Ten Quirky Fourth of July Traditions Across the U.S.

Smithsonian magazine highlights ten unique Independence Day celebrations across the United States for the nation's semiquincentennial. In Key West, Florida, the Key Lime Festival features a pie-eating contest where competitors devour nine-inch pies without hands; Trey Bergman holds the record at 40.57 seconds. Hannibal, Missouri, hosts National Tom Sawyer Days with a fence-painting contest outside the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, celebrating the 150th anniversary of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Columbia State Historic Park in California offers a Gold Rush-themed party with greased-pole climbs and nail-pounding games. Lebeau, Louisiana, holds the Lebeau Zydeco Festival at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, featuring Creole music and pork backbone. Oatman, Arizona, runs an egg-frying competition using solar power at high noon. On Hawaii's Big Island, the Mauna Lani Auberge Resort releases microchipped green sea turtles for Turtle Independence Day, with hula and blessings. Bend, Oregon, has a pet parade dating to 1924. Bristol, Vermont, stages the Great Bristol Outhouse Race with three-person teams racing custom privies. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, starts its Fourth of July Midnight Parade at 12:01 a.m. on July 4, drawing 80,000 spectators. Ocean City, New Jersey, holds a kite-flying contest on the beach with fireworks.