BudgetTravel

Giant Omelette Celebration in Abbeville, La.
Ever since 1984, when three members of the local chamber of commerce attended the Easter Omelette Festival in Bessieres, France, Abbeville has been one of seven cities worldwide to host an annual omelette festival. Representatives from each city are on hand to help local chefs prepare the celebration's pièce de résistance—a 5,000-egg Cajun omelette. Nov. 1-2, 2008; giantomelette.org, free, historic homes tour, $10.

DECEMBER

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

Wilderness Woman Contest in Talkeetna, Alaska
Ladies, single and at least 21 years old, test their mettle by hauling firewood, fetching water, shooting ptarmigan, opening beer cans, and performing other tasks vital to surviving married life on the frontier—according to the Talkeetna Bachelor Society, anyway, which hosts the event and highly recommends a sense of humor. Dec. 6, 2008; talkeetnachamber.org, free.

JANUARY

Bed Races in Oatman, Ariz.
Five teammates (two to push, two to pull, one to sit) sporting pajamas or outlandish costumes maneuver beds through an obstacle course in teeny Oatman. Once home to gold miners, it's now a tourist trap with daily shoot-outs and a herd of burros that wanders the streets looking to be fed. Burro braying contests, a chamber-pot parade—literally, people banging pots—and a toilet-seat toss (target: a traffic cone) make this event one of the wackiest. Date TBD; oatmangoldroad.com, free.

Icebox Days XXVIIII in International Falls, Minn.
Each year, city council members from International Falls challenge those from its sister city, Fort Frances, across the Canadian border, to a snowshoe race as part of a four-day festival embracing the area's chilly winters. Among activities like a snowshoe hike and "Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard" 10K and 5K runs is one bizarre standout: outdoor bowling with frozen turkeys for balls. Jan. 15-18, 2009; internationalfallsmn.us, free.

FEBRUARY

International Water Tasting in Berkeley Springs, W.Va.
This historic spa town boasts three times as many massage therapists as lawyers and claims it was visited by a young George Washington for the healing power of its natural springs. At the competition, judges compare more than 100 entries from around the globe in a blind tasting. Onlookers can sip samples, vote in a best-package-design contest, and attend seminars. Feb. 19-22, 2009; berkeleysprings.com, free.

MARCH

Ostrich Festival in Chandler, Ariz.
Live bands, kid-friendly rides, and more than 150 crafts and food vendors—some of whom sell ostrich burgers—are the backdrop for the weekend's main event at Tumbleweed Park: a series of ostrich races with participants hanging on tightly. Date TBD; ostrichfestival.com, tickets from $7.

APRIL

World Grits Festival in St. George, S.C.
The folks in St. George love their grits (they consume the most per capita of any place in the country) and have been throwing an annual festival since 1986. Expect eating contests, corn tossing and shelling, and the crowning of a one-and-only Miss Grits. Date TBD; worldgritsfestival.com, free.

World Cow Chip Throwing Championships in Beaver, Okla.
The nine-day Cimarron Territory Celebration—packed with the likes of a kiddie parade and horseshoe throwing—culminates on the third Saturday of each April, when men and women fling dried cow chips with all their might across a roped-off course. Apr. 11-19, 2009; beavercountychamberofcommerce.com, free.