Weird Eats

Turkey Testicle Festival

(Update 2 - 09/11/2007)
The time is approaching again. Make your Turkey Testicle Festival Plans now.

(Update 1 - 10/18/2006)
Something else that never occurred to me before is that there might be more than one Turkey Testicle Festival. Apparently there are at least two others, besides the one I mentioned below. Here's the Web site for another one in Illinois, at the Parkside Pub, in Huntley.

The third such fest has taken place for the last few years in Fort Myers, Florida. According to recent reports, the town council there had expressed some reservations about the propriety of the name, but decided to allow the event to continue as the Turkey Testicle Festival. This one takes place at the Surf Club bar, in Fort Myers, but there doesn't appear to be an accompanying Web site.

(Original Post - 10/08/2006)
It never occurred to me before that turkeys might have testicles, but it's also not a matter that I've ever given much thought.

If you've got nothing to do October 14 and you're in the vicinity of Byron, Illinois, you might want to drop by the 28th Annual incarnation of the Turkey Testicle Festival. Or you might not. All depends on your inclination toward this sort of thing, I reckon.

While you're looking around at the Web site, make sure to check out the Turkey Testicle Song.

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Eating Contest

(update)
And the winner is - Patrick Bertoletti, who hails from Chicago and who downed 42 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a mere 10 minutes. Read all about it here.

(original post)
Knott’s Berry Farm to Host First Ever World Championship Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Eating Contest
(from a press release)

Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park will be the site of the first ever world championship peanut butter and jelly sandwich eating championship on Wednesday, August 8 at 1:00 pm. The "PB&J Fest" was created to celebrate the start of the 2007 Drum Corps International Summer Music Games World Championship at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

The competition, which is sanctioned by Major League Eating, will include 16 professional and amateur competitors. In preparation for the contest Knott’s Berry Farm will make 300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches using Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry jelly.

The competition will be held in Knott’s Calico Square and is included with park admission. To purchase tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm, visit knotts.com.

Kolacky Capital of the World

If you have no idea what kolacky is, you’ve probably never been to Montgomery, Minnesota - Kolacky Capital of the World. The town has been trumpeting the praises of this traditional Czech fruit-filled pastry at its Kolacky Days celebration since 1929. This year's celebration just passed, but here's the Web site if you'd like to plan for next year.

In the meantime, try some recipes here and here. Here's Wikipedia's take on kolacky, along with a few more resources.

Home Of The Hamburger

Burgers. We've written about them on more than a few occasions. If you're not convinced that people take their burgers pretty seriously, take a look here and here.

The notion of a town declaring itself the Home of the Hamburger seems certain to spark more than a bit of fuss, but that's the distinction Seymour, Wisconsin lays claim to. Their Burger Fest takes place August 4, 2007, so if you happen to be in the neighborhood (or if you feel the occasion calls for a road trip) be sure to pay a visit.

For more of the pertinent details, have a look at the Home of the Hamburger Web site, here.

National Baby Food Festival

Quick - where's the Baby Food Capital of the World? If you guessed that it's Fremont, Michigan, home of Gerber Products Company, give yourself a pat on the back.

If you're thinking that this all seems an odd choice of focus for a food festival then you're not alone. I was thinking just that very same thing, but since I've never been to the event, I guess I shouldn't judge.

Anyway, the event takes place from July 17 - 21, 2007 and includes such events as a Baby Food Cook-Off, Adult Baby Food Eating Contest, and Baby Crawl.

More info here.

Banana Split Festival

Unless you're close to Wilmington, Ohio, it may be too late for you to make it out to the Banana Split Festival, which is wrapping up today. But if you can't get there, take heart. There's always next year.

Though I've lived in Pennsylvania for a large part of my life, I never realized that there was any sort of contention between us and our neighbors over the banana split. But, according to a page at the festival site, there is.

Apparently the good people in Wilmington, Ohio have laid claim to inventing the banana split, a claim that they're also making in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. More details on the controversy here.

The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, for what it might be worth, credits Latrobe with inventing the treat in 1904.

Thanks to CHOW's The Grinder for tipping me off to this event.

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Watermelon Seed Spitters Unite

Watermelon season is upon us. Which means it must soon be time for the 54th Annual Watermelon Thump. It takes place in Luling, Texas, from June 21-24, and the featured events include a Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest and a Watermelon Eating Contest.

The official site is here. For additional info, look here.

For "The most comprehensive listing of watermelon festivals held around the world!!", look here. The page is out of date, but some of the information may still be valid. And where else are you going to go for a listing of watermelon festivals?

For an assortment of watermelon-themed roadside attractions, check out this page from the always entertaining and highly educational Roadside America.

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Milk Days & Sipahh Straws

If you were planning to organize a three-day festival to sing the praises of milk, you should be aware that it's already been done. Not that that should necessarily stop you.

Harvard Milk Days is held annually in Harvard, Illinois. This year it'll be going on from June 1-3, so be sure to make your arrangements now. The organizers call it "the longest running festival in the state of Illinois," in case you were wondering.

North Carolina Pickle Festival

Ah, the pickle. So simple that it seems that someone should throw a celebration to sing its praises. Something like a two-day pickle festival, perhaps. Something like the North Carolina Pickle Festival, which will be held in Mt. Olive this year from April 27-28, 2007.

The fest has been going on there for twenty years now. Isn't it about time you paid them a visit? They've got a Pickle Derby. They've got duck races. They've got pig races. And, of course, they've got pickles. What more could you ask for?

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World's Largest Buffet, Epicurean Masters & More

When it comes to flagrant displays of conspicuous consumption, you'd have to go a long way to beat the World's Largest Buffet. Organizers of the event, held Saturday at the Holmes County Amish Flea Market, in Ohio, sought to beat the world's record held by the Las Vegas Hilton.