Saturday, August 4 - Seeing double

Doubles for dinner at Damon's... Delightfully delicious! Andrea, Mike, Allison, Karri, Chuck, and Karla enjoyed some good eats before going back for the fireworks!
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Over the weekend, my twin sister Andrea and I went to Twinsburg, Ohio, for the annual Twins Days Festival. (Hey, I bet you didn't know that Twinsburg is the only city in the world founded by twins!!) This was our first time going, and we were both really excited!

This festival is the largest gathering of twins anywhere in the world, with 2,034 sets of twins in attendance this year - and that's just the ones who registered!

When we arrived in Twinsburg, we immediately began seeing sets of identically-dressed twins heading for Ravenna Road, where the Saturday morning parade was about to take place. I was so excited, I had butterflies!

And you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two!
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Lots of twins were driving toward the parade area as well, and they smiled and waved at us as they passed. Of course, we smiled and waved back!

We wandered the parade gathering grounds, taking pictures and just soaking it all in. After a lot soaking and grinning, a set of twins - Keith and Ken - introduced themselves and sort of adopted us, which is apparently something they do every year for first-time twins.

Perhaps you're wondering, like we were, how they knew we were first-timers. They said they could tell because our shoes weren't a perfect match!

Chuck, Allison, Andrea, and Mike pose for a quick photo. I'm glad Chuck and Mike wore different colored shirts - I don't know if I would've been able to tell the difference otherwise!
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We walked in the parade together, carrying on and telling jokes and enjoying being "famous." As we looked at all the effort that had been put into this event, I said with a grin, "Hey, we're special - just like everyone else here!!"

After the parade, we got registered and checked out the grounds. I couldn't stop giggling as I looked around - so many sets of twins in the exact same clothes, handbags, cell phones, and even anklets!

We noticed one particular set of twins with the EXACT same gait, even down to the way their right arms swung slightly in front of them as they walked.

The twin on the left made their outfits. I wonder, is the twin on the right just as crafty?
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We made a few bucks participating in twins research, and we gave our best effort at winning the "least alike twins" contest, but the competition was too steep! Some of those twins didn't even look related!!

We spent the rest of the day just enjoying being around so many other sets of twins. The cameraderie was something really special, and though the twins' friends and families seemed to be enjoying themselves, I have a feeling the twins were enjoying it even more...well, except maybe the babies and infants, most of whom seemed to be a little fussy from the heat.

Hey, it's a horse built for two! Following the theme of the weekend, these twins dressed for a fiesta!
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In the evening, we ate dinner at Damon's with two other sets of twins (there were lots of other twins who showed up at the restaurant as well!), and then we headed back for a five-star fireworks show! What a fun day!!

Don't forget to click "View more photos" to access the gallery for all the photos that didn't fit on this page!!