CENTERBURG – It’s the third weekend of September. For Knox County residents, that means one thing: it’s time for Centerburg’s annual Oldtime Farming Festival, held Saturday and Sunday at Community Memorial Park.

Parking and admission for the 27th annual festival will be free. Per usual, the festival will be highlighted by the parade on Saturday morning, followed by various shows, contests, live music and fair food all weekend long.

According to the festival’s website, there will be two new events this year – A Kid’s Tug of War and a Family Tug of War – which will take place at noon on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

There will be an array of unique contests at this year’s festival, including a watermelon seed spitting contest, a spelling bee, an arm wrestling contest, a “Bubble Gum Bubble Blowing Blowout” and a wrench throwing contest, among many others.

18 food vendors are listed on the festival’s website, serving everything from sweet corn and lemonade to mini doughnuts and barbecue sandwiches.

The 2018 festival parade marshals will be Tracy and Connie Thorpe, who are lifelong Centerburg residents. They previously appeared as OFF Marshals in Centerburg’s USA Days Parade in June and in the Hartford Day Parade last week.

The Thorpe family has been farming in the Centerburg area for more than 100 years, according to the festival’s website. They currently farm approximately 1,100 acres in grain. The family previously raised hogs for over 30 years.

Six bands will play over the course of the weekend – The Relentless Mules, Square One, Cherry Avenue, Marina Myers, Lucky Penny Sisters and The Salty Caramels.

The Relentless Mules is a “truegrass” band out of Columbus, according to the festival’s website. The band plays banjo, mandolin, guitar and bass, which accompanies a singing trio. The Relentless Mules play classic hits from Flat and Scruggs, Osborne Brothers, Bill Monroe, Reno and Smiley and others.

Square One is a professional a cappella group based in Columbus with members who have traveled at the national level, the festival’s website says. Members include Richard Blocher, Abby Coggins, Lane Harris, Ryan Jenkins, Jared Joseph, Sydneigh McConnell, Kathleen Pellington, Marine Tyus, and Jeremy Witt.

Cherry Avenue is a country band from Nashville, TN, which “(fuses) modern and classic country and (recaptures) the sound of gripping harmonies with energetic instruments to produce a country sound all their own,” according to the festival’s website. The band shares a faith-based message and is anchored by a married duo, Erika and Adam Catt.

Marina Myers is a Centerburg native and pianist. Last year, she led the crowd in an oldies sing-along, unearthing hits from the 1940s and 50s. Myers currently spends her days accompanying seven Gahanna High School choirs. “If you love good piano, you won’t want to miss Marina,” her online bio says.

Lucky Penny Sisters is a female acoustic rock duo, made up of sisters Leslie Alexander and Caitie Thompson, who were born and raised in Delaware, OH. The two “specialize in complex harmonies and high-energy performances that please crowds of all ages,” the festival’s website says. They perform cover hits from the Golden Oldies to today’s Top 40.

The Salty Caramels is a Columbus-based group that “(has) an old-school vibe with their catchy indie and pop rock tunes,” the festival’s website says. The group uses an array of unique instruments, including a ukulele, musical saw, washboard and glockenspiel, to complement a three-part harmony.

According to the Oldtime Farming Festival website, approximately 3,200 people attended last year’s festival.

This year’s festival will include wall-to-wall activities on Saturday and Sunday. Here is the schedule:

Friday

  • 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Registration for Horticulture Show

Saturday

  • 7:30 a.m. – Registration for Centerburg Lions Club 5k Run/Walk
  • 8 a.m. – Registration for Horticulture Show (open until noon)
  • 8:30 a.m. – 26th annual Heart of Ohio 5k Run/Walk
  • 9 a.m. – Tractor/machinery registration in Tractor Area (open until noon)
  • 10 a.m. – Festival Parade, through Centerburg to Community Memorial Park
  • 10 a.m. – Kids pony rides in Tractor Area (until 6 p.m.)
  • 10 a.m. – Craft Show, food vendors, Horticulture Show, Historical Center and old-fashioned demos open
  • 11 a.m. – Flag raising and Opening Ceremony with Centerburg High School Marching Band on Festival Stage
  • 11 a.m. – Parade awards presented on Festival Stage
  • 11 a.m. – Pumpkin Vine Railroad kids’ train rides in Tractor Area (until 6 p.m.)
  • 11 a.m. – Quarters in the Sand at Kids’ Corner
  • 12 p.m. – Calliope Concert at Ball Field
  • 12 p.m. – Face painting in Kids’ Corner (until 5 p.m.)
  • 12 p.m. – Games and sign-ups for contests begin
  • 12 p.m. – Rex Naylor, magician, performs in Kids’ Corner (until 5 p.m.)
  • 12 p.m. – Horse-drawn hayrides in Tractor Area (until 5 p.m.)
  • 12 p.m. – Kids’ Tug of War sign-up
  • 12:30 p.m. – Relentless Mules performs on Festival Stage
  • 12:30 p.m. – Adult euchre tournament, ages 18 and up
  • 12:30 p.m. – Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest
  • 1 p.m. – Horticulture Show judging begins
  • 1 p.m. – Spelling Bee for grades 1-6 and 7-adult
  • 1 p.m. – Mini Indy registration on Riverbend Stage
  • 1:30 p.m. – Sack races for ages 6-adult
  • 2 p.m. – Mini Indy on Riverbend Stage
  • 2 p.m. – Cake Walk for all ages
  • 2:30 p.m. – Tootsie Roll-in-the-Hay Candy Hunt at Kids’ Corner
  • 2:30 p.m. – Ciphering Match grades 1-adult
  • 3 p.m. – Square One performs on Festival Stage
  • 3 p.m. – Cookie Contest registration (behind Festival Stage)
  • 3:30 p.m. – Women’s Rolling Pin Throwing Contest
  • 4 p.m. – Cookie Contest judging begins (behind Festival Stage)
  • 4 p.m. – Arm Wrestling Contest on Festival Stage
  • 5 p.m. – Cherry Avenue performs on Festival Stage (short set)
  • 5 p.m. – Bale Toss
  • 5:45 p.m. – Cookie Contest results announced in Festival Stage area
  • 5:45 p.m. – Cookie auction on Festival Stage
  • 6 p.m. – Old-Fashioned Pie auction on Festival Stage
  • 6 p.m. – Contests and games, Horticulture Show, Historical Center and old-fashioned demos close
  • 7 p.m. – Cherry Avenue performs on Festival Stage (long set)
  • 10 p.m. – Festival closes

Sunday

  • 9 a.m. – Community worship service on Festival Stage
  • 9:45 a.m. – Marina Myers performs on Festival Stage
  • 10 a.m. – Pumpkin Vine Railroad kids’ train rides in Tractor Area (until 3 p.m.)
  • 10 a.m. – Kids’ pony rides (until 3 p.m.)
  • 10 a.m. – Craft show, food vendors, Historical Center and old-fashioned demos open
  • 11 a.m. – Lucky Penny Sisters performs on Festival Stage
  • 12 p.m. – Games and sign-ups for contests begin
  • 12 p.m. – Family Tug of War sign-up
  • 12 p.m. – Face painting at Kids’ Corner (until 5 p.m.)
  • 12 p.m. – Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull sign-ups on Riverbend Stage
  • 12 p.m. – Rex Naylor, magician, performs in Kids’ Corner
  • 12 p.m. – Horse-drawn hayrides in Tractor Area (until 5 p.m.)
  • 12:30 p.m. – Adult euchre tournament, ages 18 and up
  • 12:30 p.m. – Bubble Gum Bubble Blowing Blowout
  • 1 p.m. – The Salty Caramels performs on Festival Stage
  • 1 p.m. – Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pulls on Riverbend Stage
  • 1 p.m. – Three-Legged Races for all ages
  • 1 p.m. – FFA Challenge: Centerburg and Highland on Ball Field
  • 1:30 p.m. – Men’s Wrench-Throwing Contest
  • 2 p.m. – Cake Walk for all ages
  • 2:30 p.m. – Tootsie Roll-in-the-Hay Candy Hunt in Kids’ Corner
  • 2:30 p.m. – Nail Driving Contest
  • 3 p.m. – Tractors line up for Tractor Parade in Tractor Area (all stages closed)
  • 3:30 p.m. – Parade of Tractors through Community Memorial Park
  • 3:30 p.m. – Old-Fashioned Oratory Competition
  • 3:30 p.m. – Cornhole Tournament
  • 3:30 p.m. – Husband-Calling Contest
  • 4:30 p.m. – Chicken Dance Contest
  • 5 p.m. – Festival awards ceremony (Festival Stage)
  • 6 p.m. – Festival closes

For more information on this year’s festival, click here to visit its website.

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