It’s Summer and soon to be Fall and that means that Festivals of all kinds are kicking off in the US. Festivals are a time to get together, to party and to have fun. You can find all sorts of festivals this summer near to where you live and some that are worth traveling to experience.
Music Festivals seem to dominate the festival scene, and the Arts and Crafts festivals are not far behind in popularity, but other festivals are not as well known, that are unique and simply must be seen to be believers. So, here are the America Unraveled top ten most Peculiar and Fun Festivals in America.
#10 Duck Tape Festival – Avon, OH
This annual festival celebrates Avon’s duct tape industry. Avon is known as the Duct Tape Capital of the World. This event is held every Father’s Day weekend. The festival features a duck tape parade, a duck tape fashion show, and duck tape sculptures. The entire festival is designed for family fun.
The parade consists of floats made out of duct tape. The duct tape used on the floats is not your usual duct tape but Duck brand duct tape from the Shur Tech factory on Just Imagine Blvd found on the east side of Avon.
Many of the floats are created by the Visual Media Class at Elyria High School. Some students from the University of Cincinnati also contribute to the creation of floats in the parade.
There are “Ducktivities” Arts and Craft tents throughout the festival and for you who are “Project Runway” fans, there is a Duck Tape Fashion Show.
There are tons of great food, many different booths offering all kinds of things to purchase, carnival rides, games and of course music. Simply put, the Duck Tape Festival has it all – don’t miss it.
#9 Bug Fest – Raleigh, NC
Bug Fest is the largest one day Insect Festival in America – how could you beat that? The Bug Fest is sponsored by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. 35,000 people come to the Bug Fest annually.
There are all kinds of things happening at the Festival from face painting, beekeeping workshops, arthropod Olympics, and of course the famous roach races.
Another opportunity at the Bug Fest is not for the faint of heart. It is described to be for “adventurous eaters” – the Cafe Insecta. It serves all kinds of dishes consisting of creepy and crawling things. Here are some of the past menu offerings: Three Bug Salad and Quivering Waxworm Quiche. Now it is said that real men eat quiche, but in reality, real men eat Quivering Waxworm Quiche.
There are over 100 exhibits, crafts, games and other activities. You also have an opportunity to talk with entomologists and other scientists to learn about the wonderful world of bugs.
Here are some other options for you to attend while you are at the Bug Fest: visit the Learning Center where you learn about arthropods which make up ¾ of all animals on earth. Join the moths, fireflies, katydids for what is described as “an exhilarating evening of nocturnal activities at the Evening Insectival”, and finally, you can bring your unusual bugs and play “Stump the Experts”.
I hope you can see that there is something for everyone at the Bug Fest. The theme for the 2016 Bug Fest is “Ants”
#8 Wayne Chicken Show – Wayne, NE
This all began (hatched) in 1981. Wayne’s Regional Arts Council cooked up the idea for an art show. The current Chicken Show is coordinated by the Wayne Chamber of Commerce, and it is held on the second Saturday in July.
Why was the chicken chosen as the symbol of this event? The brochure described the evolution of the chicken as the symbol for three reasons: one – it was chosen for potential for art material, two – most people have familiarity with chickens, and three – chickens can be associated with humor.
There are 1000 volunteers involved in making the Chicken Show happen every year. Their efforts make the show fun, and the brochure says it also makes it “cheep” for all who attend.
There are many “Clucktibles” that you can take home with you from mugs, T-shirts, to Chicken Hats.
Here are some of the things for you to do while you are at The Chicken Show: on Friday night festivities begin with Henoween or sometimes referred to as All Hen’s Eve. This is a street fair of sorts where there are food stands, craft vendors, and kid games are set up along the block.
There is also the “egg” normous parade that everyone can participate in, with dancing and entertainment.
There is the world’s largest Chicken Dance put on by the Wayne State College Cheerleaders. There is the Hot Wings eating contest, fireworks on Friday night and a teen dance.
On Saturday the parade is the main event which includes 100 entries, the Rotary Club is grilling chicken on Saturday, and there is the Chicken Flying Contest, a cluck off, egg toss and egg drop, and a rubber chicken toss.
On Sunday there is a car show and a Poker run. There is also a national Cluck Off – a contest based on who makes the best chicken sounds and walks like a chicken.
You now understand why people from all over the country come to Wayne every year to enjoy this peculiar and fun fest.
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