Bizarre British Festivals: Gurning Championship

Nobody does eccentricity quite like the British, especially when it comes to the festival season. To prove the point, here are some of the best weird and wonderful festivals that take place in the United Kingdom every year.

What: World Gurning Championship
Where: Egremont, Cumbria
When: Third Saturday in September

A beauty contest in reverse, this is the chance to get as ugly as possible. Contestants have to put their heads through a horse collar and contort their facial features into the most gruesomely horrible setting they can possibly conjure up. The ugliest face wins. The contest is the crowning glory of the Egremont Crab Fair, which also hosts such traditional delights as a pipe-smoking competition and greasy pole climbing.

More details: Egremont Crab Fair
Search: Festivals in Britain | Egremont
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