Sparkle backed illustration of an indy car with red stripes and number on a blue and red background with yellow text

The Indianapolis 500 (commonly referred to as the Indy 500) is an annual race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.  The race is held every Memorial Day weekend and is part of the IndyCar Series of racing featuring drivers in open-cockpit cars. There are 33 cars competing in each race to finish 200 laps in the fastest time possible. The first race was held in 1911 and was won by Ray Harroun, and the winningest drivers of the race  are A. J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr., and Rick Mears with four wins each. Winners of the Indy 500 receive a multi-million dollar purse and are presented with a bottle of milk that is traditionally sipped in victory lane.

Black and yellow text next to an illustration of a red and pink devil, with a black and orange flame background.   

Halloween's celebrated holiday is the evening before the Christian All Hallows Day/ All Saints Day. Halloween, also known as Hallows Eve, celebrations in America include dressing up as scary or devilish characters and going from house to house peddling candy under the phrase, "Trick or Treat."

Hallmark began in 1910, when Joyce Clyde Hall started selling postcards. He had little money – not even enough to take a horse-drawn cab to his lodgings at the YMCA – but he had an entrepreneurial spirit and the determination of a pioneer. Hall quickly made a name for himself with the picture postcards he sold.  Rollie Hall joined his brother in business, and the company was named Hall Brothers. On Jan. 11, 1915, a fire destroyed their office and inventory. They took the only salvageable item – their safe – and set up shop again. With $17,000 in debt, they decided to press onward. As postcard sales declined, they recognized the public’s desire for more privacy in their communication, so they started offering high-quality valentines and Christmas cards mailed in envelopes. The fateful fire resulted in the decision to buy printing presses and Hallmark begin producing their own greeting cards in 1915. Hallmark now employs in-house designers and writers to create exclusive content, however, the average person may still get their design seen by the corporation through ongoing monthly contests.

Red text and black hearts on a white heart background on top of a light red background

Saint Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is a holiday observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it is not an official holiday in most of them. The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In eighteenth-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending hand-written cards.

Yellow text outlined in black over an illustration of a witch in black on a broomstick in front of a yellow moon on an orange background

Halloween originated over 2,000 years ago by the Celtic tribes. However, the Celts called Halloween under another name, Samhain. This festival was celebrated on October 31st when they believed the world of the living and the world of the dead blurred on this night. In 609 A.D., Christianity, in an attempt to bridge the cultures, took Samhain and merged the timing with the Christian holiday, All Souls’ Day or All Hallows Day. Christians who celebrated All Souls’ Day still did many of the same activities that were once popular during Samhain. In 19th century America, the modern-day Halloween or Hallows Eve began to evolve. It was popularized by an influx of Irish immigrants because of the Irish Potato Famine. This new version of the holiday evolved from being about the living, the dead, and witches to being about community, candy, and trick-or-treating.

The history of witches dates back into the mid-1400s in Europe when witches were tried, confessed, and killed for their crimes. Most of Europe thought that witches were affiliated with the Devil and evil. Modern-day renditions of witches, such as the classic persona of an old woman with a crooked nose and tall, black hat is a newer addition to the myth.

Black text above and below an illustration of a bird on a branch with white flowers on a blue sky background

Abingdon is a town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Washington County, Virginia. Abingdon, the county seat, is well known for its historic charm and to some amazing outdoor activities including bird watching. Its location along the Appalachian Trail is perfect for waterfowl and songbird sightings. Washington County Park has the next highest number of bird species at 111.

Black and white illustration of a person with a beard wearing a big brimmed hat, suspenders and black boots over black text on a red background

Have info on this button? Contact us here.

Illustration of a red ball with yellow and white text. The background of this button replicates the pattern of a typical orange dodgeball.

Dodgeball, starring Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, was released on DVD on December 7, 2004. The sports comedy focused on a group of competitive adult dodgeball players who were competing to save their local gym from being taken over by a fitness corporation. 

Black text around the outer edge with an illustration of a yellow chicken holding a beer mug on a white background

The Chicken Creek Cafe and Saloon is located in Chicken, Alaska. It is part of the Chicken Gold Camp and Outpost. This small town was part of the gold rush. Tourists can see the gold dredge and mining museum or participate in panning for gold among other activities. 

Red and white illustration of two hands on a rope with red text above and below on a yellow background

The Cheese City Tug-of-War Tournament was the first of an annual tug-of-war competition held at the Green County Fairgrounds in Monroe, Wisconsin. This was a separate, stand alone event not part of the Green County Fair or Cheese Days, both of which have held tug-of-war competitions. The first Cheese City tug was held on August 10, 1980. The tug continued annually into the early 1980s before an abrupt end. 

The city of Monroe, Wisconsin, is known as the “Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA” due to the city’s strong Swiss heritage and award winning cheesemaking. The city embraces its cheese notoriety with a Cheese Days Festival and a 47 mile recreational path named Cheese Country Trail.

Black text outlined in white on a yellow and pink background with an illustration of Pioneer 10

In 1972, NASA’s Glenn Research Center launched the space probe called Pioneer 10 from Cape Kennedy, now known as the Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The purpose of the mission was to obtain close-up images of Jupiter. In June of 1983, Pioneer 10 became the first man-made object to pass the outer limits of the solar system, traveling past all known planets into interstellar space. The mission officially came to a close in 1997, although the probe was still able to transmit data after this time. It’s final signal was transmitted on June 23, 2003, from nearly 7.6 million miles away.