Looking for something different to do this summer? Motel 6 has the answer with its curated list of the Top 6 Quirkiest Summer Festivals of 2017. The list, created for the second consecutive year, showcases affordable fun for the summer.
“Motel 6 has been inspiring travel for the past 55 years, and we want to continue doing so by providing not only budget-friendly accommodations across the nation, but also memorable road trip ideas for travelers to consider this season,” said Jim Amorosia, President and CEO of G6 Hospitality. “We have so much fun discovering America’s local communities through our annual roundup of ‘Motel 6’s Top Quirkiest Summer Festivals’ and hope to encourage travelers to visit and check out these unique events as they start preparing for their summer travel adventure.”
So, which six festivals made the list?
1. Mule Days Celebration in Bishop, California. Taking place this week, May 23 through 28, the 48th annual equestrian festival features more than 700 mules in dozens of shows, live country music, chariot racing, barbecues and more in a festival the hotel brand calls “part mule competition and part Wild West show.”
2. Watermelon Thump in Luling, Texas. Bringing more than 25,000 visitors to the festival that has been operating since 1954, the watermelon thump includes seed-spitting competitions, eating contests, a queen’s coronation, carnival rides, live music, and a watermelon auction.
3. WestFest in Chicago. Chicago’s West Town offers a three-day fair July 7 to 9 with local offerings and live entertainment. Kids can enjoy pony rides, live music, games and local theatrical performances.
4. Colorado Dragon Boat Festival in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Celebrating the Asian American Pacific Islander community of the area July 29 and 30, this festival features more than 50 dragon boat trams racing across the lake. An Asian marketplace, crafts, martial arts demos, Taste of Asia food courts, ramen eating contest, live music, a traditional lion dance, and Dragonland for kids rounds out the event.
5. Twin Days in Twinsburg, Ohio. Celebrating twins August 4 to 6, you’ll be seeing double during the largest gathering of twins and multiples in the world. Costume contests, talent shows, live entertainment, games and fireworks are features.
6. Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw & Festival in Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin. Over Labor Day weekend, more than 40,000 fairgoers attend this annual cow chip throw, where the record remains 248 feet. Live entertainment, arts and crafts, games and more add to this one-of-a-kind event.
–Lissa Poirot
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