25 Unique American Festivals Other Countries Don't Understand

Quirky America

Your typical festival has live music, street food and perhaps a tent or two dedicated to the spoken word. But America has plenty of quirky events to enjoy, from an underwater dance and an annual contest to crown the world’s ugliest dog to parties in honor of frogs, tomatoes and unexplained phenomena. Here’s our pick of the strangest festivals and events worth visiting across the USA.

Rayne Frog Festival, Rayne, Louisiana

New Orleans’ ‘any excuse for a party’ attitude extends to the rest of the state too, as evidenced by this fabulously froggy festival in Rayne, west of Lafayette. Rayne Frog Festival started in 1972 and takes place each May to mark the city’s status as the ‘Frog Capital of the World’. There’s the typical live music and dancing, plus (rather less typical) jumping contests, frog racing and Frog Queen pageants.

UFO Festival, Roswell, New Mexico

One ranch worker changed this city forever in the summer of 1947, when he claimed to have stumbled across the debris of a flying saucer. The debris was quickly cleared away, explained as a crashed weather balloon, yet – as we know – rumors persist that it was aliens who landed that day. An entire tourism industry has sprung from the so-called Roswell Incident, including this annual festival marking the anniversary around late June/early July. Expect out-of-this-world fancy dress, poetry, music and an Alien Crawl party bus.

World Grits Festival, St George, South Carolina

Grits – coarsely ground corn kernels boiled with water or milk – might be an acquired taste but they’re ubiquitous in Southern cuisine and are especially loved in the tiny South Carolina town of St George. Here, people honor them all year round, with the celebrations stepping up a gear for the World Grits Festival each April. The weekender has grits in every guise, plus parades, live music, a grits eating contest and a corn-husking race (pictured).

San Fermin in Nueva Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana

Barely a day goes by without a festival in the Big Easy, with events celebrating everything from the city’s jazz heritage to beignets. It’s a tough contest but perhaps the wackiest of all is San Fermin in Nueva Orleans, a take on the Spanish tradition of encierro or ‘the running of the bulls’. Born during a drunken Mardi Gras, this event replaces bovines with ‘roller bulls’ – people dressed up with horns on their helmets, baseball bats and the task of bopping participating runners on the behind.

Marfa Lights Festival, Marfa, Texas

There’s no festival quite like one based on unexplained phenomena. The Marfa Lights have baffled residents and visitors in this hip Texan city for nearly 140 years, with no one able to explain why bright orbs regularly appear on the horizon. No one can verify they actually exist, but why let facts get in the way of a good party? The free September Marfa Lights Festival is hugely popular, with people gathering for live music, dancing, shows, a parade and – no doubt – to discuss theories on the lights’ source.

Tomato Art Festival, Nashville, Tennessee

Each August, people gather in Nashville’s Five Points neighborhood for a weekend celebrating the humble tomato. The Tomato Art Festival brings people together over a love of this ubiquitous ingredient, though really anyone who loves a quirky gathering will adore this. Come in red and juicy fancy dress, view murals and floats, take part in a Bloody Mary-making contest, browse artisan stalls and just bounce along to some great live music.

Cambria Scarecrow Festival, Cambria, California

Scarecrows aren’t just for scaring crows. They also prove outstanding in their field when it comes to mimicking famous characters, actors, animals, mythical creatures and pretty much anything else you can think of. The excellent Cambria Scarecrow Festival runs throughout the month of October, with handcrafted figures displayed all over the small central coast community. View hundreds of wonderful, whimsical creations propped on porches and posing outside antiques stores, restaurants and wine bars.

HONfest, Baltimore, Maryland

Gloriously, gorgeously retro, HONfest is a fancy-dress feast for the eyes with a sea of fluffy boas and vertiginous beehives filling the streets during this June weekend. It’s much more than just an excuse to dig out the glad rags, though. The Baltimore festival was founded in 1994 to honor the city’s historic working women (affectionately known as ‘hons’). Growing from a small pageant to a full-on festival, it’s held in the neighborhood of Hampden with live music, food stalls, art murals and a ‘Best Hon’ pageant.

Bat Fest, Austin, Texas

‘Keep Austin Weird’ is a motto you’ll see and hear all over the Texan city, and things get even weirder around Congress Avenue Bridge where crowds congregate for a sunset show performed by Mexican free-tailed bats. The million-plus migrating mammals nest under the bridge between March and October, emerging from under the arches like a flurry of soot. And (naturally) there’s a festival to mark the eccentric tradition. Each August, Bat Fest sees the flappy fandom coming to a climax with live music, food stalls and cash prizes for the best bat costumes.

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Picklesburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Even if you’re not a fan of all things fermented and vinegar-soaked, this is a fabulous way to discover the quirky charms and culinary delights of Pittsburgh. Based on the city’s history and eternal adoration of pickles, Picklesburgh is held over a July weekend and sponsored by Kraft Heinz, whose giant dill pickle is an icon of the festival. Expect live music, a pickle-juice drinking contest and pickles served both ‘naked’ and in a variety of dishes, some prepared by top chefs.

Tupelo Elvis Festival, Tupelo, Mississippi

There’s nothing especially strange about celebrating the King of Rock ’N’ Roll, but the Tupelo Elvis Festival really takes those blue suede shoes and runs with them. Held over a June weekend in Elvis Presley’s hometown, it honors Tupelo’s prodigal son in every way imaginable, from a 5K race and tribute artist contest to a pet parade (the pets are, of course, dressed as the star through the decades). Expect rhinestones, fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and sideburns galore.

Icebox Days Festival, International Falls, Minnesota

Some cities pay homage to their musical heritage, others plan parties around their favorite foods. International Falls, in Minnesota, celebrates its status as one of the coldest places on Earth – it ‘boasts’ the lowest average annual temperature, between 0-2°C (32-36°F), in the continental US. The January Icebox Days festival makes this a positive with events like frozen turkey bowling, a toilet seat toss, sculpture contests (pictured), moonlight skiing and the Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run, where participants brave some serious cold.

International Edgar Allan Poe Festival, Baltimore, Maryland

Anything associated with the godfather of Gothic literature is bound to be more than a little strange, and this Baltimore festival doesn’t disappoint. Poe, best known for his poem The Raven, died under suitably mysterious circumstances on 7 October, 1849 and was interred in the city’s Westminster Burial Grounds (pictured). This weekender commemorates the anniversary with macabre tours around the city and of his house, plus cheerier events celebrating future artists with poetry, live music and book readings. A highlight is the Black Cat Ball, always with a deliciously dark dress code.

Kool-Aid Days, Hastings, Nebraska

It’s a safe bet that pretty much everyone who attends this festival has been drinking the Kool-Aid. Kool-Aid Days, which takes place over an August weekend at Hastings’ Adams County Fairgrounds, isn’t quite as random as it might sound. The powdered drink mix was first made here in 1927, so it’s an apt nod to that heritage. In addition to all kinds of flavors of the drink, there’s a parade of colorful floats, a fun run and a competition to see who can consume the most of the flavored drink.

Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender, Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas’ Burlesque Hall of Fame claims to be the world’s only museum dedicated to this form of art and those who perform it, and the weekender the museum hosts is equally unique. Over four days in June, it brings together burlesque legends and newcomers to the art form, with a showcase of performers from the Golden Era (pre-1975) and a contemporary pageant.

World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, Petaluma, California

Looks do matter at the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, though conventional canine beauty is no use here. At this Petaluma event, held each summer, a snaggle tooth is better than a supermodel smile and a patchy, unkempt coat is highly prized indeed. Some of the dogs at the event are up for adoption while others are brought by their owners in hopes of being crowned ugliest mutt. There’s a red carpet walk and a fashion show, and it’s all to raise awareness about non-pedigree breeds.

Key Lime Festival, Key West, Florida

Named for its birthplace, the Florida Keys, Key lime pie is so good it's no surprise there's a festival dedicated to this creamy, zingy dessert. The four-day summer fiesta pays homage to the dessert in all shapes and sizes, from pies topped with cream to huge wedges crowned with meringue. Festivities kick off with a giant pie being dropped from Key West Lighthouse. The rest of the event is characterized by Key lime cocktails, pie crawls, scavenger hunts and a pie-eating contest (pictured).

Apple Scrapple Festival, Bridgeville, Delaware

Bridgeville is known for growing delicious apples and as the location of the 1926-founded RAPA Scrapple factory – home to the loaf-shaped foodstuff made from scraps of pork meat stewed with cornmeal that's then shaped, sliced and fried. So, naturally they have a festival celebrating both. The Apple Scrapple Festival, held over two days each October, started in 1990 as a way to promote the small Delaware town. People can try scrapple sandwiches and apple fritters, and watch the crowning of the annual Little Miss Apple Scrapple.

Coarsegold Tarantula Awareness Festival, Coarsegold, California

Arachnophobes may want to steer clear of Coarsegold, near Yosemite, on the last Saturday in October, because that’s when eight-legged creatures take over the historic village (pictured). The Coarsegold Tarantula Awareness Festival has been going since 1997 and is all about educating people about the hairy and often misunderstood spiders, which are prevalent in the state. There are spiders to meet, pumpkin pies to eat, costume contests to enter and even tarantula races to watch.

Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Anyone who’s seen 1993 flick Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, will be familiar with Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who holds the fate of many in his hands. Or, rather, in his shadow. The furry creature (and others named Phil that have come before him) has been brought out on 2 February since 1887, when the first Groundhog Day was declared. Legend has it that, if Phil casts a shadow, six more weeks of bad weather will follow. Huge crowds gather and millions watch the event on television every year.

Lumberjack World Championships, Hayward, Wisconsin

Pack a suitcase of flannel shirts and practice your axe-swinging skills, because the Lumberjack World Championships are all about these things and more. Festival-goers don’t actually need to be masters of sawing, chopping and just looking brawny in check-patterned clothing. This fun event, held over a July weekend, is more about watching others compete in a series of challenges to ultimately be named the world’s best lumberjack. Highlights include log rolling and boom running.

Frozen Dead Guy Days, Nederland, Colorado

So-called Frostifarians gather in Nederland for this March weekender, which started as a way to honor Norwegian man Bredo Morstøl, who died in 1989 and whose body ended up here in a DIY cryogenic facility overseen by his daughter. This strange story is the inspiration behind Frozen Dead Guy Days, a morbidly brilliant festival that started in 2002. There’s a fancy dress polar plunge, coffin races, frozen turkey bowling and a frozen T-shirt contest.

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elko, Nevada

Not just a cowboy or poetry festival, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is both combined. It might seem like an unlikely mix but this winter festival, held over six days in late January/early February, has been running since 1985 and is rooted in the tradition of ranchers and cowboys who would share tales of their days rounding up cattle. Now people come to perform poems, music and stories from across cowboy country, while there’s also food, dance and music celebrating the region’s Basque culture.

Lebowski Fest, various locations

Dig out your coziest cardi (or your tattiest dressing gown) and get ready to sip more than a few white Russians – since 2002, Lebowski Fest has celebrated the Coen Brothers’ cult 1998 movie, The Big Lebowski, in suitably laid-back style. With music, a bowling party, a film screening and those milky cocktails, we’re sure it would win the Dude’s seal of approval – and actor Jeff Bridges even performed at the 2019 festival, in Louisville, Kentucky. The next iteration will take place in 2024. 

Underwater Music Festival, Looe Key Reef, Florida

The Underwater Music Festival has been bringing new meaning to the term liquid refreshment since 1984, when the annual July event began as a way to promote reef protection. Festival-goers are taken to Looe Key Reef, near Big Pine Key, by boat and can then sway to music pumped through underwater speakers. Find your best mermaid or other marine-themed costume and join in the fun.

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