Maricopa’s long-dormant hometown festival returns to Pacana Park this month with a lineup that mixes nostalgic charm and unapologetic weirdness. Alongside carnival rides and concerts, this year’s Stagecoach Days will feature contests that could make even seasoned fairgoers do a double take, from worm wranglin’ to pig bobbin’.

It’s all part of the city’s effort to revive one of its oldest celebrations in a way that honors tradition while keeping it fun.

“We wanted to create a festival where everyone from toddlers to trailblazers could find their kind of fun,” said Maricopa’s Events and Sponsorship Coordinator Nick Brooks, “whether that’s a live concert, a horse ride, or, yes… a cricket spit.”

Here are some of the more unusual attractions scheduled during this year’s festival. First, a

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