Van Wert up for festival

By Mike Ford, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Friday, June 1, 2007 (2 years, 8 months ago)
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VAN WERT— Since its beginning in 1902, the annual Peony Festival here has recognized more than flowers. It has celebrated the community and showcased its culture.
This year’s Peony Festival Parade Grand Marshals are Robert C. Adams, M.D., and Joel Penton.
Last year, the Van Wert doctor was honored as the Family Physician of the Year by the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. He is a partner with Van Wert Family Physicians and serves as a member of the recruitment board and chairs the Family Medicine Board at Van Wert County Hospital, where he has been chief of pediatrics and chief of staff.
He has also volunteered as a sports physician with Van Wert High School athletes, the Red Cross and YMCA.
He received his education at Ohio State University and Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus.
Penton is a Van Wert High School and OSU graduate. A former defensive tackle for the Buckeyes, Penton was a member of the Big Ten championship teams and one national championship team.
Penton recorded a sack during his senior year in the 2006 victory over Michigan, which gave Ohio State its first outright Big Ten championship since 1984.
He received the prestigious Danny Wuerffel Trophy, also known as the “Humanitarian Heisman” in 2006. The trophy recognizes a football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Penton is currently the community director for the Central Ohio Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is an in-demand speaker and has shared with thousands of people at hundreds of event in Ohio and beyond.
The parade begins at 5 p.m. Saturday.
The excitement begins on Friday with crafters, artists, food vendors and other activities. The Summer Music Series with Al Stewart begins at 7 p.m. in Fountain Park.
ArtRageous Kids Art activities and events will begin at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday in Fountain Park.
The Van Wert County Fairgrounds will be buzzing with activity all weekend. The Craft Show, Flea Market and Antique Show is offered from 4-8 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. A quilt show is open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and the June Flower Show is open 1-5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday. Vendors will also be open on the fairgrounds.
Food concessions by the Peony Festival Committee open at 5 p.m. Friday with proceeds from the stand in the park providing money for parade expenses. The stand will be open all weekend.
On Saturday, many activities will start in the morning with crafts, arts, a car show, entertainment, food vendors and ethnic food by members of the Van Wert High School language clubs.
The Queen’s Reception will be held at the Willow Bend Country Club at 1:30 p.m. and the Peony Festival Parade begins at 5 p.m.
A blues concert begins at 7 p.m. at Fountain Park.
Sunday is marked with a tour of homes to showcase the horticultural expertise of the county’s residents from 1-4 p.m.
The tour includes:
• The home of Dave and Janice Kirchenbauer at 303 N. Jefferson features a “rose colored” peony tree planted by the Reed Family in 1917 and is known as the first Chinese peony tree planted in the county in that year. The home’s terrain also includes redbud trees, tulips and daffodils.
• Jeff and Diane Hood now own the home located at 329 N. Jefferson that was built in 1901 by a Van Wert doctor. The Victorian-style structure is highlighted with flower beds featuring several perennials, tulips, geraniums, hostas and euonymus bushes.
• The Cape Cod-style home of Deb Lehman, located at 333 N. Jefferson, was built in 1940. It sits on nine-tenths of an acre and was purchased in 1986. Many types of flowers have been cultivated, including lily of the valleys, tulips, Russian sages and more.
• The home of Tom and Leann Gordon at 8129 Dixon-Cavett Road in Convoy is part of an abandoned stone quarry the couple purchased in 1989. It features seven acres of clear water and many types of trees and plants, including blue spruce, Austrian pine, arbor vitas and a vegetable/fruit garden on the hillside.
• The Jeff and Cathy Thomas residence is located at 1230 Ervin Road. The home was built in 1919 and the couple are fourth generation owners. The Lincoln Ridge home was once a dairy farm and is home to the Lincoln Candle Co. The couple have completed many landscaping projects that include paved brick patios and shaded arbors with a variety of flowers.
• Refreshments will be served in the Lincoln Ridge reception building along with various displays. It is located at 6237 Lincoln Highway in Convoy.
The Peony Festival originated in 1902 when the first Sunday in June was designated as “Peony Sunday.”
In 1932, the Van Wert Men’s Garden Club determined Van Wert should entertain the large number of visitors touring the area’s commercial peony farms.
During the 1930’s, the festival became a major event with crowds estimated at more than 100,000 people. Two parades were held, one in the afternoon and an illuminated parade in the evening. Each parade had more than 40 bands and 45 floats.
Between the afternoon and evening parades, the visiting bands performed a concert on the football field with as many as 3,000 musicians performing. Corporate floats from all over the country were present, such as the Berely Orange Juice float from California and the Ocean Breeze float from Florida.
One of the highlights of the festival was the crowning of Queen Jubilee, named after the jubilee peony which was grown commercially in Van Wert.
Prior to World War II, Van Wert became known as the peony capital of the world. The festival was discontinued after the 1941 event.
In 1955, a group of Van Wert businessmen revived it and by 1959, more than 200,000 people attended. By 1960, all of the commercial peony farms in the area had ceased to operate and the festival was discontinued again.
In 1992, another resurrection took place and the festival grew steadily with more than 70,000 people attending in 1996.
The Peony Festival is held the first weekend in June each year.

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