Three D.C. chefs will see how their balls stack up this weekend at carnival-esque testicle festival The Festicle on Sunday. Toki Underground’s Erik Bruner-Yang, Bearnaise and Good Stuff Eatery’s Spike Mendelsohn, and Water & Wall and Maple Ave Restaurant’s Tim Ma will compete in a cook off using lamb testies. (Full disclosure: I’ll be one of the judges.)
Mendelsohn’s new event company Spike’d Events will sell “elevated carnival food” like sushi popcorn and chicken and waffles on a stick, while Bruner-Yang’s forthcoming market Maketto will host a pop-up. The festival (from 1 to 9 p.m.) will also feature aerial artists, contortionists, and bands including Tennis System, White Ford Bronco, Black Masala, and Supreme Commander. And because taste has already been thrown out the window with the testicle theme, there will be wrestling matches between little people from the Micro Wrestling Federation.
The Festicle has already stirred some minor controversy. (No, not from the Little People of America.) The Montana State Society, which hosts its own annual testicle festival, called Mendelsohn the “Ballburglar” in a statement to Roll Call for “attempting to hijack” their signature event. “While a testivus for the rest of us sounds fun, stealing our original sack lunch is not ‘Good Stuff,'” the society’s president Jayne Leffingwell told the paper, adding: “The ball is in your court Mr. Mendelsohn. We’ll see how you measure up.”
Attendees must be at least 21 years old. Tickets (available here) are $20 before Sept. 21 and $25 at the door.