Most anyone in the Tri-City area can tell you what the first weekend of October means -- turtle races! However, many may not know that the Terrapin Derby is a 78-year-old strong tradition with a rich history.

The first Terrapin Derby began in 1930 when the American Legionaires. The first turtles were provided by Granville Bishop, a local turtle farmer, who raised thousands of turtles annually and shipped them across the country.

The annual event evolved each year with arts, crafts and games quickly becoming a part of the tradition. In 1934, another tradition was added to the festival when Virginia Portis Cross, now 90, was crowned the first Terrapin Derby queen. Last year Cross was the grand marshal of the Terrapin Derby parade and had the honor of crowing the new queen.

Cross said the turtles raced during her reign were gathered from the Little River.

In 1982 the Lepanto Museum took over sponsorship of the event and continued to spearhead it until 1999 when the men of the Lepanto Fire Department took charge. They still remain the sponsors.

While music, carnival rides and craft booths have become a mainstay of the Terrapin Derby, the turtle races are still at the heart of the event. A crowd begins to gather around the "race track" in front of the state on Main Street around 3 p.m. with the race set to start at 4 p.m.

When the races first began, participants could buy a ticket with a number on it that corresponded to a numbered turtle. Whoever held the number of the turtle crossing the finish line first won a prize.

Today, hundreds more tickets are sold than the turtles that are raced. The turtles are actually rented and are returned shortly after the race. The prize winners are determined by a drawing from the tickets sold.

Even though the "winning" turtle doesn't truly determine the prize recipients, it's still no less fun for the children and grownups alike who reach out to pet the turtles and cheer them on to victory.