The Hairy Man Festival was held in Round Rock last week. This was the 23rd year for the event to be held. Organizers were expecting upwards to 6,000 people to attend the festival. At the end of the event, a winner was chosen for The Hairiest Man contest. Jared MacDonald was declared the winner and was awarded $500. “It’s very flattering to hear people cheering and screaming for you,” said MacDonald. “But it is also a little surreal to be applauded for your hair.”
Lifestyle
The Hairy Man Festival in Round Rock: Winner Wins ‘By A Hair’
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The Legend of the Hairy Man in Round Rock
Photo: Facebook/TXGHL
The Hairy Man Festival celebrates a legend in the Round Rock area. The legend of Round Rock’s Hairy Man dates to pioneer days. Various versions of the local legend say a young boy either fell off a wagon as pioneers headed west or was separated from them by flood waters. However it happened, the boy then either lived on his own in the woods or was raised by local animals. Eventually, the boy grew into a man and became a hermit and, well, very hairy.
The story says the hairy man frequently tried to chase away strangers and would hide in the trees to scare passers-by, sometimes sitting up in the tree canopy which grew over the road, dragging his feet on the top of passing stagecoaches. One day, he supposedly fell in front of a stagecoach and was trampled to death, doomed to haunt the shady road to this day.
The Event Raised Money for Local Charities
Photo: Facebook/bcmud
The event also featured a 5k run, costume contest and live music. Non-profits were on hand to collect donations for local charities such as the Round Rock Serving Center, which carries out a community-wide mission of churches, other organizations and individuals serving human needs in the City of Round Rock and surrounding areas.
