By SYDNEY KENT
Big plans are underway for a beloved small town festival.
Ossian Days will return to downtown Ossian from Sept. 14-16. The theme for this year’s three day street festival is “It’s A Literary World!” Ossian Days Inc. Committee President A.J. Reynolds announced the Grand Marshall for this years’ parade in a Facebook Post.
“To help Ossian Days celebrate literature and a love of reading, our Parade Grand Marshal is Ms. Susan Dailey!” Reynolds wrote. “Susan is the Branch Manager of the Ossian Location of the Wells Co. Public Library and just celebrated her 50th anniversary of working with the library. Susan has accepted our nomination and is excited to have her many grandchildren join her in leading our parade down Jefferson Street.”
Jefferson Street on Ind. 1 will be closed to through traffic at 9 a.m. Thursday and the festival officially opens at 3 p.m. However, the festival’s unofficial start is 90 minutes later at 4:30 p.m. with the start of the annual Ossian Revitalization pork chop dinner.
The dinner will be held at the event tent on West Craig Street, just off the midway. Carryout will be available. Tickets for the dinner are $15 each and can be purchased at the Ossian Town Hall, Farmers & Merchants State Bank at the main office in Ossian and the branch office in Bluffton, Ossian Do-It-Best Hardware, and the All American Ossian Deli. Tickets are also available from any member of the Ossian Economic Revitalization Committee.
Norwell High School’s show choir will be hosting a fundraising whole hog sausage dinner Friday 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.
Friday the annual Prince and Princess contest is set for the event tent at 6 p.m. Voting is underway at various locations in Ossian including the Ossian Deli. Friday evening will wrap up with a performance by the Applejack Cloggers in front of the event tent at 7 p.m.
Festivities begin early Saturday morning at 7 a.m. with the St. Aloysius Yoder Knights of Columbus pancake and sausage breakfast in the event tent. The breakfast lasts until 10:30 a.m.
Also beginning at 7 a.m., a youth fishing tournament will take place at the Archbold-Wilson Park. There are three age groups: 1-5, 6-10, and 11-15. Prizes in the form of gift cards will be awarded to the top 3 winners in each group. All participants will receive a prize.
The 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 organizers of the event.
Loose pants are recommended for those who wish to participate in the annual donut hole eating content, which begins at 12 p.m. in front of the event tent.
Bessie’s Movement Cow Patty Bingo will also return this year. The committee marks off a section of Craig Street west of the event tent Saturday into 240 individual squares with each square numbered. A ticket buys a square. Tickets are $5 each and are available from All American Ossian Deli, Ossian Do It Best Hardware, Ginger Fresh Market, and Farmers & Merchants State Bank.
The Saturday parade begins at 5 p.m. with participants lining up at the Ossian Town Council at 4 p.m. Those who wish to enter a float, vehicle, or to march in the parade must fill out the parade registration form on the Ossian Days website no later than Sept. 16.
Free face painting and balloon animals, provided by Ossian Days Inc. beside the Ossian Days booth, will be available from 6-9 p.m. Saturday. Closing out the festival 7-9 p.m. is free live music from the Austin City Band in the event tent. The Austin City Band plays country, rock and roll, and classics.
Proceeds from the Prince and Princess festival are donated to the Norwell Dollars for Scholars program. Ossian Days, Inc. has been a partner with the Northern Wells County Food Pantry since 2017. The Ossian Days Board Members are: A.J. Reynolds, Darrell Reynolds, Todd Nash, Penny Gibson, Rose Ann Barrick, Jack Barrick, Quinn Gibson, and Beverly Grzych.
sydney@news-banner.com
