If you find yourself at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, you may come across one of its most unusual attractions: the husband calling contest!
Lots of state and county fairs have hog calling contests.
Participants use a variety of hog calling calls and techniques that actual farmers would have to use to bring their livestock back from the fields.
Husband calling is a slightly silly variation on the theme.
The participants step up to a microphone and make whatever kind of racket they want, as long as it’s directed toward a husband.
Some will shout out the husband’s name, loudly or high-pitched or stretched out or maybe all of the above.
Others will figuratively read the husband the riot act.
One woman in the viral video about the contest sharply scolds her fellow about getting ready on time so they’re not late for the Iowa State Fair.
And there are people who are more free-form, who just sort of make a lot of noise and wing it.
There are judges and they do pick winners and runners up, but the first prize is five bucks and a ribbon so this is more about fun than high stakes.
If you don’t have a husband, that’s ok.
There is traditional hog calling as well.
Or you could enter the mom calling contest, though I’d take care to see that the mom you’re trying to call wasn’t one of the people in the husband calling contest.
You yell their way, they just might start yelling back.
Plus: we’re in the high tech era, shouldn’t there also be a husband texting contest?
Starting tomorrow in Lebanon, Indiana, it’s Augtoberfest.
Lots of places have Oktoberfest in Oktober, with polka music and Bavarian delicacies like pretzels and beer cheese and wiener schnitzel.
Lebanon has its event two months early, so they don’t have to wait the extra couple months to wear their lederhosen!
Sounds like a barrel of fun.
The Iowa State Fair Husband Calling Contest (Neatorama)
We’re calling on you to back our show on Patreon
Photo by Timothy via Flickr/Creative Commons
