Wondrous Performances

Musical Stone of Gobustan

Resonant stone, that has been played since prehistoric times

The Gobustan National Park is an extremely otherworldly place. More than 400 mud volcanoes are found within the area – the half of all mud volcanoes in the world. Additionally, there are bizarre... »

Natural Wonders, Geological Oddities, Musical Wonders, Cultures and Civilizations , Wondrous Performances | Edited by Tawsam

Town of Exeter, New Hampshire, US

Exeter UFO Festival

Annual celebration commemorating the 1965 sighting of strange lights in the town

On a September night in 1965, on a dark road just outside of the town of Exeter, a local 18-year-old hitchhiker by the name of Norman Muscarello witnessed some intensely bright, low-lying aerial... »

Hoaxes and Pseudoscience, Wondrous Performances | Edited by JWOcker and Rachel

Chios Rocket War

The Chios Rocket War "Rouketopolemos", in which two churches in the town of Vrontados shoot bottle rockets at each others' bell towers in a strange Easter celebration

Two rival parishes on the Greek island of Chios engage in a most unusual and dangerous Easter tradition that has been taking place quite possibly since the Ottoman era. The churches, which sit on... »

Cultures and Civilizations , Wondrous Performances, Rites and Rituals | Edited by Rachel, Dylan and others

Titanic Memorial Cruise on the MS Balmoral

A cruise ship retraces the the route of the doomed RMS Titanic, 100 years later

Taking advantage of what could possibly be the most morbid and long-lived dinner theatre ever performed, over 1,300 passengers boarded the MS Balmoral in Southampton on April 8, 2012 to retrace... »

Watery Wonders, Memento Mori, Wondrous Performances, Commercial Curiosities | Edited by Rachel

International Regatta of Bathtubs

This annual Belgian water race attracts bathtub captains from all over the world

Sailing is a gentlemen's sport, and rowing attracts world-class athletes, but a waterborne race where one can do whatever they want? That's where the real challenge lies. At least that's the... »

Watery Wonders, Inspired Inventions, Wondrous Performances | Edited by Mark_Casey and Rachel

Township of Crystal Falls, Michigan, US

Humongous Fungus Fest

Covering 37 subterranean acres, this Armillaria gallic is a famous fungus with its own festival

While it may no longer be thought of as the largest and oldest living organism in the world, the people of Crystal Falls refuse to acknowledge the other candidates and continue to celebrate their... »

Extraordinary Flora, Wondrous Performances, Subterranean Sites | Edited by Rachel

San Francisco, California, US

Birthplace of Isadora Duncan

Home of modern dancer famously strangled by her own scarf

Isadora was known as a mother of modern dance, and defied the current social and dance conventions. She favored barefeet, flowing clothing, loose hair, and free form movements. Her communist... »

Wondrous Performances, Eccentric Homes | Edited by rebeccaclara, Rachel and others

Brejo da Madre de Deus, Brazil

New Jerusalem Theater

World's largest open air theater spans 24 acres and hosts a massive recreation of the Passion of Christ

Spanning 24 acres, New Jerusalem Theater seems more like a medieval castle than a performance space. Yet each year, this massive open-air theater puts its gigantic space to use for a roving... »

Cultures and Civilizations , Wondrous Performances | Edited by atimian

Bull Surfing in Kerala

Bold contestants slide in a rice paddy behind two charging bulls

In perhaps the dirtiest form of rodeo known to man, bull surfing in Kerala, India entails chasing down two charging bulls, grabbing on and sliding at full speed through a rice paddy. Each... »

Cultures and Civilizations , Wondrous Performances | Edited by atimian

Peasholm Park's Naval Battles

80 years of the Battle of Peasholm on a small English lake

Opened originally on the grounds of a medieval manor house, Peasholm Park in North Yorkshire is everything but a conventional English park. Each year during the summer months in Scarborough,... »

Retro-Tech, Wondrous Performances | Edited by jademontserrat and atimian

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