CLYDE — This Friday evening kicks off the 39th annual Winesburg Weekend in downtown Clyde.
This year’s event will offer families a number of activities, shows and fun all weekend long, according to Winesburg Weekend committee chairman Frank Weasner.
“Winesburg weekend starts off Friday night, and it is a weekend even — Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Weasner said. “The big day is Saturday, which starts with breakfast with Santa and ends with the parade and fireworks. We really strive to get a lot of families her with family-oriented activities and keep them in town all day long.”
Having the event span three days is a change from last year’s event, which took place on Saturday. A big part of the reason for the change last year, was the success of the Clyde High School football team, according to Weasner.
“Last year, it was just Saturday. What’s happened in the past is when the football team goes to the playoffs, each year they rotate between Friday and Saturday night games,” he said. “Last year, when we started it was going to be a Friday night parade, but then they changed up the divisions in football, and we had to change everything to just Saturday night.”
This year the committee decided in advance to just have the parade on Saturday night, rather than wait to see if the Fliers made it to the playoffs and then have to change the schedule around.
The decision to make Winesburg an event that spans the entire weekend was in large part due to the Clyde community asking for more of the event, according to Weasner.
“This year we’ve had so much interest from the public and businesses to do something on Sunday that we included Sunday again this year,” he said. “Winesburg has evolved within itself again. We’re very excited about that, because the Winesburg Weekend is coming back to life.”
Favorite events are returning again this year, such as the Model Train Display. This year the display will be held at the new Clyde Masonic Temple on Hamer Street, where the Masons will be holding a weekend open house.
Other favorites such as the petting zoo and winter village at Doebel’s Flowers, located on West McPherson Highway, and Breakfast with Santa — at Cahill’s Cafe, located on Main Street in downtown Clyde — will also return.
The Winesburg committee has added a couple new events, as well.
“This year we’re excited to offer the Princess Party and the Super Hero Party,” Weasner said. “Those are brand new this year. It’s just another thing that can help us keep the weekend going.
“The Winter Princess Party will be at the Community Room in City Hall, and the Super Hero Party will be at Clyde Health and Fitness.”
The Winter Princess Party is for children ages four and older and will be at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The Super Hero Party is also for children four and older and will be held on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Parents must accompany their children for the entire party.
Tickets for the parties are available at Cahill’s Cafe, Doebel’s Flowers and Clyde Health and Fitness. Tickets are presale only and must be purchased by noon, Nov. 20.
Another favorite for many are the fireworks on Saturday night.
“We’re continuing with the fireworks that started three or four years ago,” Weasner said. “People love the fireworks. We do have a partial sponsor this year in Fremont Federal Credit Union.
“We really hope to keep it as a sponsored thing moving forward.”
Breakfast with Santa will be held Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. Call 419-547-1397 for reservations.
Other activities through out the weekend will include Make it and Take It for Children, horse and carriage rides, business open houses and craft and vendor shows.
“Winesburg Weekend gives people that small-town feel. That’s really our thing,” Weasner said. “Yes, it has connections with Sherwood Anderson’s ‘Winesburg’, but it’s really to bring people in for a small-town Christmas atmosphere.”
Visit the Winesburg Christmas Weekend page on Facebook.com for a full schedule of events.
Clik here to view.
