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July 10, 2024
Fourth Of July Celebrations You May Not Know About!
One of the fun things about social media is finding out about the celebrations in other areas around the world that we wouldn't be a part of via our local media and travels. Many North Carolinians take part in golf cart parades popular in coastal towns, flotillas for watching fireworks over the water on the coast or lakes, as well as the traditional family pig pickin's I saw growing up here in Wake County (are you #teamvinegar or #teamtomato for your sauce?). Surprisingly, there are even more exciting traditions around the country. I have put together this list of unique local events throughout the US of A!
A lot of people are aware of the yearly Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Competition that takes place in Coney Island, and it has been held since the 1970s. Food-eating competitions are often seen as being traditionally American pastimes, but there are many different cometitions throughout the world. Many of Nathan's champions hail from Japan and Germany as well, and the IFOCE (The International Federation of Competitive Eating) has other competitions in the US and beyond. This year's competition received a lot of extra attention in the press when the reigning champion signed a sponsorship deal with the makers of Impossible Burger and was banned from Major League Eating as a result. The champion for this year's competition was Patrick Bertoletti in the men's category and Miki Sudo took home her 3rd belt.
If you didn't think the Nathan's competition seemed outlandish enough, Hailey, Idaho has an annual parade that attracts a lot of attention from locals, including the local fly population. Locals purchase tickets that assign them a square along the parade route, and if a "road apple" is dropped from one of the horses in the procession, your name is put in a raffle drawing for prizes from the local Rotary organization.
In 1996 Georgia celebrated the first annual Redneck Games in East Dublin, and they continued until 2013, but then re-started the tradition in 2023 as a church fundraiser. They competed in mud pit belly flop challenge, seed spitting contest, horse shoe toss, hubcap hurling, and many other events. The celebration caught on, and a copycat event can be found in Minto, Ontario as well.
Bar Harbor, Maine has a celebration that outdoes the parades, fireworks and 5Ks that you see elsewhere in the US. They start the day with a town blueberry pancake breakfast, but later in the day the town's residents cheer on their chosen competitor in the Annual Lobster Race! The proceeds from the race support the local YMCA, and this tradition started all the way back in 1978.
A truly American celebration, Rebild Independence Day festival is the largest festival for Independence Day outside the US. This event is organized to celebrate the connection between Danish-Americans and started in 1912, and has been held almost every year since (except for during the both World Wars). At the event you will see a mixture of Danish and American flags, regalia, dishes, and entertainment.
I feel like the strangest tradition that I found in my search was the 4th of July Celebration outside Anchorage, Alaska, where they congregate to launch jalopies from the cliff above the cheering spectators at Glacier View Retreat. Don't worry, though-- as you can see in the video below, the crowds are a safe distance away, and the vehicles are recycled after the event. Of all of these events, I think this is the one I am putting on my bucket list! Until I can go, though, I will just have to watch the livestream on YouTube.
So no matter where you are around the US or even around the world, there are always traditions to be honored or even new traditions that can be added, and the local color and creativity can make it a truly memorable event. Enjoy the rest of your summer and celebrations!
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