What began as a lighthearted act of defiance to welcome spring in 1978, the Burning of the Socks has taken on a life of its on and the tradition of saying good bye to winter by burning those old, smelly socks, has spread from east to west and in between.
Traditionally held on the Spring Equinox, marinas and yacht clubs across the country will celebrate the return of Spring, Sperry topsiders, flip flops, and best of all: boating season.
On Lake Texoma, the Lake Texoma Association is coordinating the lake wide event to be held on March 16, 2024 with multiple marinas participating.
Ode to the Sock Burners
By Jefferson Holland, Poet Laureate of Eastport, 1995
Them Eastport boys got an odd tradition
When the sun swings to its Equinoxical position,
They build a little fire down along the docks,
They doff their shoes and they burn their winter socks.
Yes, they burn their socks at the Equinox;
You might think that’s peculiar, but I think it’s not,
See, they’re the same socks they put on last fall,
And they never took ‘em off to wash ‘em, not at all…
So they burn their socks at the Equinox
In a little ol’ fire burning nice and hot.
Some think incineration is the only solution,
‘Cause washin’ ‘em contributes to the Chesapeake’s pollution.
Through the spring and the summer and into the fall,
They go around not wearin’ any socks at all,
Just stinky bare feet stuck in old deck shoes,
Whether out on the water or sippin’ on a brew.
So if you sail into the Harbor on the 20th of March,
And you smell a smell like Limburger sauteed with laundry starch,
You’ll know you’re downwind of the Eastport docks
Where they’re burning their socks for the Equinox.
Lake Texoma Burning of the Socks Events
Big Mineral
9:00 – 11:30 am Beach Clean-up
11:30 am – 1:00 pm “Burning of the Socks’ Bonfire (BYOS), free hotdogs, chili dogs, chips, tea & lemonade, Free flipflops to the first 50 partiipants
Buncombe Creek Marina
10 am: Bounce House, Dunk Tank, Live Musioc, Carnmival Games by locals, Plarl Bear Plunge, Chili Cook-off, Free Hotdogs
Cedar Mills Marina
St Patrick’s Day Event, Bonfire for burning socks, and Bingo Blast benefiting Texoma West End Lunch Program (Tickets for Bingo $35)
Eisenhower Yacht Club
Members Only Customer Appreciation food and Raffle
Highport Marina
Fire pit to burn socks, with donation bin to donate new socks to be donated to a charity. Shrimp boil at the Island Bar & Grill
Flowing Wells Resort & Marina
5 – 10 pm – Customer appreciation and benefit for the Locust Volunteer Fire Dept. Food, bonfire, and sock burning
Stay tuned….I’ll bet there will be more to come.