- Health dept. asks residents to accept flu mist over shot
- Elwers ‘kidding’ around on the farm
- On the Other Hand
- Miller making music for 40 years
- Debra L. Cope
- Restaurant ownership an essay away
- Brenneman, Wilhelm make 33rd Degree Mason
- Arnzen’s career touched hundreds of youth
- Millers wrap up Mediterranean visit
- Veterans notified of pension entitlement
Van Wert hosts Crossroads Festival
For the Delphos Herald
VAN WERT — Tens of thousands of people are expected to converge on Van Wert this weekend as the community celebrates its annual Crossroads Festival.
The festival’s name is a reference to Van Wert’s unique location at the crossroads of two major multi-state yards sales. The annual Rib Cook-Off and the annual Wheels-N-Wings Festival will all be held at the same time, resulting in what the Van Wert Area Convention and Visitors Bureau believes will be one of the biggest events of the year.
While a festival centering on community yard sales may sound a bit strange, the event should not be underestimate, according to Larry Lee, Director of the Van Wert Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
“These yard sales are part of the ‘world’s longest yard sale’ – the Highway 127 sale and the ‘world’s fastest growing yard sale’ – the Lincoln Highway sale. Last year, these two yard sale events brought an estimated 60,000 visitors to our community over the three-day period,” he exlained. “As a result the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau chose to move the dates of two other events, resulting in a weekend that will include yard sales, the rib cook-off, a car show, an air show and an antique tractor ride across Van Wert County. “There certainly will be something of interest to everyone, whether man, woman, or child, young, old, or somewhere in-between.”
Here’s a summary of what is offered in Van Wert this weekend:
Highway 127 Yard Sale
This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the 127 Yard Sale, now stretching from the Ohio-Michigan border, all the way down to Gadsden, Ala. The sale always starts on the first Thursday in August, and this year’s sale runs through Saturday. The event is very popular and visitors from every state and several foreign countries have attended. Highway 127 is the main north-south route through Van Wert County. In 2008, there were about 52 sale locations along this 20-mile stretch. As in previous years, many local residents will set up sales in their front yards, hoping to pique the interest of shoppers to stop and look for hidden treasures. There will be two locations where multiple vendors may set up – one at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds on the south side of Van Wert and the other at the North Union United Methodist Church located two miles north of Van Wert.
Lincoln Highway BUY-WAY Yard Sale
Started in 1913 and formerly known as the “Main Street of America,” the Lincoln Highway was the country’s first paved coast-to-coast road. In celebration of this proud heritage, the Ohio Lincoln Highway Historic Byway will host the 5th annual Main Street Across America Buy-Way Yard Sale. In Van Wert County, the old Lincoln Highway covers approximately 23 miles east and west. The two-lane route marked by the clearly recognizable red, white and blue historic Lincoln Highway markers. Last year, there were almost 60 sale locations along this road and shoppers reported it took them upwards of five hours to make the trip across the county. Again, most people simply set up tables in their front yards but the Old Dutch Mill Trading Post, located just north of the village of Middle Point, will be a site for multiple vendors.
Lee reported he has fielded inquiries about the yard sales from interested shoppers from as far away as the states of Washington, Maine, Florida, North Carolina, Wyoming and New Jersey, as well as from states throughout the Midwest. The fact that Van Wert has the distinction as the crossroads of these two major sales has attracted the attention of American Profile, a magazine supplement to nation-wide newspapers. They are sending a reporter and a photographer to Van Wert to cover this year’s event for a story focusing on Van Wert to appear prior to the 2010 festival.
Other events during the festival include:
Third annual Van Wert Rib Cook-Off
The 3rd Annual Van Wert Rib Cook-Off will be held Saturday at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds from noon to midnight. This year’s rib vendors will include JT BBQ Express from Ottoville, Manley Meats from Decatur, Ind., Pork Brothers BBQ of Lima, Red Pig Inn from Ottawa, Smoke Shack BBQ of Columbus and 2 Willys Catering & BBQ from Celina. The local band, Double Kik, will perform beginning at 7:30 p.m. Trophies will be awarded to the top three vendors for ribs and top three vendors for sauces as chosen by a panel of judges. People’s Choice awards will also be given to the top three vendors as decided by the public.
There will be a Corn Hole Tournament at 1 p.m. Guaranteed first prize is $500, followed by second and third prizes of $250 and $100, respectively.
Last year an estimated 6,000 people attended the cook-off.
Second annual Wheels-N-Wings Festival
The Wheels-N-Wings Festival originated as an effort to remind local residents of the important contributions made by early Van Wert residents to the story of modern transportation. These contributors include John W. Lambert, a resident of the Van Wert County community of Ohio City, who is credited with producing the first gasoline powered automobile in 1891; Walter Hinton, a native of Van Wert, who achieved fame in 1914 as the pilot of the Curtiss NC Flying Boat “NC-4”, the first aircraft to make a transatlantic flight 13 years before Lindbergh made his solo flight across the Atlantic; Noah Clifton and Otto Pennell, who built the first automobile in the city of Van Wert in 1896, and who, due to their success, were invited to join Henry Ford in Detroit as he worked to perfect auto production; and George Marsh, an early Van Wert entrepreneur and founder of the Marsh Foundation school, who insisted that every graduate be trained in automobile mechanics resulting in Van Wert having a myriad of automobile dealers at a time when other cities of Van Wert’s size were lucky to have even a single dealership.
To honor these accomplishments the Wheels-N-Wings Festival will include a cruise-in at the Sonic Drive-In at Van Wert’s Towne Center for all makes, models, and years of cars. Goody bags, door prizes, and DJ music will all be part of this event. It begins at 5:30 p.m. today.
On Saturday, there will be an air show at the Van Wert Regional airport. Events there begin at 8 a.m. with a pancake and sausage breakfast served until 11 a.m. Pilots from around the Midwest have been invited to fly-in for the festival and their planes will be on display throughout the day. Also scheduled at the airport will be a display of a World War II Bamboo Bomber T-50, a Vietnam era Huey 369 helicopter and the Grimes Flying Lab. There will also be skydiving performances, remote controlled aircraft and jets, the Governors Cup Race Boat from the Governors Cup Regatta at Grand Lake St. Marys, food and craft vendors, jump inflatables for children, a candy drop for kids and airplane rides will be offered all day. These events will conclude at 6 p.m.
From noon to 6 p.m., there will be a car show at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds. The show will feature pre-1985 automobiles. Trophies and special awards will be presented to the top 20 cars in the show as decided by a panel of judges. Owners of cars of special interest including vintage and classic autos, muscle cars and street rods are all invited to participate. There will be a $5 entry fee.
Antique Tractor Ride
The Van Wert County Historical Society will be hosting their third annual Antique Tractor Ride across Van Wert County on Saturday. The event is open to all models of pre-1970, rubber-tired tractors, able to maintain 8 mph. This year’s ride will be a 34-mile north-south ride with stops for business tours, and lunch. The trip begins and ends at Kennedy-Kuhn Equipment Company. There will be wagons provided for guests who would simply ride to enjoy the ride. An entry fee of $15 per tractor driver and $8 for each wagon rider will be collected.
Unveiling of New Lincoln Highway Signs
Van Wert County is very proud of its historical connections to the Lincoln Highway. The highway is Main Street in Van Wert. Two new signs, one at the west entrance and the other at the east entrance to the city, have been erected to commemorate the significance of the highway and its place in the history of Ohio and Van Wert County.
#1 — Added 7 months ago
traveling for the 127 yard sale.Stopped for the rib cook off in van wert was alot of fun. Great people will make it a yearly trip would like to know who won the best rib award
Posted on August 10, 2009 at 12:22 pm by sandy