Celebrating 70 years of the Ohio Swiss Festival
The playing of the Alphorns, an instrument that is well known among the Swiss culture, is a big part of the Swiss Festival.
The village of Sugarcreek is always a pleasure to visit, but for three days in the fall, it will take on extra purpose as it pays homage to the country for which it attributes much of its tradition and appeal.
This Sept. 28-30 will mark the celebration of seven decades of festival fun at the annual Ohio Swiss Festival in Sugarcreek.
This event is a homecoming for many and a destination stop for those outside the area who travel to Sugarcreek to participate in a weekend filled with food, activities, music, rides and everything Swiss.
With everything focused on the history of Switzerland, one main theme is the food, where there will be plenty of delicacies featuring Swiss cheese, apple fritters and fair food available throughout the weekend.
As for the festivities, the Ohio Swiss Festival has remained true to its bread and butter, and it centers around traditional Swiss games and plenty of cheese.
“When this festival began 70 years ago, our founding fathers didn’t know if it would last five or 10 years,” said Scott Gerber, OSF president. “Here we are decades later celebrating the same Swiss heritage that made this event so popular. We celebrate with cheese and wine, with food and fellowship, and most of all the Swiss appeal that is so intertwined with our community here.”
Gerber said the festival is like a giant reunion for many, as traditions get passed down from year to year, generation to generation.
The annual kiddie parade will kick off Friday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. and pave the way for the grand parade the following day at 2 p.m.
This trek along Main Street has been a favorite of kids and adults for decades. Featuring loads of floats, marching bands, royalty and plenty of hometown flavor, the grand parade culminates a weekend of fun and activity.
“We really have focused on the grand parade this year,” Gerber said. “It’s always a challenge to bring in bands, but we have eight bands committed including the Ohio State Alumni Band. It’s going to be a huge parade this year.”
There also will be an antique car parade featured at 1:50 p.m. on Saturday. In addition, Gerber said there will be around two dozen Alphorn players moving throughout downtown.
“The Alphorns, coupled with the many people dressed in Swiss attire, create such a unique and fun atmosphere,” Gerber said.
For those who would rather sit, relax and sip while enjoying the weekend, the wine and cheese sampling area will be at the fire station on Friday and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. and will feature myriad local and other award-winning wines and cheeses.
Between 3-9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, connoisseurs will want to stop by the craft beer tent to sample entries from local breweries. The tent will be located in front of the brick wall sculpture by the giant cuckoo clock near the square. Visitors can listen to live music as they sample the local offerings.
Concessions and rides will start Thursday at 5 p.m. and at 11 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull and Big Wheel Race are ideal for the kids, with registration for the Big Wheel Race beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. at the main stage on the square.
The biggest drawing card of all, the Steinstossen, will be back for another year of challenging competitors to hoist a 138-pound stone for the men and a 75-pound stone for the women.
Participants have a total of five throws they can complete throughout the festival weekend with their best being the submitted throw. The Steinstossen is a feat of strength, and it has been one of the main highlights of the festival for decades. It will be Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Steinstossen pit near the firehouse.
Another highlight for the weekend is the live music featured throughout.
Thursday will feature Dustin Kines on the pavilion stage at 5:30 p.m. and the Garaway marching band on Main Street at 8:45 p.m. Friday will start at 11 a.m. with Joey Tomsick performing under the pavilion and returning at 4 p.m. and Alphorn Gruezie performing on Main Street at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Martini & Russo will be live at the craft beer tent at 3 p.m., with performances from Brothers, Aaron Dussing and Moonlyterz throughout the evening. At 1:45 p.m. the playing by the Garaway Alphorns will take place on Main Street.
Saturday will bring more live music, with Joey Tomsick, Alphorn Gruezie and Aaron Dussing returning, along with the addition of Randy Moomaw and Greg Moomaw and Nick Bonner in the craft beer tent, the Ohio State Alumni Band at 5 p.m., the New Delhi Monkeymen at 6:45 p.m., and the Tyler Reid Band at 7 p.m. on the main stage.
“Our music has always been a huge part of our festival,” Gerber said. “It’s another tradition that has helped us keep this festival rolling along for seven decades, and it wouldn’t be possible without the commitment of all of our committee members and volunteers who do such a fantastic job.”
The 2024 Little Swiss Miss Contest will take place on Main Street on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., followed by the 2024 Ohio Swiss Festival Queen Crowning Ceremony at the cuckoo clock at 8 p.m.
Saturday also will feature a trio of events beginning at 12:30 p.m., with a yodeling contest, Swiss costume contest and cheese-eating contest.
Registration for any of the events can be found at www.ohioswissfestival.com/forms-and-applications.html.