By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
CHARDON — Pour on the syrup because it is time to go “Tappin’ into Tradition” at the 80th annual Geauga County Maple Festival.
The event begins Thursday with the official opening of concessions at noon. The rides open at 4 p.m. and the battle of the bands begins at 6 p.m.
Festival president Bill Dufur said snow won’t chill the fun out of the festival this year.
“Our Maple Festival is the first festival held in Ohio each year,” Dufur said. “Last year we had a two-week delay due to snow, so the decision was made to change the festival date, which will hopefully make it more enjoyable for everyone.”
The festival picks up at 8 a.m. Friday with pancakes in the park until 2 p.m. Rides and concessions open at 10 a.m. and the street dance with live music by Big In Japan will begin at 7 p.m.
“We have many events planned this year, including maple stirs, entertainment, pancakes, a beard and mustache contest, a log sawing competition, bathtub races, parades on Saturday and Sunday, a sap run, rides and lots of food.”
Dufur said a surprise entertainer will take the stage all day Saturday.
“We’re not telling who it is,” he said. “You’ll just have to come and see.”
The flapjacks start flipping at 8 a.m. Saturday. Events Saturday include the craft show and invitational lumberjack competition at 10 a.m.; a pizza-eating contest at noon; scavenger hunt and hole-in-one contest at 1 p.m. Get your inked skin ready for the tattoo contest at 1:15 p.m. The children’s talent contest begins at 1:45 p.m. and the bubble gum blowing contest starts at 2:30 p.m.
Robert Eldridge and Loretta Mae Holmes will take the stage at 2:45 p.m. for the festival dedication and the grand parade will being at 3 p.m. Serious pancake lovers will compete in the pancake eating contest at 5 p.m.
Entertainer Steve Madewell will take the stage at 5:30 p.m. and Karaoke with Rose will begin at 7 p.m.
As tradition dictates, the pancake eating starts at 8 a.m. Sunday and the one mile sap run and five mile sap run will begin at 8 a.m. with pre-registration at 7 a.m.
Tug-of-war will begin at 10 a.m. on the north end of Chardon Square and the arts and crafts show at Park Elementary School begins at 11 a.m., along with the bathtub races on Main Street. The finals for the lumberjack competition begins at noon and the maple syrup auction begins at 1 p.m. Groom your ‘stache for the beard and mustache contests at 2:45 p.m. and get ready for the grand parade at 3 p.m.
The Geauga County Maple Festival has a long history of traditions, especially the lumberjack contests.
In 1811, the Geauga County commissioners paid several young men to chop down all the timber on Chardon Square for the princely sum of $61.87. Chardon continues the tradition with ax throwing, stock saw, Jack and Jill, powder puff, and chop events as 40 men and women competitors make wood chips fly at the festival Saturday and Sunday.
