Eat Your Way Across America: 50 States, 50 Festivals-- Part 4: The South

These are all from the May 22nd Parade Magazine.

6. HOPE WATERMELON FESTIVAL, HOPE, ARK AUG. 11-13-- Watermelon eating and seed-spitting contests as well as Watermelon Olympics. hopemelonfest.com


7. KENTUCKY BOURBON FESTIVAL, BARDSTOWN, KY SEPT. 13-18-- Bourbon, made here since 1776 is main lure but also horse pitching and barrel racing. (I've got a serious taste for bourbon thanks to Denny. Thanks, Denny. Of course, my favorite is Rebel Yell. I might have been to this one, but don't remember.) kybourbonfestival.com


8. WEST VIRGINIA ROADKILL COOK-OFF AND AUTUMN HARVEST FESTIVAL, MARLINTON W. VA. SEPT. 24-- Well, not really roadkill, but crazy collisions of weird meats. Past delicacies: armadillo and roadrunner tacos and hog with groundhog gravy. (This one sounds REAL interesting.) pccocwv.com/festival.htm.


9. SUFFOLK PEANUT FESTIVAL, SUFFOLK, VA. OCT. 6-9-- World's only peanut butter sculpture contest. (And, I LOVE my PEANUTS, any way, shape or form!) suffolkfest.org.


10. SOUTH CAROLINA SWEET POTATO FESTIVAL, DARLINGTON, SC OCT. 8-- The average American eats 5.2 pounds of sweet potatoes a year. And, they're healthy as well. (Sweet potato fries, pancakes and baked. Love 'em all.) visitdarlingtoncounty.org.


11. ANNUAL NATIONAL SHRIMP FESTIVAL, GILF SHORES, ALA OCT 13-16-- In 2010, more than 250,000 came to feast on blackened, steamed, rolled-in-coconut, dressed in cocktail sauce and most any other way you can think. Try a Cajun Pistol: bread rolls stuffed with seafood and then deep-fried. (Sounds like a winner to me. And, Lambert's Cafe is just up the road in Foley.) nationalshrimpfestival.com.


12. BOGGY BOTTOM MULLET FESTIVAL, NICEVILLE, FL. OCT 21-23-- Up to four tons of this fish will be consumed. Also, lots of music. Rascal Flats and the Dixie Chicks have performed in the past. (They say mullet is garbage fish, but if you eat it right away, it's good. I can attest to that.) cityofniceville.org.

I'd have to go to this last festival for no other reason than the name. That is SOME name.

I'll Have a Mullet with a Side of Roadkill. --RoadDog