Catch a Buzz

In Clute, which lies about five miles inland of the Gulf of Mexico, mosquitoes are a fact of life. The little suckers (locals sometimes call ’em worse things) even have their own summertime festival, the Great Texas Mosquito Festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary July 28-30. Along with appearances by Willie Man-Chew, the 26-foot, inflatable mosquito mascot, this year’s skeeter-pleaser features well-known acts like the Marshall Tucker Band, Roger Creager, and Robert Earl Keen, who will create a buzz of their own.

Silly contests, like a mosquito-calling competition and a mosquito-legs pageant, make light of the area’s most maligned insect, and other activities—like the carnival, a goat-roping contest, and a “Buzz, Bike, and Skate” tour—keep the days fun-filled. But for many festival-goers, the food here is the big draw. It’s so tasty and abundant that last year, a crew from the Food Network showed up to commit the BBQ-Fajita Cook-off to posterity, and wound up smitten with the Texas way of doin’ things. After all, where else but the Lone Star State would you find a mosquito mascot with such an impressive bloodline? Call 800/371-2971; www.mosquitofestival.com.

From the July 2005 issue.

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