Hairy Man Festival September 24, 2011 11:00am - 6:00pm Cat Hollow Park Round Rock, Texas Admission: $2 or 2 non-perishable food items (note: 2010 info - 2011 info pending)
The annual Hairy Man Festival is a fun, family-oriented one day festival in the Brushy Creek area of Round Rock, just north of Austin.
The event features lots of kid activities and entertainment, along with a wide assortment of arts and craft vendors and live music.
The highlight of the festival is the annual Hairiest Man Contest, in which entrants remove their shirts (thankfully, this is a torso-only competition) and display their thick plumage to the delight(?) of the crowd.
The contest is judged by a panel of eight or so representative individuals of the Brushy Creek community. The winner receives a $500 check.
Note: This is a subjective competition - nothing is measured, weighed, or combed. Much emphasis is placed on style and showmanship. If you're going to compete in this event, be aware that being fat and sweaty is a big plus - it seems to lend a certain authority to one's hairiness.
This Brushy Creek festival first began in 1994 and is organized by the Brushy Creek Women's Association and the Brushy Creek MUD. The event typically raises tens of thousands of dollars (and a whole lot of canned food) each year for various local Williamson County charities.
So who was the original Hairy Man of Brushy Creek? See the videos below for more background on the festival and the engaging and entertaining story of the 19th century wild man harrassing area travelers (not that those travelers found the experience all that entertaining).
The annual Hairy Man Festival is a fun, family-oriented one day festival in the Brushy Creek area of Round Rock, just north of Austin.
