America is a nation of immigrants. There is even a growing body of evidence that Native Americans immigrated to the continent thousands of years ago. As a result, the country is uniquely diverse.
Travelers on Route 66 in October might be surprised to find one of the world’s largest Czech cultural festivals in the world. Held on the first weekend in October, the Oklahoma Czech Festival, in Yukon celebrates the town’s rich Czech heritage.
The day-long festival officially kicks off with Oklahoma’s largest parade along Garth Brooks Boulevard. Afterwards festivities shift to the Oklahoma Czech building at 5th and Cedar Street with polka bands, traditional Czech and Slovak folk-dance performances, and Czech foods such as kolache and klobasy sausages.
For more than a century on the first week of August, Gallup, New Mexico is transformed with the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Festival. One of the country’s oldest celebrations of Native American culture highlights arts, dance, and music.
Thousands of Native American and Indigenous participants representing tribes from the United States and Canada share songs, traditional dances, and food. The blurring of cultures is another tradition, a rodeo featuring some of the best Native American cowboys from the United States and Canada.
Visitors will be enthralled with the Indoor/Outdoor Marketplace and the Ceremonial Showroom. On display is one of the largest collections of authentic Indian fine arts, Navajo rugs, katsinas, jewelry, pottery, and basketry in North America.
Quirky events and festivals are another highlight of travel in the United States. Held in Twinsburg, Ohio, the annual Twins Days Festival is, according to Guinness World Records, the largest annual gathering of twins in the world.
The event dates to 1976 when a group of organizers were looking for a unique way to celebrate the bicentennial. They hit upon the idea of setting aside a day to celebrate twins. The first event started with a flag raising, the national anthem, and dedication of the Wilcox Monument on the square.
The following year festival organizers decided to make this the largest event of its kind in the world. Food trucks and vendors, bands, talent shows, a Square Dance Exhibition, a bicycle and wagon parade for children under twelve years of age made it delightful small-town event for the whole family. Thirty-eight sets of twins attended that event.
Since then, more than 77,000 sets of twins have attended. And one year the event garnered national and international media coverage when a visiting delegation of nine sets of twins from the former Soviet Union attended.
And for the induvial that wants to get a tan and enjoy a vintage car show, there is the Valley View Recreation Club annual car show. Located in Cambridge, Wisconsin, the event has been held in August for more than thirty years. What makes this event unique is the fact that Valley View Recreation Club is a nudist resort. This is a nude car show!
You may not want that much sun on your holiday. But adding an event such as the Route 66 Fun Run in Kingman, Arizona or a festival like Cuba Fest in Cuba, Missouri to your adventure in the United States will ensure memories that last a lifetime.
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