Summer fun: Tusky Days Festival set for June 19-21
Ayden Beamer, 11, of Dennison sings a country song, “Miles On It,” in the 2024 talent show.
Small-town greatness will once again be celebrated as the Tusky Days Festival kicks off June 19-21 on School Street in the village of Tuscarawas. The midway will open at 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and at noon on Saturday.
The festival is known for its entertainment. The Tuscarawas River Band will be featured on Thursday, New Wave Nation will rock the stage on Friday and the Moonlyterz will close out the festival on Saturday night.
Other entertainment is scheduled including the Kodachrome Babies, who perform every year.
“We like to say they are the house band of the Tusky Days Festival,” said Joe Krocker, a Tusky Days committee member.
Other performers include Alex Hursey, New Philadelphia’s steel drum band, Jeff Shamel, New Towne Cloggers and Tequila Mary. Saturday’s car show will feature entertainment by Spikeman.
Amateur entertainers of all ages are welcome to take the stage on Saturday afternoon for the talent show. Marc Davis will serve as host. Prizes will be awarded for the top three contestants of $100, $75 and $50. Participants can sign up from noon to 12:30 p.m. on the day of the show. The show will start at 12:30 p.m., and all participants will be entered into a drawing for door prizes.
A limited number of collectible paddles will be auctioned June 20 at 7:30 p.m. to support the festival. The paddles are made by students at Indian Valley High School and feature a photo of a horse-drawn delivery vehicle from the Kopp Bakery and its owner Andrew Kopp Sr.
The booklet, “The First Homecoming Tuscarawas, Ohio,” published in 1928, gave a brief history of the business.
“In the year 1895, Mr. Andrew Kopp Sr. established a bakery business in Tuscarawas, which he operated of a period of 23 years. Upon the death of Mr. Kopp, which occurred in 1918, his sons Andrew Jr. and George purchased the business, and in 1923 the new building on Main Street was erected and equipped with modern and up-to-date machinery and is conducted under the name of Kopp Bros. Bakery.”
The bakery was one of many businesses that were established in the village by 1928. The others were Crites Brothers Radio Co., Heter Meat Market, G.H. Klein Hardware, Groceries and Notions, Simmons Meat Market, Stemple Gasoline Station, Huff Cement Blocks, Reiser Brothers Car Sales and Repair, J.F. Reiser and Son General Store, Oswald and Wolf Mills, Miss Paris’ Millinery, Thomas De Cotis Barber Shop, Myer’s General Store, C.P. Minnich Restaurant and Confectionery, Unger’s Oil Company, and McConnell’s Radio Shop. This information is from the book “Paths to Progress,” written in 1976 by the late Francis Mathias.
Back to entertain this year is a midway clown.
“We had the midway clown last year for the first time, and he was really popular,” Krocker said. “He walks the midway, clowning, and he does animal balloons. He’s very entertaining.”
The festival has a new ride operator this year, Bigtops Magic Midways.
“We will have 10 rides total consisting of a mix of some mechanical and some inflatable,” Krocker said. Ride passes are $20.
There will be a variety of food trucks available including hot sausage sandwiches, pizza, barbecue, French fries, lemonade, slushies and more.
Thanks to Willandale Golf Cart Sales, volunteers will provide transportation inside the village for festivalgoers from their homes or cars. A phone number to call for a ride will be posted on the festival’s Facebook page during the event.
The 2025 festival committee consists of Matt Ritenour, president; Matt Hunter, vice president; Jennifer Mann, secretary; Wanda Krocker, treasurer; and Marc Davis, Dorsey Davidson and Joe Krocker.
Volunteers are welcome.
“We need people to drive golf carts and help with many other miscellaneous activities or even pick up litter,” Krocker said. “Any contribution big or small is a help.”
The 2025 festival schedule
—Thursday, June 19: midway opens at 4 p.m., mayor’s presentation at 5 p.m., Alex Hursey from 5-6 p.m., New Philadelphia’s steel drum band from 6-7 p.m. and Tuscarawas River Band from 7-10 p.m.
—Friday, June 20: midway opens at 4 p.m., registration for Vision of Hope 4-H Club run/walk at Warwick/Tuscarawas Fire Department from 4:30-5:30 p.m. with the 1-mile walk/run at 6 p.m. and the 5k run/walk at 6:30 p.m., midway clown from 6-7:30 p.m., Tequila Mary from 6-7:30 p.m., memorabilia auction at 7:30 p.m., and New Wave Nation from 8-11 p.m.
—Saturday, June 21: midway opens at noon, registration for talent show from noon to 12:30 p.m., talent show from 12:30-2 p.m., Jeff Shamel from 2-4 p.m., Tusky Days Car/Bike/Truck Show with entertainment by Spikeman from 3-7 p.m. (3 p.m. registration at $10 per vehicle and 6:30 p.m. awards presentation), The New Towne Cloggers from 4-5 p.m., Kodachrome Babies from 5-7 p.m., midway clown from 6-7:30 p.m., and The Moonlyterz from 8-11 p.m.