International Cherry Pit Spitting Day
July 4
About International Cherry Pit Spitting Day
International Cherry Pit Spitting Day falls on the first Saturday of July each year, landing on Saturday, 4 July 2026. The day celebrates the gloriously silly summer pastime of seeing how far you can launch a cherry stone from your mouth, a tradition that grew out of a Michigan fruit farm in the 1970s and now coincides perfectly with the height of cherry season.
How to Celebrate International Cherry Pit Spitting Day
This is a day made for getting outside, eating fresh fruit, and a bit of friendly competition. Here are plenty of ways to take part.
- Hold your own spitting contest – Gather friends or family in the garden or a park, mark a launch line, and measure each spit with a tape measure. Best of three attempts keeps it fair.
- Perfect your technique – Champions favour a deep breath, a tucked tongue, and a sharp, forceful blow rather than brute force. Keep the pit dry and your lips loose for distance.
- Eat plenty of fresh cherries – You cannot spit a pit without first enjoying the fruit. Pick up a punnet of sweet or tart cherries from a local market or pick-your-own farm.
- Visit a pick-your-own orchard – Early July is peak harvest in many regions, so spend the morning picking cherries straight from the tree before the afternoon contest.
- Make a cherry recipe – Bake a cherry pie, whip up a clafoutis, or blend a cherry smoothie. Save the pits for the main event.
- Set up junior and senior categories – Split competitors by age so children and grandparents can compete on a level playing field, just as the original championship did.
- Film your best attempt – Record slow-motion footage of your spits, compare distances, and share the results online to rope friends into the challenge.
- Aim for the record – The recognised world record stands at over 93 feet. You almost certainly will not beat it, but trying is half the fun.
What is International Cherry Pit Spitting Day?
International Cherry Pit Spitting Day is a light-hearted, participation-focused celebration of one of summer’s most unusual sports. The aim is simple: put a cherry in your mouth, eat the flesh, then spit the pit as far as you possibly can. It is enjoyed by families, fruit growers, and competitive spitters alike, and it neatly marks the moment when cherries are at their ripest and most plentiful. If you enjoy quirky food celebrations, you might also like National Cherry Day, which honours the fruit itself later in the month.
When is International Cherry Pit Spitting Day?
International Cherry Pit Spitting Day takes place on the first Saturday of July every year. In 2026 that falls on Saturday, 4 July. Because the date is tied to the first Saturday rather than a fixed number, it shifts slightly each year, as the table below shows.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday, 4 July |
| 2027 | Saturday, 3 July |
| 2028 | Saturday, 1 July |
| 2029 | Saturday, 7 July |
| 2030 | Saturday, 6 July |
The History of International Cherry Pit Spitting Day
The tradition traces back to 1974 and the Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm just outside Eau Claire, Michigan. The farm’s owner, Herb Teichman, a respected fruit grower nicknamed the Dean of Southwest Michigan Fruitgrowers, organised the very first pit-spitting contest almost as a joke during a summer picnic. He wanted to draw attention to his farm and to the tart cherry harvest that defines the region each July.
The joke landed. The contest proved so popular that Teichman turned it into an annual fixture, setting it for the first Saturday of July to coincide with peak cherry season. Over the following decades the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship grew into a genuine sporting event, complete with judges, age categories, and crowds of spectators. It became the only cherry pit spitting contest recognised by Guinness World Records.
The Michigan championship ran for 45 years before the Teichman family sold the farm in 2020, bringing the original event to a close. By then the idea had spread far beyond Michigan, inspiring similar contests in Canada, Germany, Australia, and elsewhere, and giving rise to the wider International Cherry Pit Spitting Day that anyone can mark wherever cherries grow.
Fun Facts About International Cherry Pit Spitting Day
- The recognised world record was set by Brian “Young Gun” Krause of Lansing, Michigan, who spat a pit 93 feet 6½ inches in 2003.
- The original championship began in 1974 and ran for 45 consecutive years until 2019.
- It is the only cherry pit spitting competition ever recognised by Guinness World Records.
- Founder Herb Teichman started the event partly to promote awareness of the tart cherry harvest, a crop Michigan is famous for.
- Competitors typically get three attempts, with the longest single spit counting as their score.
- The day deliberately falls during peak cherry-picking season, so the fruit is at its freshest and most abundant.
Why International Cherry Pit Spitting Day Matters
Beyond the laughs, the day celebrates seasonal eating, supports cherry growers, and brings communities together for a bit of harmless fun. It reminds us that food traditions do not have to be grand to be worth keeping, and it gives families a free, simple way to spend a summer afternoon outdoors. You might pair it with another playful summer treat such as National Free Slurpee Day a week later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is International Cherry Pit Spitting Day?
It is a fun annual celebration in which people compete to spit cherry pits as far as possible. It grew out of a Michigan fruit farm contest founded in 1974 and now marks the height of cherry season.
When is International Cherry Pit Spitting Day in 2026?
It falls on the first Saturday of July, which in 2026 is Saturday, 4 July.
What is the cherry pit spitting world record?
Brian Krause holds the recognised record at 93 feet 6½ inches, set in 2003 at the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship in Michigan.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your best cherry pit spitting photos and videos on social media with #CherryPitSpittingDay and #CherryPitSpittingDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to beat your distance!
Related Awareness Days
- National Cherry Day – A celebration of the cherry itself, marked later in July.
- National Free Slurpee Day – Another playful summer food day, perfect for a hot July afternoon.
- National Bomb Pop Day – A nostalgic frozen treat day that captures the same summer spirit.
Links
- Read more about cherry pit spitting and the championship
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
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