Whether it’s a county fair or an annual homage to a local favorite, food festivals are a favorite of travelers and foodies alike. And for some, the weirder the festival, the better. If you’re a fan of strange, out-of-the-ordinary celebrations, check out these quirky food festivals from around the world.
Turkey Testicle Festival, Illinois
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and while we usually celebrate with feasting on the whole bird, the annual Turkey Testicle Festival in October celebrates the bird by serving up 1,000 pounds of turkey testicles. If you’re not in the mood for turkey testicles, you can always nosh on pizza or sausage, but really, who goes to a turkey testicle festival to eat pizza?
Potato Days, Minnesota
Organizers of the annual Potato Days celebration in Barnesville promise an “a-peeling” time during the two-day spuds spectacular in August. Events include mashed potato wrestling, potato car races, a potato peeling contest and even a potato picking contest with a $250 grand prize.
Waikiki Spam Jam, Hawaii
Spam is something of a national favorite in Hawaii, so it only makes sense that the meat-in-a-can commands its very own festival. Beyond the arts and entertainment, visitors to the Waikiki Spam Jam in May can nosh on the luncheon meat in all its creative culinary glory, from fajitas and tacos to won tons and katsu.
Giant Omelette Celebration, Louisiana
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and the town of Abbeville, Louisiana doesn’t take that lightly. Every November, what could be considered the trickiest breakfast fare to master is taken to new heights as chefs team up to create a 5,000-egg omelette.
Gilroy Garlic Festival, California
Garlic gets a bad reputation for its breath-killing qualities, but the city of Gilroy, California knows there’s plenty to celebrate when it comes to this odorous bulb. In fact, there’s isn’t a lot that isn’t done with garlic during July’s Gilroy Garlic Festival. The food alley is filled with dozens of vendors selling countless garlic-infused creations, including the ever-popular garlic ice cream.
Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill, England
If you’ve ever wondered why cheese is made in wheels, the answer is simple: all the better to be rolled down a hill in May during the annual Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill event. The real fun comes as throngs of competitors take off after the cheese, racing to be the first one to cross the finish line. The prize? The 9-pound wheel of cheese.
La Tomatina, Spain
Forget eating tomatoes – this annual Spanish tradition is all about using these little red balls as weapons of squishy destruction. Every August, the streets of Bunol run red as the town transforms into one of the world’s biggest food fights, all in good fun, of course.
(Main image: graibeard used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)
