The only unique thing here in town is the annual winter Lion's club raffle for when a vehicle will fall though the ice. They tow out a stripped-down minivan (just body, frame and wheels), and people buy tickets for when the vehicle will go through in the spring. The tradition made it into a book, and, when I spoke of it on here a few years ago, a member from England knew about it :

Of course, this assumes that the ice will get thick enough to drive on this year. It's been a warm, snowless winter so far

As for family traditions, I hand split a couple full cords of wood and have a fire going for winter....and I'm passing on my bad joke gene to the kids

Oh, yes, I remember visiting a very local pub in Gloucestershire that sold that sort of stuff, the type of drink drunk by blind, mad old buggers with things living in their beards! A million miles away from commercial ciders (though certainly closer to its ingredients) it was an, ahem, interesting experience.

color fest, the river folk have in their town, some local bands play and stuff

Usually something to do with music buy I never bother going outside.

I live in Austin, Texas

Calgary Stampede. Basically a huge outdoor show of rodeos, carnivals, and music concerts.(And most not even country music!) and every year dozens of animals are killed in the Chuckwagon races. It's the best damn thing in the west.

I hope at least some people who aren't Canadian have heard of it.

Getting drunk and giving out about the English (while simultaneously supporting their club football teams while completely ignoring Irish club football).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJqEqqFLPNY

Heard of it yes.

Cater for a Canadian company who insist we put on a special menu for it at some point in July. None of us know anthing about it though and no one from the company ever comes so we just have a BBQ.

Round here we have
http://www.orkneyjar.com/tradition/bagame/

Well, lets see, my last late night post may have sounded a bit cynical so I had to think of a genuine local tradition...
In Detroit, they have the annual http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agrCsZvYWyI&feature=related.

It's held in August and folks from all over the country (and the world) and many from the area bring an estimated 30,000 vintage muscle cars, hot rods, and other classic cars (mostly made in Detroit)...and they cruise up and down Woodward Ave. all weekend...and did I mention PARTY ?!?

The guys and gals in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxWo09QA3cU sum it up pretty good.

That would be nice, wouldn't it? There's something inherently silly about cheese that should definitely be encouraged.

not local per-se, but I generally drink an entire 2 liter bottle of root beer (I don't drink alcohol despite being over 21)

Nope, I partake in pretty much nothing...

It's not really a choice though, just don't have many people with whom I can do anything.

Hehe, I love it when people get mad when this type of comment is posted.

The truth is, the Irish really do LOVE potatoes, I have most days of the week.

Eat codfish,invite famility members and watch the fireworks on the TV.....

Is the kid still attached to the cord? I'm having this The Hills Have Eyes moment of visual horror.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_tossing

Many of us did the same thing when discharged from the service. Some insisted it came from a calvary tradition of returning a horse with it's fallen riders boots placed backwards in the stirrups (a Mongolian tradition IIRC). Consequentially boots hanging from a line with the toes in opposite directions was considered a good omen.


Traditions in my town this time of the year usually involve getting drunk and merging one's vehicle with an inanimate and unyielding barrier.

A long time friend that I used to work with was born in Palau, Micronesia and once he went on a vacation back home and told me he was going to see his tree. He explained that's what they did when a child was born.
I should have asked him how long they left him attached to the tree...before they cut him loose...

Speaking of shoes, when several people would retire from the auto plant on the same day, they would leave their boots on the curb on the way to the parking lot. There would be 50-60 pairs of boots lined up, many with senority and retirement dates written on them in white marker...it made it into a photo in the newspaper......Not me....mine had way too many miles left on them....but when I left....I purposed to not look back at the factory...I went to my truck and simply drove away.

We have an international jazz festival every year and on boxing day people wear fancy dress to go round town in the evening.

Mardi Gras

No local ones, but my favorite family tradition is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAQrZgM0ad8. That is our electronic Annihilation videos we make almost every year. I don't know how it started, but ever year we take electronics that don't work anymore, and take a 22 rifle and 12 gauge shot gun and have some fun.

I've never had a chance to go, but I'd love to. One of these Summers I'll have to go.

Here in Victoria we have our share of tourist attractions, but no traditions I can think of off the top of my head.