It’s Monday, already April 16, can you believe it, only 252 days until Christmas (I have an app for the number of days ‘til Christmas on my iPhone, so cool.) But that’s not the topic today.
I was listening to my internet radio last week and found out that Grackle Days was happening in Winthrop, MN last weekend! Ya, we missed it. Grackle Days is one of the reasons I love America. Where else but in American can a small community come together and celebrate a member of the crow family? You also missed one of the highlights of Grackle Days, “Winthrop’s got Talent.” Rumor has it that quite a number of celebrities participated in the events of Grackle Days. You can see the list here.
I love that our American communities can come together and celebrate their local culture. (And I love to go to the events.) Garrison Keillor, a Minnesota humorist, kids about “Peanut Butter and Jelly Days” at his mythical home town, Lake Wobegone, but he is really saying that tongue in cheek. Here are some of the “days” I think that are notable.
Reedsburg, WI is celebrating the Butter Festival. Man I love butter, it’s the only thing that makes vegetables edible. St. Paul MN does the Winter Carnival. The only downside to that is when the weather is too warm for the ice castle. Then you have to celebrate Grumpy Old Men Days just down the river from St. Paul.
Whalan, MN has the “Stand Still Parade.” The parade is stationary and you move. If you are on the Mississippi River, there is Riverboat Days, Steamboats Days, and Grape Stomp. Lots of Dairy Days throughout the Midwest.
Gilmer, TX gives us Yamboree Days celebrating the yam which is a part of the lily family. (I once knew Miss Yamboree) Yams can be can be barbecued, roasted, fried, grilled, boiled, baked, smoked and grated.
There are a bunch of food celebrations, the Pecan Festival in Hickman, KY, Applefest in LaCrescent, MN, the Rhubarb Festival in Lanesboro, the official Rhubarb Capital of Minnesota and the Southern Hotwing Festival in Memphis. One must assume from that name that there is also a northern hotwing festival.
You can celebrate hope at the Festival of Hope in Nebraska, ice cream in Austin, TX, chickens at the ChickFest in east Texas, and fireworks at the Pflugerville Pfirecracker Pfestival. (When it’s not too dry.)
Now if you are starting to feel overwhelmed and your calendar is filling up, Kansas provided an excellent solution for the state, the Kansas Sampler Festival. 150 communities come to one location with a sample of their, apple days, watermelon days, wheat days, etc. It’s a GREAT idea. You get 150 celebrations in one. America’s a wonderful country.
Let me know when you want to own a piece of it. Interest rates are low, down payments are low, prices are low, and I’m high on real estate!