Offbeat summer festivals 2009

International Horseradish Festival

Where: Collinsville, IL
When: June 6 & June 7

For more than 20 years, horseradish aficionados—and even those with just a lukewarm interest—have descended upon Collinsville to add a little spice to their summer lives at the annual Horseradish Festival. The multifaceted and often ignored root is celebrated each year with bands, food booths, the oh-so-popular root toss, a root sacking contest, a Bloody Mary contest, and a horseradish cooking contest. Number one question at the fest: How did horseradish get its peculiar name? Number two question: Do you have anything without horseradish?