Bean Fest and Great Championship Outhouse Race

Festival Location: Mountain View, AR, USA

Festival State: Arkansas Festivals

Festival Type(s): Bizarre Festivals, Food Festivals, Bizarre Sports Events

By: © Nelson Taylor 2009

Every October, this small eclectic town hosts a weekend full of food, madness, and music. About thirty two-person teams show up every year to compete in one of the world's only bean cook-offs.

While the beans, water, kettles, and fire are provided by the Mountain View Chamber, each team must provide their own secret herbs and spices. While the chefs are waiting to hear the results of the contest, the crowd sucks down over 1,000 pounds of beans and a wagon full of cornbread.

Nothing follows beans better than an outhouse. But these outhouses are not for doing the dirty deed. These outhouses are decorated, mounted on wheels, and raced through the middle of town. The added edge of not wanting to be downwind of any racer makes the atmosphere extremely competitive. When you're not eating or farting around, you can sit down under a tree and enjoy lots of impromptu folk, gospel and country music. This event is free and attracts about 40,000.