International Cherry Pit Spitting Day

International Cherry Pit Spitting Day is observed on the first Saturday of July. In 2026, this date falls on July 4. This cheerful summer observance is built around a simple contest: eating a cherry and seeing how far the pit can be spit. It is connected with cherry season, outdoor gatherings, and the kind of playful competition that works well at farms, festivals, picnics, and backyards. The day is informal, light-hearted, and best understood as a fun food-and-games holiday with roots in a real Michigan fruit-farm tradition. ¹

See also: National Cherry Tart Day, National Cherry Dessert Day, National Cherry Cheesecake Day, National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day

History of International Cherry Pit Spitting Day

The best-documented background of International Cherry Pit Spitting Day traces to the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship at Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire, Michigan. The contest began in 1974 when fruit grower Herb Teichman held a cherry-pit spitting tournament that started modestly as a neighborhood gathering. What began as a playful farm activity grew into an annual event tied to the local tart cherry harvest. Over time, the competition became closely associated with the first Saturday in July.

The original Michigan contest helped turn cherry pit spitting from a picnic joke into a recognizable amateur sport. Competitors typically ate the cherry, kept the pit in the mouth, and tried to launch it the greatest distance without using hands or equipment. The activity also gained attention through record-setting performances, including Brian “Young Gun” Krause’s recognized 93 feet 6.5 inch spit at the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship in Eau Claire. Today, the day keeps the spirit of that contest alive as a seasonal excuse to enjoy cherries, laugh a little, and test an oddly specific skill.

Why is International Cherry Pit Spitting Day important?

International Cherry Pit Spitting Day matters because it connects a summer fruit with local agriculture, family entertainment, and friendly competition. Cherries are already strongly tied to early summer in many growing regions, and the day gives people a playful way to notice the season instead of treating fruit as just another grocery item. It also shows how small farm traditions can become memorable because they are easy to understand and easy to join. A contest does not need expensive equipment or formal training when the main tools are cherries, space, and a tape measure.

The day also has value as a reminder that community events can be silly and still worthwhile. A cherry pit spitting contest draws attention to orchards, farm markets, and local harvests without turning the experience into a lecture. It gives children and adults a shared activity that is competitive but not too serious. In that sense, the observance belongs to a long line of rural and seasonal traditions where food, humor, and neighborly rivalry meet.

• It puts attention on cherry season.
• It gives families a low-cost outdoor activity.
• It keeps a quirky farm tradition visible.
• It supports interest in local fruit growers.
• It turns a simple snack into a game.

How to Celebrate International Cherry Pit Spitting Day

Buy a bag of fresh cherries, choose a safe outdoor space, and set up a simple spitting line. Each person can eat the cherry, spit the pit, and measure from the line to the spot where the pit first lands. Keep the rules simple, especially for children, and separate age groups if the contest includes both adults and younger participants. A sidewalk, lawn, park, or picnic area can work as long as the space is clear and everyone cleans up afterward.

The day can also be paired with a visit to a farmers market, orchard, or fruit stand. Fresh cherries make the activity better, and buying them locally adds a practical connection to the harvest behind the holiday. After the contest, use the remaining fruit in pie, cobbler, jam, compote, smoothies, or a bowl of chilled cherries for dessert. For a more community-minded version, invite neighbors, make a small scoreboard, and give a funny homemade prize for longest spit, best form, or most dramatic attempt.

• Hold a backyard pit-spitting contest.
• Mark distances with chalk or flags.
• Make cherry pie with the extra fruit.
• Visit a local farm stand.
• Give prizes for distance and style.

International Cherry Pit Spitting Day Dates

1. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/cherry-stone-spitting-greatest-distance[↩]