August may be the only month of the year lacking a major holiday, but food lovers have plenty to celebrate in the next week alone. From waffles to filet mignon, no less than 10 foods have their holidays this week and part of the next.

Aug. 5 - Waffles, oysters

Food holidays kicks off with National Waffle Day today. Sure, you can toss some Eggos in the toaster, but for the real waffle experience, head to local restaurants like Hunter's Dinerant, 18 Genesee St., Auburn, or the Auburn Diner, 64 Columbus St., Auburn. A dedicated waffle connoisseur can also bring out the waffle pan and celebrate none other than Thomas Jefferson bringing the device to the United States from France (according to legend, anyway).

There is a controversy over what exact day everything waffled should be celebrated. While some claim Aug. 5, others, such as online personality “Mr. Breakfast,” claim the day is actually Aug. 24 - and its observance today is, according to food holiday urban legend, a mistake propagated by a teacher's lesson plan.

But what's wrong with celebrating the holiday both days?

Even if waffles don't tickle your fancy, or if you are a purist and insist on celebrating waffle day on Aug. 24, you won't be left out. This day is also National Oyster Day. Oysters can be enjoyed raw, grilled, fried, steamed - nearly any way you can imagine.

Getting a salt water shellfish hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean may seem like a daunting task, but residents of Cayuga County have a few options. Doug's Fish Fry, 8 Jordan St., Skaneateles features fried oysters as one of its menu items, and of course, Wegmans, 1 Loop Road, Auburn, carries different varieties of seafood and recipes to try in your own home.

Aug. 6 - Root beer floats

After a day of waffles and oysters, the celebration continues on Thursday with a celebration of a great way to enjoy a hot August day: the root beer float.

Ice cold root beer with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it may be just the thing for getting through the middle of summer, and local residents have a few options to get one.

Reese's Dairy Bar, 1422 Clark St. Road, Aurelius, sells ice cream floats, and you have the option of any soda and any type of ice cream. Combined with the homemade ice cream that has made Reese's a multi-year winner of The Citizen's Best of the Region competition, Reese's may just be the go-to place for root beer floats on Aug. 6.

Residents or visitors to Auburn also have an opportunity to try one of the best known root beer floats in America. A&W has been marketing its root beer float since the restaurant first opened in 1919, and the company has grown to thousands of locations worldwide. For cold root beer and vanilla soft serve in a frosted mug, celebrating Root Beer Float Day is as close as 276 Grant Ave.

Aug. 7 - Raspberries and cream

Celebrating refreshing desserts is not isolated to root beer floats and Aug. 6. In fact, it is a theme that continues throughout the week.

Aug. 7 brings Raspberries and Cream Day. As raspberry picking season comes to end in most of the northern hemisphere, berry lovers should try this simple treat made from mixing raspberries and whipped cream. Whipped cream can be found in your local grocery store, or made fresh from any one of many recipes found online. Raspberries, however, present a wider range of choices. They can be found at grocery stores as well, or you can find them fresh. Grisamore Farms, 749 Cowan Road, Locke, is just one choice for picking raspberries yourself, while farmers markets in Auburn, Moravia, Sterling, Skaneateles and elsewhere also offer opportunities for fresh berries.

Aug. 8

Zucchini and frozen custard may not seem like the best pairing of foods, but both are celebrated on Aug. 8.

Zucchini can be enjoyed in too many ways to count, from grilling and marinating to raw on a salad and any way in between.

Interested buyers can find zucchini in a supermarket, of course, or they can support local farmers at the Auburn Farmers Market on Genesee Street between Loop Road and South Street and get fresh zucchini grown by the person who sold it to you.

As for recipes, a quick search of Web sites for companies like Food Network can bring a wealth of choices, from fried zucchini to zucchini carbonara.

After a delicious meal (with zucchini, perhaps), dessert is in order. Look no further than frozen custard, a treat similar to ice cream, but made with eggs as well. While it may be a bit of a drive, those interested in trying this dessert can take a trip to Abbott's Frozen Custard, a national chain that started in Rochester. Nearby locations are also in Syracuse.

Aug. 9 and 10

The dessert theme of food holidays is in full swing on Aug. 9 and 10.

Aug. 9 brings Rice Pudding Day, and though the dessert does not appear to be a popular item among Auburn restaurants, recipes and ingredients can be found at local supermarkets, such as Wegmans.

Aug. 10 brings dual desserts, with s'mores and banana splits. As any camper will tell you, s'mores need to be made by hand, not bought, and the stickiness is part of the fun. Graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows can be found at your local supermarket, and for those without a campfire, a quick online search can bring plenty of recipes for “indoor s'mores.”

Banana Splits are an iconic dessert, and any ice cream stand worth its scoops will have one, so visit your favorite stand and enjoy this mammoth sundae, perhaps with a friend (or several).

Aug. 13

This week of food holidays comes to a close with National Filet Mignon Day on Aug. 13. Steak connoisseurs regard this cut of beef as the most tender and flavorful.

To enjoy filet mignon in all its glory, including the name (which comes from France), a visit to Lasca's Restaurant, 252-258 Grant Ave., Auburn, is in order. Though it appears to be the only restaurant in Auburn with filet mignon on the menu, there is some important information for consumers to keep in mind. Filet mignon comes from the part of the cow known as the tenderloin, and tenderloin steaks can be found from local eateries such as Balloons, 67 Washington St., Auburn, or Wegmans.