Have a Ball at Michigan’s Testicle Festival

After being cancelled last year due to COVID-19, this year's Deerfield Testicle Festival will happen later than usual, but it is being planned for Saturday, September 18th, 2021.

The Testicle Festival is usually held earlier in the year to celebrate the start of spring. People attend to eat sliced and deep-fried cattle testicles and chicken gizzards.

There was a time when animals testicles were a local delicacy that were served up at the Deerfield Tavern until its untimely demise. The American Legion of Deerfield decided to carry on the town’s tradition with the yearly festival.

The festival usually brings in more than 2,000 people and it is the Legion’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Money raised allows the Legion to make improvements to their hall and also give back to the community. The Testicle Festival is responsible for bringing in about 90% of the Legion's yearly income.

The 20th Annual Testicle Festival will be held at the Deerfield American Legion Post 392, at 105 W. River St. in Deerfield. It will run from 10 am to 10 pm. Dinners will be served from Noon until they sell out. The dinners will include Mountain Oysters (a fancy name for cattle testicles), chicken gizzards, baked bean, slaw, and rolls. There will also be a gun raffle.

More information about the Testicle Festival can be found on the Deerfield American Legion Facebook page.

Deerfield Village is located in Lenawee County the southeast part of the state. A fun fact about Deerfield: It was the birthplace of actor and philanthropist Danny Thomas.

In all my years of traveling and trying different foods, I have never had Mountain Oysters. I'm still debating on a road trip to Deerfield next month to try them. I think I might have other plans that day!