Eat Your Way Across America: 50 States, 50 Festivals-- Part 2: Midwest

Still in the Midwest. Yesterday, I went to the website of the World's Largest Brat Festival in Madison, Wisconsin and am thinking of attending one of the days. Looks like a real good time, even beyond eating brats.

33. NATIONAL HAMBURGER FESTIVAL-- AKRON, OHIO-- AUG. 20-21-- Bob would be so proud. burgers, burgers and more burgers. For those of you unafraid to get a little messy, you can bob for your burger in a kiddie pool filled with ketchup (or is that catsup?). hamburgerfestival.com.

34. SPINACH FESTIVAL-- LENEXA, KANSAS-- SEPTEMBER 10-- The Spinach Capital of the World since the 1930s. World's largest spinach salad and even spinach desserts. lenexa.com/parks/festivals_spinach.html.

(I learned something today. I was spelling the word spinich. Hey, anybody have some Cutty Shark to wash it down with? I hear Cutty Shark and spinich is especially good in Niagra Falls.)

35. PERSIMMON FESTIVAL-- MITCHELL, INDIANA-- SEPT. 17-24-- Autumn fruit native to southern Indiana. All things persimmon (I think I've heard of them), including a persimmon pizza. persimmonfestival.org.

36. AMERICAN ROYAL BARBECUE-- KANSAS CITY, MO.-- SEPT. 29-OCT. 2-- The World Series of Barbecue. The Super Bowl of Swine. You can see the best of the best from across the US working their magic, if your idea of perfume is the smell coming from a grill. americanroyal.com.

37. WORLD FOOD FESTIVAL-- DES MOINES, IOWA-- OCT. 7-9-- For cheap folk like me. Tastes for $1 or plates for $5. Cooks from all over the world. This one all of a sudden is looking real good.

That's a Wrap on the Midwest. --RoadDog