Summer Festivals; Traditions of Communities
One great thing that has grown virtually everywhere is the idea of festivals. I love hitting up as many as I can in the summer. There are some that are so popular that people travel very far to visit them. I have only been to ones in Ohio, but it seems like every town has its own sometime between spring and fall. I highly urge you to find some near you and try it out if you never have.
Festivals have a special way of bringing people together. They’re a treasure trove of handmade goods and services in the many booths, as well as places for people to exhibit skills and talents such as fire-eaters or musicians and great ways to bring people together for a cause or even just friendly competitions. Here’s a collection of a few to visit in Southwest Ohio.
Strawberry Festival: Troy, Ohio
Started in the 1970s, the strawberry festival was a way for a community gathering to help raise money for local organizations and causes. Strawberries were picked as the theme thanks to Fulton Farms and their large strawberry field outside Troy. A timeless family adventure spot where groups and individuals can go pick strawberries every year during the season.
The strawberry festival takes place mostly over the weekend with many different offerings. There’s always a parade that surrounding marching bands, VFWs, charities, outreach groups, and hobbyists can showcase themselves in. You’ll see antique cars, Boy Scouts, and more taking part in this. There’s also open concerts for local bands as well as the soccer tournament and Festival Queens pageant. In festivals past, there used to be a bike marathon as well. There’s so many more offerings than just the many art, food, and charity booths. That said, there are many, many, booths. My favorite this year was one dedicated to maple syrup. Just. Maple Syrup. All the booths sell strawberry-branded products alongside any other offerings. Strawberry art, strawberry-flavored food, and just strawberries served in more ways than you’d expect.
SpringFest in the Burg, Waterfront Miamisburg, Ohio
According to the signs, this happens the third weekend in May every year in Miamisburg. We found this festival on accident while driving for a parking spot. This small festival takes place around a mini waterfront park and church lot and had booths selling local wares and staple festival food, as well as some carnival rides. A free to enter festival and fast walk around this was a small and fast trip but still fun. You could feel the bonds of the community in a setup this small. Jovial chats everywhere. Local crafter booths and more. These hidden-gem festivals always give an adventure feeling in an otherwise mundane day.
Celtic Festival, Dayton, Ohio
Started in 2002, this is the place to be to celebrate Celtic origins. This boasts an event celebrating and allowing festival-goers a chance to experience the sights and sounds of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. They host four stages for live music and dance demonstrations; tents teaching visitors about musical instruments, arts, clothing and other cultural demonstrations; as well as so many booths dedicated to Celtic wares and food. A three-day event held in Riverside at the heart of Dayton, this event has something for everyone. My family has Scotch-Irish roots and so it’s one my mother loves to visit every year.
Things to absolutely not miss are a few pairs of booths. One is part of the heritage society where you can look up your family names to learn which clan your family is from as well as the Tartan colors, family crest and motto. You can get a printout of your family history. This information then comes in handy for the booths selling Celtic clothing and artifacts that are specific to the family and clan you are from. You can customize everything for just your family. Genealogists would have a mini ball with this area. The rest is many booths to Celtic fair and local craftsman from clothing to jewelry to signs for you yard. There’s a little something for every aspect of your home.
Yellow Springs Street Fair
Yellow Springs is a very special place in Ohio. This town has the most unique vibe of anywhere I have been in the state. The more natural-minded creatives that make up most of the population and culture of this place is a calming atmosphere to be in. The theater shows independent flicks over blockbusters more often than not, the shops boast about their organic, local fare and so many places are pet friendly. The streets have bowls of water for dogs. Young’s Dairy is a great place for families, and there are more than 75 shops, galleries, restaurants, and pubs with an open environment for any one to busk on the streets. This place has one private art college, and you can just feel this vibe so deeply while in town. The Street Fair happens twice a year, the second Saturday of June and October. They take pride in being a festival ‘like no other’ with over 200 arts, crafts, food vendors, two musical stages, a beer garden, and a glut of street performers everywhere. If you love handmade crafts, trinkets, decorations, clothing and art this is the place for you. You’ll find ever aesthetic of handmade here and something for you, your animals, your house, your car, and even your loved ones. Local and homemade are king on these streets and you can always take a load off and listen to one of the many musical acts, get your picture drawn and fortunes told on these streets. This is a must-see festival.
Oktoberfest, Germainia Society of Cincinnati
The interesting thing about Ohio is there are so many Oktoberfests for so many different weekends that you have to clarify which one you are going to, especially if going to meet friends. Some cities even have more than one of them. I got to go to Germania Society of Cincinnati this year. This was smaller than I expected, yet we still spent hours there. The booths are focused more on German cuisine, with only a couple for merchandise and a pavilion set up for musical acts and dance. The food was wonderful and we went ham on the dessert options in the Klubhaus, while also wore ourselves out with the feats of strength. They had two set up this year. One had you hold a stein full of water for as long as you could, and another was based on pulling more weight than anyone else for exclusive shirts. This was a sobering experience. Speaking of sober, everywhere you turn they kept true to beer. It was everywhere. People had many to sample.
The festival also set up carnival rides for the children as well as arcade and carnival games to keep the little ones enjoying the day while parents could relax and have a few while eating the many local foods. You also need to be sure and hang after dark for the Biergarten with the gorgeous string lights keeping you in a dreamworld.
PS
Festivals are a long-standing tradition in many places and an activity that should always be kept in the mind when going traveling. Full of history and community bonds, festivals are a great way to get to see things you won’t find in a department store or any old mass-produced location. At the very least, you might find a beer or some food you never would have imagined, and life is nothing without those little surprises, gems, and adventures along the way.
