Ophidiophiles rejoice! From April 27 to 29, Magnum, Oklahoma will be shaking its tail to make sure you have a slithery good time. Yup, on that weekend, the annual Mangum Rattlesnake Derby will be back in town. What’s more, the event will be returning with carnival rides, a square dance, a fun run, and a flea market. In other words: plenty of places for a mean, scared rattler to hide. (Just kidding.)
Begun in 1966 as a project of the Chamber of Commerce, the derby now attracts 30,000 visitors, hundreds of flea market vendors — and more than 1500 snakes.
Among the Derby’s events are competitions for Largest Snake, Most Pounds of Snakes, and Most Snakes. The event also features snake pits — where you (but not me!) can safely get within inches of hundreds of rattlers — professional snake charmers, wrestlers and handlers — as well as snake dinners, courtesy of the Bite Back Café. Guess what? Snake tastes like chicken — only greasier!