastykake!”
BagelFest: Mmmm, bagels. Thousands and thousands of bagels, not to mention a Bagel Parade, Beautiful Bagel Baby contest, Miss Bagelfest pageant and the world’s largest free bagel breakfast. Of course, the 26th Annual BagelFest in Mattoon, Ill. (July 21–23) will also have craft booths, carnival rides and live music (including Travis Tritt this year), but hey, for us, it’s all about the bagels. Weird festival fans, it’s time to roll!
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Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.
Leave a Comment:
You forgot Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, CO
What about King Turkey Day in Worthington, Minnesota? It includes the Great Gobbler Gallop - bragging rights for Worthington vs Cuero, Tx based on two turkeys racing down main street.
The National Sweetcorn Festival in Hoopeston, Il. Labor day weekend. 5 days of celebrating what used to be the towns leading industry. We give away over 30 tons of FREE Sweet corn over 3 days of the festival that is cooked using steam from an actual fully operational old steam powered tractor. plus tractor pulls, demolation derbies and the Nartional Sweetheart pagent which is affiliated with the Miss America pagent. We have had several past winners of this pagent go on to participate in The Miss America pagent and when that title also. Here is a link to the sponsoring organization and the festival itself
Ok , so I can't post a link, just do a search for The Hoopeston Jaycees, or The National Sweetcorn Festival
Here in Lisbon Falls Maine, we have a Moxie Festival. For those of you who don't know what Moxie is...it's a carbonated drink with a......let's say an acquired taste. It originated in Maine in the 1800s. Somehow a festival and parade came out of it. It's bigger than our Memorial Day Parade.
I just ended up there yesterday somewhat by accident in my search for Whoopie Pies in Lewiston. I have to say that it is a taste that goes very well with the whoopie pies... :-)
is there a great renaissance day celebration anywhere which would celebrate reason over scriptures?
Pennsic War, the world's largest mideval battle, last week of July thru 1st week of August.
Held at Cooper's Lake campground, an hour north of Pittsburgh
Pennsic War, the world's largest mideval battle, last week of July thru 1st week of August.
Held at Cooper's Lake campground, an hour north of Pittsburgh
SantaCaliGon Days Labor day weekend Celibration of old santafee trails and trading posts " tons of local venders food cloths crafts games and carnival rides"
solstice parade fremont seattle please!!!!!!!
Sorry. Marie Antoinette didn't say "let them eat cake", tasty or otherwise
Apparently the writer went to the Terminator 101 school of Spanish. "Problemo" is incorrect Spanish. Moron.
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San Fermin in Nueva Orleans: Can't make it to Pamplona, Spain, for the Running of the Bulls? No problemo.
Phooey, this article doesn't even get close to what the headline reads.
Well I did just attend the Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls, Maine that celebrates the oldest soft drink in America. Was surely one that was off the beaten path. Given the bitter taste of the Moxie it goes great with another Maine favorite, whoopie pies.
While not a festival per se, the Run Through Hell on Halloween (Michigan) is cool.
We in Bagley, MN have a annual event (that isn't endorsed by the city) called "Oscar Chasing". Teenagers make a life sized stuffed doll (named "Oscar") and chase it around town, driving at insane speeds, getting into all out brawls, and shooting paintballs at each other.
It usually results in the death of at least one student per year, sometimes 2-3.
The goal is to see what class (Sophomore, Junior, or Senior) can hold on to it the longest. At the end of it all, they throw a giant bonfire (on private land, of course, so the police can't intervene), where they burn Oscar and the class that held onto it longest doesn't have to pay for the beer/drugs.
Be sure to check out the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival in Olathe, Co. and the Chittlin and Poke salad festivals in Tn. The weirdest of all is the Mike The Headless Chicken Days in Fruita, Co.
You forgot Burning Man in Nevada, by far the weirdest of them all. A little harder to explain in words though. :p
You’ve got to see the Midwest Haunters Convention in Columbus, Ohio. It’s been around for 8 years, this past June over 2500 people were in attendance. It’s mostly haunted attraction owners, actors, makeup artists and Halloween enthusiasts. AOL rated it as one of the top 13 Freakiest Attractions. www.midwestshow.com