Wacky Festivals

Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward, Wis.
More than 100 lumberjacks and lumberjills square off at chopping, sawing, rolling, and climbing logs. The championships date back to 1960 and take place in a former holding pond for logs that was owned by the Weyerhaeuser's North Wisconsin Lumber Company. July 25-27, 2008; lumberjackworldchampionships.com, tickets start at $14 or $40 for a three-day pass.

AUGUST

WACKY AMERICAN FESTIVALS In case you find some of these events hard to believe, we've got proof: these photos! • Launch the slide show

The National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa
Real and aspiring hobos, those train-riding and often-sung-about migrants, gather each August for a flea market, a parade, poetry readings, and a memorial. True to form, most attendees sleep at the hobo jungle located by the railroad tracks on the northeast side of Britt. Aug. 7-10, 2008; hobo.com, free.

Tug Fest in LeClaire, Iowa
It's Iowa versus Illinois, with male and female teams from each state heaving on ropes in three-minute tug contests. Keeping things lively are local bands, a hometown heroes parade, and a huge show of fireworks shot off from a barge diplomatically situated on the Mississippi River between state lines. Aug. 7-9, 2008; tugfest.com, $3 or $5 for a two-day pass.

SEPTEMBER

The Cowboy Trade Day in Catoosa, Okla.
Self-described "has-been old-timer" Hurley Hughes was inspired to start a trade day back in 1995. Not wanting to create just another flea market, he's kept the growing event focused on cowboy, Western, and Native American wares. Sept. 20, 2008; cowboytrader.com, $5.

How Berkeley Can You Be in Berkeley, Calif.
Poking good-natured fun at peace, love, and all that Berkeley jazz, the festival and parade were started by John Solomon, who owns a business on University Avenue and wanted to improve the neighborhood's image and sense of community. Sept. 28, 2008; howberkeleycanyoube.com, free.

OCTOBER

Yellville Turkey Trot in Yellville, Ark.
The National Wild Turkey Calling contest, which attracts callers of all ages, has been a feather in this small town's cap for more than 60 years. Local restaurants cook special turkey dinners during the festival, which includes a 5K run, crafts vendors, and beauty pageants (the swimsuit one is dubbed Miss Drumsticks). Oct. 10-11, 2008; yellville.com, admission free, $5 for the turkey calling contest and $5 for the pageants.

Emma Crawford Coffin Races in Manitou Springs, Colo.
Costumed impersonators of Emma—a 19th-century lady who was buried atop Red Mountain—ride on coffins pulled by teams of four mourners in this kooky, pre-Halloween race along Manitou Avenue. Emma supposedly haunts the mountain even though her coffin washed away years after her burial. Oct. 25, 2008; manitousprings.org, free.

NOVEMBER

World Championship Punkin Chunkin in Sussex County, Dela.
Helmet-wearing participants load homemade cannons in the hopes of launching pumpkins nearly 4,000 feet across a field. Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2008; punkinchunkin.com, $7.