When I first met my husband’s family over ten years ago, I loved the family.  They are a very special group of people.  But when I found out that they hold a Zucchini Fest every August for no other reason than the fun of it, I knew I would fit in to this large family.  Wait until you hear everything they do.

 

But I suppose first, we should start with the history.  The first Zucchini Fest was around 1990.  The celebration was a play on the founder’s father’s hatred of squash and the fact that this particular summer boasted of an over abundance of the zucchini.  It was a creative and clever way to deal with the profuse zucchini population and have some fun at the same time.

 

 

Each Zucchini Fest opens with a parade of decorated golf carts and four wheelers.  There is a Grand Marshall and they even throw candy!  The parade is followed by the singing of the National Anthem.

 

Families (including church family) participate in a potluck dinner where every dish must include zucchini.  But because the founder’s father doesn’t like zucchini, it is okay to disguise the appearance, odor and taste of the zucchini.

 

But they don’t stop there!  Zucchini Fest is not complete without the thrill of zucchini competitions.

 

Here is the fierce list:
Best Dressed Zucchini
Ode to the Zucchini (heartfelt literature about the zucchini)
The Zucchini Toss (launch it, sling shot it, throw it . . . just make it go far!)
Heaviest Zucchini
Zucchini Nascar (non-motorized and motorized divisions;  one year there was even a rocket division too)

 

 

 

 

 

Each August, you’ll find this fun bunch of people launching zucchini high in the air, coming up with creative new zucchini costumes, trying their hand at poetry and digging through a dish to see if zucchini really is included.  What a blast!

Have you or your family created any fun annual celebrations?