After what is the Coachella music festival named?
This town has a wife-carrying competition, and that's just the beginning!

Festivals are all about food and music, we know, but in some corners of our country, people have re-invented the concept of festivals making them delightfully bizarre, uniquely creative, and just plain fun. This road trip is a different one, we’ll take you to ten places with unique festivals for you to attend, once you check all the traditional ones off your list! Pack your bags, we’re ready whenever you are!
Image: Samson Katt / Mary Taylor
Cardboard sled race
Want to have fun? Get cardboard, tape, and go to Grand Haven’s Winterfest in Michigan where, every January, kids and adults build their own sleds and race down a snowy hill, hoping to make it to the bottom before their creation falls apart.
Prizes are handed out for speed, creativity, and team spirit. It’s all in good fun, at least for the crowds who watch as contestants slide hoping their creation comes to nothing before reaching the finish line!
Image: Jeremy McKnight
Frozen dead guy days
If you think your family has odd traditions, wait until you hear about Frozen Dead Guy Days in Estes Park, Colorado.
This festival is inspired by the real-life story of Bredo Morstoel, a Norwegian man who was cryogenically frozen in a shed in Colorado (yes, really.) After local officials discovered the situation, instead of shutting it down, they embraced it and turned it into a full-blown festival.
Now, every March, thousands of visitors gather to watch coffin races, polar plunges, and even a Frostbite Fashion Show. A festival to die for, huh?
Image: Henrik L.
North American wife carrying championship
Ever thought of carrying your spouse through an obstacle course? In Newry, Maine, that’s exactly what happens every October at the North American Wife Carrying Championship.
Let us explain: Teams race across a 278-yard course with two dry obstacles and one water challenge, all while carrying their partner upside down, legs over the shoulders.
You don’t have to be married to enter, any duo can participate. The winners get a hilarious prize: the carried person’s weight in beer and five times their weight in cash. We’re in!
Image: Kyle Sudu
Corgi beach day
Twice a year, Huntington Beach, California, becomes a fluffy paradise thanks to Corgi Beach Day. What’s not to love about these short, stubby-legged dogs? This festival is to celebrate them!
Thousands of corgis, and their humans, of course, gather on the sand to play, dress up, and compete in fun contests. There are food trucks, vendors selling corgi-themed goodies, and even giveaways. Best part? All breeds are welcome, just be sure to dress up your pup in something fun, so they stand out among the sea of short legs and wagging tails.
Image: fatty corgi
Underwater music festival
Music festivals are fun, but how about one underwater? Every July, divers and snorkelers in the Lower Keys, Florida, gather for the Underwater Music Festival, where music is played through special underwater speakers.
People dress as mermaids and sea creatures, pretending to play fish-shaped instruments as they float through the ocean. The festival promotes coral reef conservation, making it both entertaining and educational. The kind of fun we love!
Image: Sarah Lee
Art Car Parade
Every April, the streets of Houston, Texas, transform into a moving art gallery. The Art Car Parade features vehicles that have been painted, sculpted, and decorated into rolling masterpieces.
Some cars look like bananas, shoes, or space-themed creations, while others resemble Mad Max-style hot rods. What started as a small event in the 1980s has grown into the biggest free event in Houston, with up to 300,000 spectators lining the streets.
Image: Ichsan Pratama
Twins days festival
Have you got a twin? Pack your bags and head to Twinsburg, Ohio. A place that lives up to its name by hosting Twins Days every August, the largest annual gathering of twins in the world.
Twins from all over attend, participating in a "Double Take! parade, contests, and research studies. Scientists and universities even conduct twin-related research, with some offering cash or gift incentives for participation. Every year, the festival has a theme, and many twins show up in matching costumes.
Image: Jørgen Håland
UFO Festival
If you’ve ever wondered about aliens and UFOs, Roswell, New Mexico, is the place to be in July.
The UFO Festival celebrates the famous Roswell Incident of 1947 when a flying saucer crash-landed near the town. We know that the government later said it was just a high-altitude research balloon, but many people still believe aliens were involved. The festival includes parades, alien costume contests, laser shows, and an "Alien Crawl" bar event for adults. An out-of-this-world experience, if we may say so!
Image: ruddy.media
WNC Bigfoot Festival
Bigfoot may be a Pacific Northwest legend, but in Marion, North Carolina, he’s a local celebrity. The WNC Bigfoot Festival started in 2018 after reported Bigfoot sightings in the area, and it’s been a hit ever since.
Every May, visitors travel to the town to hear Bigfoot experts give lectures, watch a Bigfoot-calling contest, and browse Sasquatch-themed art and souvenirs. Would you like to go to this one?
Image: Jon Sailer
Mothman Festival
In Point Pleasant, West Virginia, people embrace the mystery of the Mothman, a red-eyed winged creature first spotted in 1966.
Now, every September, the Mothman Festival celebrates the legend with vendors, cryptid-themed art, Mothman-shaped food, and hayrides. Visitors can also tour the Mothman Museum or take a bus tour of the infamous TNT area, where the creature was first seen.
Image: Carol Petri