1. Chandler, Arizona – Ostrich Festival
Each March, Chandler, Arizona, pays homage to its unexpected history of ostrich ranching with the Ostrich Festival. This isn’t just an arts-and-crafts fair with a bird mascot — it features actual ostrich races. Started in 1989, the festival celebrates the flightless birds that once played a big role in the town’s early economy. Ostrich feathers were once a luxury good, and Chandler was a major producer.
The festival includes carnival rides, concerts, and multicultural food vendors, but the birds steal the show. There’s also a petting zoo and educational exhibits that teach kids about ostrich farming. It’s one of those events that sounds made up — until you’re watching a grown adult ride a giant bird around a track. Trust us, it’s unforgettable.
2. Nederland, Colorado – Frozen Dead Guy Days
Nestled in the Rockies, Nederland throws one of the country’s most bizarre festivals every March: Frozen Dead Guy Days. It all centers on Bredo Morstoel, a Norwegian man whose body was cryogenically preserved and stored in a Tuff Shed in town. Instead of quietly ignoring the oddity, locals leaned in and created an annual celebration. The result is a weekend of coffin races, frozen T-shirt contests, and polar plunges.
You can even take a guided tour to see the infamous shed. The vibe is half absurdist comedy, half wholesome winter fun. Bands play live, local breweries pour pints, and everyone bundles up in outrageous costumes. For a town with only around 1,500 people, they know how to throw a chilly bash that’ll warm your weird little heart.
3. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – Groundhog Day
While the rest of the country watches Groundhog Day on the news, Punxsutawney lives it. Every February 2, thousands gather before dawn to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow — a tradition dating back to 1887. The event takes place on Gobbler’s Knob, where Phil is held aloft like a furry weather oracle. It’s a mix of folklore, spectacle, and tongue-in-cheek ceremony.
The town transforms into a full-blown Groundhog headquarters with parades, banquets, and live music. There’s even a Groundhog Club Inner Circle, a group of top-hatted men responsible for interpreting Phil’s prediction. For many, it’s the ultimate bucket-list holiday that’s both oddly sincere and proudly campy. Plus, you can snap a photo with a 10-foot-tall groundhog statue in town.
4. Luling, Texas – Watermelon Thump
Every June, the small town of Luling, Texas, hosts the delightfully quirky Watermelon Thump. What started in 1954 as a way to celebrate local watermelon growers has grown into a weekend-long extravaganza. There’s a watermelon seed-spitting contest (with some contestants hitting over 30 feet!), a coronation of the Thump Queen, and live music. It’s a sweet slice of Americana that outsiders are often surprised even exists.
But to locals, it’s the social event of the year — kids get out of school early for it, and Main Street shuts down. You’ll find watermelon carving contests, a carnival, and yes, plenty of opportunities to taste the local melons. Farmers proudly bring their biggest fruit to compete in the heavyweight melon showdown. If you’re looking for small-town Texas charm with a sticky-sweet twist, this is it.
5. Evansville, Indiana – West Side Nut Club Fall Festival
Evansville’s west side hosts one of the largest street festivals in the U.S. every October — but unless you’re from Indiana, you’ve probably never heard of it. The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival draws over 200,000 people each year, and it’s mostly about one thing: the food. We’re talking brain sandwiches, deep-fried butter, and just about every stick-mounted item imaginable. It’s been going strong since 1921 and is 100% volunteer-run.
While it’s technically a fundraiser for local youth programs, it feels like a weeklong county fair dropped into the middle of a city neighborhood. More than 130 nonprofit booths serve wild treats, and a parade wraps up the week. The streets fill with games, rides, and the scent of sizzling something-or-other. It’s a full-on sensory overload — in the best way.
6. Capitola, California – Begonia Festival
Every Labor Day weekend, Capitola transforms its coastal village into a begonia wonderland. The Begonia Festival, dating back to 1952, celebrates the town’s long-gone flower-growing industry. The centerpiece is a boat parade — but these aren’t your average floats. Locals decorate them with thousands of begonia blossoms and float them down Soquel Creek.
There are also sandcastle contests, fishing derbies, and movies shown on the beach. Families stake out spots early for the floral procession, which is part art, part nostalgia. Though commercial begonia production left the area decades ago, the festival lives on as a community labor of love. It’s coastal California kitsch with a floral twist.
7. Oatman, Arizona – Oatman Sidewalk Egg Fry
In the middle of the Mojave Desert, Oatman takes July 4 celebrations to another level — by frying eggs on the sidewalk. It’s called the Oatman Sidewalk Egg Fry, and it’s just what it sounds like. Locals and tourists gather at high noon to test whether the Arizona sun can cook an egg on the pavement. Spoiler: it usually can.
The event has a tongue-in-cheek competitive edge — people use mirrors, magnifying glasses, or aluminum foil to boost their chances. Oatman, a former mining town turned tourist stop, leans hard into its Wild West charm. You’ll see staged gunfights, wild burros roaming the streets, and plenty of cowboy hats. It’s the kind of event where sunscreen and silliness go hand in hand.
8. Holland, Michigan – Tulip Time Festival
Every May, Holland, Michigan, becomes a miniature Netherlands during its Tulip Time Festival. The town was founded by Dutch immigrants in the 1800s, and the festival celebrates that heritage with over 6 million blooming tulips. Wooden shoe dancers perform in traditional dress, and the town hosts parades, concerts, and Dutch markets. It’s part spring celebration, part cultural showcase.
The event dates back to 1929 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Locals go all out with tulip-themed everything — even the police wear Dutch costumes. You can visit Windmill Island Gardens and see a real 250-year-old windmill shipped over from the Netherlands. It’s the closest you’ll get to Amsterdam without leaving the Midwest.
9. Port Clinton, Ohio – Walleye Drop
Instead of a glittering ball, Port Clinton rings in the New Year by dropping a 20-foot-long fiberglass fish. The Walleye Drop is a nod to the town’s status as the “Walleye Capital of the World.” Each December 31, crowds gather to watch “Wylie the Walleye” descend from the sky at midnight. It’s fishy, festive, and completely unique.
There’s also a kids’ version earlier in the evening with a smaller fish drop, plus games, music, and fireworks. The event started in 1996 and has become a proud local tradition. You’ll even find walleye hats and fish-themed cocktails on offer. It’s the Midwest’s answer to Times Square — just a bit more slippery.
10. Marion, North Carolina – Bigfoot Festival
Each September, Marion, North Carolina, becomes ground zero for Sasquatch sightings — or at least Sasquatch celebration. The Bigfoot Festival draws enthusiasts, skeptics, and costumed Bigfeet (yes, plural) for a day of cryptid-themed fun. You’ll find speakers presenting alleged evidence, vendors selling Bigfoot merch, and a kids’ zone with themed games. There’s even a “Bigfoot Calling Contest.”
It all started in 2018 and has grown rapidly every year. Organizers say it’s about fun more than facts — though a few true believers still hold out hope. Local businesses get in on the act with themed drinks and menu specials. Whether you’re chasing truth or just chasing funnel cake, it’s a monster good time.
11. Ocean Springs, Mississippi – Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival
Ocean Springs might be small, but every November it hosts Mississippi’s largest fine arts festival. The Peter Anderson Festival honors the legacy of local potter Peter Anderson, who founded Shearwater Pottery in 1928. Today, over 400 artists and food vendors line the oak-shaded streets for the event. It feels more like a curated art experience than your average street fair.
There’s a big emphasis on Southern craftsmanship — think handmade pottery, glasswork, and jewelry. Live music, coastal cuisine, and artist demos keep the atmosphere buzzing all weekend. Many visitors return year after year, making it an unofficial holiday for the Gulf Coast. It’s part cultural celebration, part economic booster, and all heart.
12. Ridgeland, South Carolina – Gopher Hill Festival
Every October, the tiny town of Ridgeland throws a three-day party in honor of… the gopher tortoise. The Gopher Hill Festival, named after the area’s original moniker, is a celebration of the community’s history and ecological heritage. Events include a parade, car show, arts and crafts, and a beauty pageant. It’s an old-school Southern fall festival with a quirky turtle twist.
The star is the endangered gopher tortoise, a keystone species in the local ecosystem. Kids can learn about conservation, meet wildlife ambassadors, and even get their faces painted like a tortoise. The whole thing feels like a hometown block party with a conservation message baked in. It’s one of those “only in the South” celebrations that manages to be both educational and incredibly fun.
13. Sheboygan, Wisconsin – Bratwurst Days
Sheboygan takes its love of sausage seriously, and every August they prove it with Bratwurst Days. This isn’t just a cookout — it’s a full-on tribute to brat culture, hosted by the Sheboygan Jaycees. Expect brat-eating contests, brat-toss games, and even a brat-themed parade. There’s also the “Johnsonville Marketplace,” showcasing the city’s most famous export.
What makes it unique is how truly committed the whole town is to bratwurst pride. There’s live polka music, local beer, and a “Brat Trot” fun run. Even the Miss Sheboygan pageant nods to the meaty theme. If you’ve never seen a community get this jazzed about sausages, Bratwurst Days will change your mind.
14. Enterprise, Alabama – Boll Weevil Festival
Yes, the Boll Weevil — the destructive cotton pest — is the honored guest in Enterprise each fall. The Boll Weevil Festival celebrates how this tiny bug inadvertently led to the town’s economic revival through diversified agriculture. It all centers on the world’s only monument dedicated to an agricultural pest, erected in 1919. Strange? Definitely. But there’s real pride behind it.
The festival includes a car show, crafts fair, and live music, along with bug-themed games for kids. Local farmers use the event to share their stories and promote local produce. It’s an unexpectedly upbeat way to turn agricultural disaster into civic identity. Only in Alabama could a weevil be the hero of the story.
15. Tarpon Springs, Florida – Epiphany Celebration
Every January 6, the Greek Orthodox community in Tarpon Springs throws one of the largest Epiphany celebrations in the Western Hemisphere. While Epiphany is widely celebrated in religious circles, the way it’s done here is uniquely intense and deeply cultural. The highlight is the ceremonial diving for the cross, where teenage boys leap into Spring Bayou to retrieve a wooden cross tossed by a bishop. The one who finds it is said to receive a year of blessings.
The whole day is steeped in Greek tradition, with processions, chanting, and family feasts that spill into the streets. Greek flags fly proudly as the community embraces its heritage with full hearts. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans in the U.S., and the celebration reflects that rich legacy. If you didn’t grow up Greek — or in Tarpon Springs — chances are, you’ve never seen anything quite like it.
16. Fairbanks, Alaska – Midnight Sun Festival
Every summer solstice, Fairbanks turns its endless daylight into a reason to throw one of Alaska’s biggest block parties. The Midnight Sun Festival celebrates the longest day of the year, when the sun doesn’t set until well past midnight. Locals and tourists alike pour into downtown for music, food, games, and dancing in the streets — all under the bright midnight sky. It’s like a summer party that simply refuses to end.
Vendors stay open late, kids run wild, and everyone’s just a little giddy from the light. There’s even a Midnight Sun baseball game that begins at 10:30 p.m. with no artificial lights. For a state often associated with harsh winters, this is Fairbanks showing off its most magical side. It’s a celebration of light, resilience, and sheer northern joy.
This post 16 Cities That Celebrate Holidays No One Else Has Heard Of was first published on American Charm.
