By SYDNEY KENT
The quiet streets of Ossian will soon be interrupted by Ossian Days, the town’s long-loved festival.
The event will return to downtown this week from Thursday, Sept. 12 through Saturday, Sept. 14. The theme for this year’s festival is “Transportation: The Past, Present, and Future” in honor of this year’s grand marshal, Dave Furey. The theme is a nod to Furey’s career, who has roots with the Ossian Fire Department, the Norwell Community Schools transportation department, and Ossian Emergency Medical Services. Furey was also one of the first volunteer medics in the county in 1975.
The Northern Wells Food Pantry will trade two tickets for every non-perishable item starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Food Pantry booth. Ride tickets are limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Jefferson Street on S.R. 1 will be closed to through traffic at 9 a.m. Thursday, with vendors setting up until 3 p.m. when the festival officially opens.
The annual Ossian Revitalization pork chop dinner will take place between 4-7 p.m. on Thursday at the event tent on West Craig Street, just off the midway. Carryout is available with pickup on the west side of the Ossian Days event tent on Craig Street. Tickets are $15 per person and are available from any member of the Ossian Revitalization Committee.
Helen Witte’s coveted pie auction will occur at 6 p.m. Thursday in the event tent. This year’s ceramic pie plates are made by John and Angie Platt of Platt Pottery in Auburn. The Lance Hunter Humanitarian Award will then be announced in the event tent at 6:30 p.m.
On Friday, Norwell High School’s show choir will be hosting a fundraising whole hog sausage dinner from 5-8 p.m. in the event tent. The dinner will include a quarter-pound sausage patty sandwich, green beans, a dinner roll, pretzels, a cookie and bottled water for $12.
The annual prince and princess contest is slated for the event tent at 6 p.m., with voting already underway at various locations in town. Face painting will be available from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday beside the Ossian Days booth.
The Applejack Cloggers will perform in front of the event tent at 7 p.m. Friday and will finish with Nathan’s Karaoke and D.J. Service in front of the event tent from 8:30-10 p.m. when the night officially closes for the day.
Festivities begin bright and early at 7 a.m. with the youth fishing tournament at the Archbold-Wilson Park pond. A sausage and pancake breakfast from the St. Aloysius Yoder Knights of Columbus will be available in the event tent between 7 and 10:30 a.m.
The beloved Big Wheel race starts at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank. Signup is at 9:30 a.m. There are two age groups: 3-4 and 5-6. Big wheels and helmets are supplied by the event organizers.
The annual donut hole eating contest will take place at noon in front of the event tent, with Bessie’s Movement Cow Patty Bingo following right after. Tickets are $5 per square.
The Saturday parade begins at 5 p.m. with participants lining up at the Ossian Town Hall at 4 p.m. and judging taking place at 4:30 p.m. Those who wish to enter a float, or vehicle, or to march in the parade must fill out the parade registration form on the Ossian Days website no later than Sept. 13.
Free face painting will be available from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday beside the Ossian Days booth. The festival will close with live music provided by the Austin City Band at the event tent.
The full schedule can be viewed at ossiandays.com.
sydney@news-banner.com
