SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif.—The excitement of dozens of children and parents was audible at Los Rios Park as volunteers prepared three frogs for the city’s 7th annual Frog Jumping Contest March 24.
“Okay, you guys ready to race?” asked Jim Taylor, president of San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association—the hosting organization and the largest volunteer group in the city—over the microphone as children sitting behind a roped-off circle chose one of the three frogs for the win.
“The first frog to make it to the rope wins, and you all have three chances for your frog to get there first,” Taylor said.
The frogs—“Tastes Like Chicken,” “Hot Legs,” and “Paddy Hop”—sat calmly in the hands of the volunteers before being placed on the ground for their time to jump.
Because the frogs were not able to jump on command, it depended on the handlers to figure out how to make them move toward the finish line, where dozens of children were eagerly awaiting their hopeful winner.
“It looks like ‘Tastes Like Chicken’ might make it for the win this round!” Taylor continued commentating over the microphone. “And … he wins! All who chose ‘Tastes Like Chicken’ please go collect your prize!”
Those who picked the winner were able to keep the fun going, with their prizes—miniature plastic frogs that would jump when pressed down to the floor.
In San Juan Capistrano, event organizers take it a step further with a Twain impersonator on-site to not only entertain the attendees, but also provide historical context for the day’s event.
“The kids really love this [frog jumping contest],” Michael Fitzgibbons, donning the writer’s signature white suit and black ribbon tie, told The Epoch Times.
“This is a great way to get the old fiesta going here in San Juan,” he said, referring to the city’s annual Festival of Swallows celebrating the return of swallows in mid-March from their winter habitat in Argentina.
The contest was a precursor to the Swallows Day Parade happening the next morning in the city’s downtown area.
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