The World Tin Bath Championships, La Rioja’s Wine Battle, the Night of the Radishes and the Cow Pat Throwing Content are just some of the weird and wonderful events happening this year
Radish carving and tin tub sailing are among the weird and wonderful events you can take part in in 2024.
If you are looking to do something a little different this year and branch out from the usual sun, sea and sand, then you’re in luck. There are a huge number of wacky get-togethers happening over the next 12 months.
It is not just in the UK where ancient traditions such as welly wanging and cheese rolling have morphed into thriving annual events where communities welcome in hoards of outsiders to marvel at the strangeness of what they like to get up to. Across the world town and village folk are hosting similar events revelling in the odd and unusual.
We have highlighted seven of the best taking place next year. If you know of an unusual event you’d like us to cover, email webtravel@reachplc.com
World Tin Bath Championships – September 7
Taking place against the backdrop of Castle Rushen in Castletown on the Isle of Man, this sporting challenge is a race around the harbour in tin baths, some of which may be less than seaworthy. Over 100 entrants attempt the 400m course each year including visitors from around the world.
It is organised by the Castletown Real Ale Drinkers Society and began in 1971, with all the money raised going to local charities. The event attracts thousands of spectators who love to get rowdy and loudly cheer on their favourite rower.
La Rioja’s Wine Battle – June 29
The annual Batalla del Vino in Spain’s legendary wine region offers an experience like no other. The Batalla del Vino, or Wine Battle, is an eclectic tradition held each June in the picturesque town of Haro. Participants colourfully commemorate the local grape harvest by playfully dousing one another with refreshing Rioja tinto.
Lucia Polla, a travel expert specializing in Southern Spain and founder of Viva La Vita, told the Mirror: “While unorthodox festivals may raise eyebrows, beyond novelty value, the festival deepens understanding and promotes pride in La Rioja’s storied vinicultural traditions.
“As a seasoned travel expert, I’ve witnessed the Batalla’s unique ability to bring communities together through good-natured revelry. Teams from surrounding pueblos collaborate and compete, and bonds are strengthened over the region’s signature sanguine elixir. While aspirations of a spotless outfit are but a pipe dream, trekkers return drenched in memories rather than wine – and tales to tell.”
The Night of the Radishes – December 23
If you love carving a spooky face into a pumpkin come Halloween, then the great radish carving tradition of Oaxaca in Mexico may be up your alley.
Shelley Marmor, a Mexico travel expert and founder of Travel To Oaxaca, told the Mirror: “I went to the Night of the Radishes a few years back and it was a real blast. People in Oaxaca take this tradition seriously, it’s something everybody looks forward to around the holidays. Basically, they grow these mammoth radishes and then carve them into all kinds of cool scenes and characters. Artists make sculptures of animals, saints, dancers, you name it. This tradition has been going on since the late 1800s, too.”
The Cow Pat Throwing Contest – the third weekend of April
The small town of Beaver in Oklahoma is often called The Cow Pat Tossing Capital of the world – not a title many others knew they were fighting for. Every spring they indulge in this unusual sport of throwing a dried piece of cow turd as far as the eye can see.
The competition has been held in Beaver since 1969 with about 100 participants competing. In addition to local pros, the competition features “VIP throwers”—celebrities, politicians, and various guests. In addition to the contest, a week-long festival offers other entertainment, such as the parade, a talent show, a live music concert, a carnival, a chilly cook-off, and a hobby and craft show. Other competitions during the festival include a golf tournament, a 5km run, and a tractor pull.
Wings for Life World Run – May 5
On May 5, hundreds of people will begin running from different points scattered across the world. They will be taking part in a race unlike any other on Earth.
While most running races pit puffing joggers against one another so they can battle it out shoulder to shoulder to get to the finish line, the Wings for Life World Run has competitors simply running away. A ‘catcher car’ sets off after them following a 30-minute head start, slowly tracking them down until only one single runner survives.
As well as being a grinding psychological and fitness challenge, Wings for Life World Run aims to be the world’s most inclusive running event which raises funds towards finding a cure for spinal cord injury.
Red Bull Hardline – January 1 and 2
The event brands itself as the world’s biggest, toughest and gnarliest downhill mountain biking race. This year, in its tenth outing, 30 of the world’s best mountain bikers will travel to the Dyfi Valley in Wales to see if they can make it down the course.
Spectators are welcome to watch the death defying event when it comes to the Welsh mountainside. A first-person shot of 2022’s winner, then 18-year-old Jackson Goldstone, gives a taste of how intense the course is.
Cherry Festival – second week of June
Timon van Basten, a tour guide in Spain and the founder of Travel Spain 24, visited the championship in Valencia back in 2017.
“Over three crazy days, I watched competitors showcase their cherry-centric skills through contests like pit hucking and flower stuffing. The energy and colour of the crowds cheering in the plazas is something I’ll never forget. I met so many enthusiastic locals who welcomed me into their traditions,” he recalled.
