If you hear a rumbling beneath the soil and earthworms start poking out to investigate, you might have just stumbled upon Sopchoppy’s annual Worm Grunting Festival.
For the last 24 years, the rural town of Sopchoppy, Florida, has held a festival that includes music, vendors, and you guessed it, plenty of worms.
“There’s something for the family to do with the park and all the local vendors, so it’s giving back to the local community,” Crawfordville resident James Dixon said.
The act of worm grunting is a technique that involves rubbing a metal poll on a piece of carved wood. This sound sends vibrations through the ground and causes earthworms to surface—hence the name worm grunting. Those worms were then traditionally collected and sold as bait to local fishermen.
During the festival men, women and children of all ages try their hands at the activity—including first timers like Florida State University student Carson Smith.
“I’ve always heard about it, and it was actually my girlfriend who convinced me to come out here today,” Smith said. “I watched a 15-second tutorial on YouTube and thought I’d give it a try, and today has been fun so far.”
The act of worm grunting plays a significant role in the history of Sopchoppy’s local fishing economy.
Longtime Sopchoppy resident and festival organizer Gary Revill explained that he has been grunting since he was five years old. Although he is happy to see everyone enjoying this longtime tradition, he said it is important to remember that this profession is still one of hard work.
“They need to learn this has been going on for a while and people in this county raised families doing this; it wasn’t just a play thing like a festival, you had to work hard,” Revell said.
