World’s Weirdest Food Events

Everyone
loves good food; the chocoholics, taco lovers, cheese connoisseurs. But some
people take their love of food to a whole new level. Check out our list of some
of the weirdest and wackiest food events around the world, where radishes are
turned into art, pumpkins are crafted into boats, and Spam is the star of the
party. Let the food worshipping commence!

Night of the Radishes – Mexico

Americans may carve pumpkins, but Mexicans carve, you guessed it, radishes. The Night of the Radishes or Noche de Rábanos is celebrated every year on December 23 in Oaxaca, Mexico. The vegetable festival only lasts for a few hours, but celebrations continue throughout the Christmas holiday. The anticipated event attracts the best sculptors and craftsmen from all over Oaxaca City to create radish masterpieces. Beautifully intricate designs and details transform the simple red radish into kings, animals, and any other creation imaginable. Classes are offered to children the morning of the festival and winners of the best radish sculpture are awarded a cash prize towards the end of the evening.

La Tomatina – Spain

The most
popular food festival in Spain will have you seeing red for days. Held in the
Valencian town of Buñol on the last Wednesday in August, the event is part of
the weeklong festivities that take over Buñol. Thousands of participants are
greeted in the Plaza del Pueblo to a mountain of tomatoes that will be thrown
for fun in the world’s biggest tomato fight. The tomatoes are already squished
to avoid any injuries, but it is recommended that all participants where
goggles. Some even wear gloves to get a better grip on the little red bombs.
After an hour of tossing tomatoes, fire trucks hose down the scene. While the
event is free to watch, tickets must be purchased online for 10€ in order to
participate, in an effort to control the crowds.

Next, a look at food festivals around the world… 

Giant Pumpkin Regatta – California

Unleash your inner Cinderella and take a seat in your biggest pumpkin. The Giant Pumpkin Festival in Elk Grove, California attracts people with the largest pumpkins to partake in the Giant Pumpkin Regatta; a boat race with floating pumpkins. The event takes place the first weekend in October and prizes are awarded for the first three pumpkin boats to cross the finish line at Strauss Lake. After the race, enjoy tasty pumpkin treats while admiring carved pumpkins or cheering on your fellow pumpkin rollers. Several other states on the east and west coast like Maine, Vermont, and even Oregon host pumpkin regattas as well. You might want to set aside a few hours, or days, to carve out the interior of your giant pumpkin vessel.

Cheese Rolling in Cooper’s Hill – England

Cheese
rolling has been a longstanding tradition in Britain for the past 200 years. The
annual event takes place rain or shine on the Late Spring Bank Holiday (end of
May) on top of Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester near the Cotswolds, England. The
concept is simple; bring an eight pound round of Gloucester cheese, roll it
down the hill and then chase after it. The slope distance from start to finish
measures about 295 feet, and the first person down the hill wins the race, the
cheese, and the title of Cheese Rolling Champion. Entry is free and all
participants are welcome to join. Imagine doing that with queso!

Waikiki Spam Jam – Hawaii

Yes, we
said Spam. The annual Waikiki Spam Jam is a known cultural tradition in Hawaii
where visitors gather each year for food, entertainment, and Spam. More Spam is
consumed each year in Hawaii alone than any other state in the U.S. The 12th annual festival will take place on May 3, 2014; admission is free and all are welcome to join in on the fun. Sample
Spam in every delicious way including fried Spam, ice cream sundae Spam, and Spam
Pad Thai, just to name a few. But the Spam doesn’t stop there. Several local
restaurants will add Spam to their menus in honor of the event.

Chinchilla Melon
Festival – Australia

Australia’s
number one produce is the main star at this event. Known as the Melon
Capital, Chinchilla celebrates producing a quarter of the
country’s melons twice a year in February. Head to the Melon Festival in the
Queensland town of Chinchilla, Australia for melon skiing, melon tossing, a
melon Ironman, and more. You might even witness a new world record for
fastest melon splitting in under a minute! Free concerts, melon themed food,
and craft fairs are an added treat for guests. Book your plane ticket and be
prepared to get sticky from February 12-15, 2015.