Blue Ridge Country

Many readers are familiar with quirky festivals involving possums, woolly worms and roadkill. With more than 30 nominees in the “Favorite Quirky Festival” category, a few more bizarre – though perhaps less well known – events stood out.

The Coon Dog Day Festival in Saluda, N.C. began as a picnic to mark the end of raccoon hunting season more than 40 years ago. Now, the annual festival attracts thousands of people who want to celebrate the breed of dog and enjoy crafts, art, food and music.

Goat shows don’t always attract many visitors, but the Goats, Music and More Festival in Lewisburg, Tenn., is an exception. The festival honors the fainting goat, which traces its first known origin in the U.S. back to Marshall County. As the name suggests, in addition to showcasing goats, the festival offers live music, food and vendors.

Many people watch the ball drop on New Years Eve, but a pig? Similar to the possum drop of Brasstown, N.C., natives of Lenoir, N.C. gently lower a pig to the ground to ring in the New Year. The pig is a reference to “Hog Waller,” historically the center of town and a place where pigs and livestock used to "waller” in the mud.

Grey squirrels are common all over the Blue Ridge. White squirrels, on the other hand, are rare. In Brevard, N.C., the White Squirrel Festival celebrates the animal. Visitors can see the famous white squirrels, compete in a go-cart race and listen to live music.

—Carrie Fowler