Throughout its history, Animal Crossing would try to find ways to keep players coming back every day. Sometimes players need to complete chores, and other times they want to just check-in on the villagers and the shops. But one of the more interesting ways the series has gotten players to increase their participation is through various events.
With each game being relatively different from the previous, it's hard to include every event that the series has held over the years. But there are some that are not only missed but should get considered for being brought back in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
10 Bright Nights
Back in Animal Crossing: Wild World, there weren't as many holidays celebrated as there are in the other installments. That said, they had a few week-long events that made the game unique. One of these is events is Bright Nights, a February event that pitted villagers against one another to see who had the best house lights in the neighborhood. The player would be the judge of these lights and would vote during the week on whose house looked the best. How the player votes would affect how villagers react.
9 Sale Day
On the opposite spectrum from Wild World, there was Animal Crossing: Population Growing. The first installment in the franchise was filled to the brim with events, some of which took from unofficial U.S. holidays. Sale Day took place the day after the Harvest Festival, kind of like how Black Friday comes right after Thanksgiving. The day includes Tom Nook selling grab bags with random items in them, as well as a visit from Redd and his black market tent. Mayor Tortimer even gifts you a model of Redd's tent.
8 Weeding Day
Introduced in Animal Crossing: New Leaf and remaining there, this event was a showcase of the newly-introduced special character Leif. On the last Friday of April, Leif would ask the player to go around town and pick up any weeds that are on the ground.
Players will get a prize whether they help Leif clean up or their town is already spotless. Players are also welcome to head to a friend's town and help them with their weed problem. That town's Leif will also reward them.
7 Tortimer's Vacation
This wasn't among the town-wide celebrations, but it was an event the player could participate in nonetheless. Sometime during the winter in Population Growing, Tortimer would ask the player if they could turn on the lighthouse every night while he is on vacation. This event gave the player their only opportunity to see the inside of the lighthouse. If the player successfully does this for the full length of the vacation, which is about a week, Tortimer would reward the player with either a lighthouse model or chocolates.
6 Flower Fest
For this Wild World event, the town turns into a gardening showdown for one week in April. The town residents, including the player, are tasked with creating the biggest gardens they can while also showcasing a variety of flowers. Players can win this competition easily, whether it's by building a garden on their own or stealing their neighbors' flowers. If the player is successful, they will get a golden trophy for their beautiful garden. Tortimer will be there throughout the event to give out flower seeds and tell the player the flower that represents their birth month.
5 Flea Market
The only non-seasonal occasion on this list, the Flea Market was a frequent event in both Wild World and Animal Crossing: City Folk. For the entire day, players can visit other villagers' homes and purchase items that are on sale with some select items remaining off-limits. This was helpful for players because they could buy something they've always wanted from Tom Nook's shop. Villagers can also visit the player's home to purchase any items they no longer need or were hoping to sell.
4 Acorn Festival
October is the first full month of autumn and Wild World had a very unique event to kick off the season. With event host Cornimer, who is widely believed to be Tortimer with an acorn for a head, players are tasked with collecting acorns that are found throughout the town.
There are different kinds of acorns throughout the town, but all the player needs to do is collect 230 throughout the week to collect the full Mushroom Series furniture set. Players should avoid giving Cornimer rotten acorns, as they will spoil the bunch they give him.
3 April Fool's Day
This event has had a presence in almost every Animal Crossing, with the exception of the latest installment. Two of the games stand out as having the best April Fool's Day celebration. In Population Growing, every villager players talk to will try to prank them and Tortimer will even give the player an NES game called "Super Tortimer," which as it turns out, is not playable. In New Leaf, Blanca, the faceless cat, will try to pose as fellow villagers and trick them into thinking she is them. If players can successfully identify the true villager, that villager will give the player their photo.
2 Morning Aerobics
In New Horizons, players may see villagers doing some exercises while walking around town. Some of these exercises came from Population Growing's Morning Aerobics, a summer event that occurred every morning from July 15 to August 31. Players would be able to join their fellow villagers as they took part in Officer Cooper's aerobic routine, which involved getting their arms stretched out and getting their body moving. If the player attended 14 days of aerobics, Tortimer would give them their own Aerobics Radio so they can do the exercises in their house.
1 Sports Fair
Aerobics didn't just show up in the summer in Population Growing, it was also part of a bi-annual event known as the Sports Fair. Held one day each in the spring and fall, players could watch as villagers took part in four different events throughout the day: gymnastics (which is essentially aerobics), foot race, ball toss, and tug-of-war. Throughout the event, players can talk to the villagers while they are either participating or spectating. Tortimer will give the player a medal for their presence despite them not being able to take part in the events.