Did you know that every day of the year features several kooky and fun "holidays"? Many of these are started by industry groups but others have just developed over time. With the summer of 2020 so focused on home and family, we thought it would be fun to point out some of our favorite August holidays so you could choose to celebrate at your home too!
Print our PDF Calendar for your fridge!
August is Peach Month
Peaches are now ripe -- time to celebrate! Freshly-picked local peaches are available at Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro, Carlson Orchards in Harvard, Doe Orchards in Harvard, Farmer Dave's in Westford and Dracut, and Shelburne Farm in Stow. Once you're home with your luscious peaches, make our Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler.
August 2 Ice Cream Sandwich Day
Grab a quart of your favorite ice cream at a local Ice Cream Stand, cookies from a favorite bakery, and assemble these delicious treats.
August 3 Watermelon Day
Watermelons are at their sweet, juicy peak in August. Some tips for picking a great watermelon: it should feel heavy for its size (that means it's full of juice!), the pale spot should be a creamy yellow, not white (the yellow color means it's ripe), and, if you knock the watermelon with a knuckle, you should hear a deep, hollow sound. If it sounds dull, it's under or over ripe. Once you have the perfect melon, slice it up and use it for Watermelon Salsa, Watermelon Ice Pops, or in salads or granita.
August 4 National Night Out
National Night Out is a special day to promote police-community partnerships that make neighborhoods and towns safer. Locally, several towns usually have special celebrations sponsored by local law enforcement with free hot dog barbecues and live music. Although these celebrations will most likely be cancelled in 2020, it's still a great day to consider how you can help our local law enforcement to keep our neighborhoods safe by joining your local Neighborhood Crime Watch or even dropping off a thank you card at your local police department.
August 8 International Cat Day and International Bowling Day
Give your cat a hug and a special treat today, and then head out to Wamesit Lanes or Bowlero to celebrate International Bowling Day!
August 10 S'Mores Day
This summer confection of graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate absolutely deserves its own day. Gather the kids around a campfire and try this Smorgasbord of S'mores recipes and a S'Mores buffet. So many sticky fingers and happy faces!
August 15 Geocaching Day
Summer 2020 is a perfect time to geocache! Sign up at www.geocaching.com and search for local geocaches. Grab your smartphones and use the GPS to track down the hidden treasure. You never know what you’re going to find in a geocache; sometimes there's a notebook where you can leave a message or they may be a small trinket that you can take. Be sure to bring some small trinkets too, to replace what you take, so there's something special for the next person.
August 19 Potato Day
Ah, the marvelous spud. Fry it, bake it, boil it -- it's always delicious. Here are our favorite recipes for a quick potato salad and microwave potatoes.
August 20 Chocolate Pecan Pie Day
It seems a little early in the year for a pecan pie day (it's more of a Fall dessert in my mind) but, hey, perhaps it's time to practice and perfect your perfect pecan pie for Thanksgiving.
August 23 Sponge Cake Day
If you're a fan of the British Baking Show like I am, then you've become very familiar with all the sponges -- Genoise sponge, Viennese sponge, angel food cake. I'd never made a sponge cake before but I whipped up a Victoria sandwich (vanilla sponge cake with a jam filling, sprinkled with confectioners sugar) for Mother's Day. It was easy and so delicious -- especially perfect for a picnic since it's so much more portable and easy to eat than a traditional American frosted cake. Give it a try! Here's the recipe I used, except I skipped the whipped cream.
August 25 Banana Split Day
You now have an excuse to head out to a local Ice Cream Stand and indulge in a banana split! Yes!!
August 27 Burger Day
Best burgers in Greater Lowell? Try MOOYAH in Billerica, Five Guys, and Burtons Grill.
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