Weird August festivals

Have a blast at the Air Guitar World Championships in Finland. Photo: Wikipedia

These off-the-wall fests will provide you with plenty of entertainment as summer winds down.

The World’s Longest Yard Sale: August 1 – 4, 2013

Stretching more than 690miles from Addison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama, this garage sale brings out five states’ worth of junk for your purchasing pleasure. Some die-hard shoppers schedule their stops to maximize the terrain they can cover over the four days of the sale, but most people just mosey along the route. Many of the communities along the highway have shipping centers so that if you find more than a car full of treasures you can still get it all home.

The Air Guitar World Championships: August 21 – 24, 2013

The Air Guitar World Championships were founded with the idea that “wars would end and all the bad things would go away if everyone just played air guitar.” Finalists from 20 countries meet in Oulu, Finland to perform a song of their choosing and a song chosen by the organizers. Judges use the same 6.0 scoring system as in figure skating, and you’ll see just as much artistry, technical merit, and theater in Oulu as you do on the ice.

La Tomatina: August 26 – 30, 2013

La Tomatina is the world’s biggest food fight, with 44 tons of tomatoes thrown, smashed, and smeared across the town of Buñol near Valencia in Spain. La Tomatina began in 1945 when a brawl broke out in the town square and the produce from a nearby vegetable cart was used as ammunition. Now the annual festival lasts for a few days and includes music and other festivities like the “palo jamon,” a greased pole climb to reach a ham at the top.

Bigfoot Daze: August 30 – September 1

Every year Bigfoot researchers and enthusiasts gather in Carson, Washington for discussions, exhibits and a chili cook-off. There’s also a Bigfoot calling contest, with the best Bigfoot yell winning bragging rights for the year. Many attendees camp out in the park where the festival is held, which could be exciting or terrifying depending on how much you’d enjoy your own Bigfoot sighting.

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