Let Mother Nature garden
Master gardener Janet Nelson, St. Sebastian, takes great pride in her garden.
Preferring to take a natural approach to gardening, she has purposef
CELINA - Mercer County commissioners this week said they haven't yet acted on requests from various public officials for a share of the county government's $7.9 million American Rescue Plan Act funds.
MARIA STEIN - Mercer Health plans to construct a 19,000-square-foot medical office building in the Marion Industrial Park.
The new facility at 8016 Booster Drive will be called the Mercer Health Marion Campus, according to a news release from Mercer Health.
Lutz wins shot put regional title, chance to add discus Sat.
PIQUA - Celina's Amelia Lutz needed just one throw in the shot put to lock up a regional title.
Lutz hit 38-8 the first time she stepped into the c
Area officials are excited about the upcoming tourist season for many reasons, chief among them a cleaner Grand Lake and new amenities on the 13,500-acre lake in Mercer and Auglaize counties.
ST. ANTHONY - Pomona Grange officials plan to go "full bore" this year with the return of the Pomona Grange Strawberry Festival after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
FORT RECOVERY - The Battle at the Fort Pull returns to Ambassador Park on June 4.
Gates open at 4 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m. Children age 11 and under can attend the Battle at the Fort tractor pull for free. Tickets at the gate are $20 for individuals ages 12 and up.
COLDWATER - Knights of Columbus members will host its 55th annual picnic June 3-5 on the grounds of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, promising an entertaining weekend of activities.
COLDWATER - The Taste of the Town food event returns to Coldwater on June 7.
It will be held from 5-10 p.m. on Elm Street near the depot in Coldwater Memorial Park.
BURKETTSVILLE - Several events for children have been added to this year's slate of events at the Burkettsville Community Picnic set June 11-12 at the village park.
CHICKASAW - A dunk tank has been added to the list of events at this year's Chickasaw Community Picnic set for June 3-5 at the VFW Park on Maple Street.
FORT RECOVERY - Organizers of this year's Fort Recovery Harvest Jubilee won't let bad weather rain on their parade - or live music, beer and wine tasting, Cooper Kiddie Day and the myriad of other festivities planned June 15-19.
ST. MARYS - Holy Rosary Catholic Church will host its annual parish festival June 10-11 on the church grounds at 511 E. Spring St.
The two-day event will feature food trucks, children's games, live entertainment and a reverse raffle.
MONTEZUMA - Based on the success of last year's one-day celebration, Zuma Days organizers have decided to expand this year's festival to two days.
The festival is set for June 17-18 at Zuma Park, 6700 Brookside Dr.
After returning to a full slate of races with live fans last year after most of the 2020 race schedule was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Eldora Speedway will feature the traditional crown jewel races plus two big events this year.
ROCKFORD - Plans are still being finalized, but the Rockford Community Days festival is set to return June 17-18 at Shanes Park.
Cassie McMurry, fe
MARIA STEIN - Organizers of the 35th annual Maria Stein Country Fest plan to wow visitors with high-flying acrobatic performances as part of this year's festival set for June 24-26.
Runners from around the area and beyond will get a chance to compete for prizes as the Mercer Health 5K Challenge returns this season.
The challenge features seven 5,000-meter (5 kilometers) road races held from June through August in Mercer County communities.
NEW KNOXVILLE - The village's new splash pad will be among the attractions for children during this year's New Knoxville Independence Day Celebration
ST. HENRY - The St. Henry Community Picnic had a banner last year, and organizers are looking to keep the ball rolling with this year's celebration, planned for July 1-3.
The boys of summer will return for the 33rd season as the Grand Lake Mariners will bring in college baseball players from around the nation to play wood-bat league baseball in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.
CELINA - Coming off a banner attendance year in 2021, organizers are readying themselves for an even greater crowd at this summer's Taste of Celina Block Party & Car Show, a smorgasbord of scrumptious food, drinks and live music.
CELINA - This summer will see the return of a full-fledged Immaculate Conception Festival July 15-16.
The festival will be held on the grounds surrounding the church.
CHATTANOOGA - A year after the contest was cancelled because of rain, the popular tractor pull will be among the highlights during the 107th annual Chatt Farmer's Picnic on July 28.
BERNE, Ind. - The Swiss Days Berne residents recognize is slowly making a comeback, with more events, vendors and entertainment in the works for the 50th annual festival scheduled July 28-30.
The Grand Lake Marathon returned last season after being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Organizers for the this year's event hope for a great crowd of runners and spectators at the eighth-annual race on Sept. 24.
CELINA - Mindy Cook, a member of the U.S. women's goalball team that took home a silver medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2021, will be the grand marshal of the Celina Lake Festival parade on July 23.
FORT RECOVERY - The 2022 Fort Recovery National Tractor Pullers Association Grand Nationals event returns July 29-30 to Ambassador Park.
Gates ope
New Bremen hosts 101st event
NEW BREMEN - The New Bremen-German Township Fireman's Picnic, the longest-running picnic in the Auglaize County, will mark its its 101st year July 22-23 at the downtown Crown Pavilion.
Event still going strong after 170 years
WAPAKONETA - Fair organizers will celebrate a milestone this summer with the 170th Auglaize County Fair July 31 to Aug. 6.
Fair manager Ed Doenges said organizers are anticipating another stellar turnout following a great year in 2021.
COLDWATER - The 62nd annual Coldwater Community Picnic will be held Aug. 4-7. The theme is America.
Picnic President Brent Selhorst said the golf c
The World's Longest Yard Sale will return to Mercer County properties along U.S. 127 Aug. 4-7.
The annual event is nearly 700 miles long and spans
CELINA - The theme of the 2022 Mercer County Fair set for Aug. 12-18 is "Big Dreams in a Small Town."
And it's a fitting phrase given how the fair has grown over the last decade in booking entertainment, activities and festive settings that locals would normally have to drive hours away to enjoy.
ST. MARYS - St. Marys SummerFest is moving to a new location this year.
The annual festival takes place Aug. 11-14 at Baughman Stadium Complex (Skip Complex), a change from last year's Memorial Park location.
COLDWATER - The 42nd Coldwater Multiple Donations Softball Tournament will be held Aug. 17-21 at Coldwater Memorial Park.
Between 1980 and 2019 the
NEW BREMEN - Starting with the crowning of the festival queen and ending with the grand parade, many activities will be available during this year's Bremenfest celebration.
FORT RECOVERY - The fourth annual Win on the Wabash returns Aug. 27-28 to Ambassador Park with an array of door prizes, raffles, music, food, drinks, exhibitors and entertainment.
CELINA - The Durbin Bean Bake, one of the area's most historic and longest running events, returns Labor Day Sept. 5.
The event, first held in 1898 and now in its 123rd year, traces back to a reunion of Civil War veterans.
ST. JOE - Officials are still finalizing plans for the St. Joe Homecoming Festival, which will take place Sept. 9-11.
The festival takes place on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1689 St. Joe Rd.
Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics will host event
MARIA STEIN-The annual Heritage Day Festival returns to the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics from 1-5 p.m. Sept. 18.
Held in the shrine courtyard at 2291 St. Johns Rd., the festival began in 2016 as a family-friend event, according to Diana Russel, fund development director for the shrine.
NEW BREMEN - The New Bremen Pumpkinfest will again usher in the fall season with kids activities, food, beer and plenty of music. The event is set for Sept. 23-24 at the Pavilion on Plum Street in New Bremen.
'Our Piece of Germany' selected as theme for Minster festival parade
MINSTER - Thousands of people will converge on Minster this year as the village again celebrates its German heritage by hosting the Minster Oktoberfest.
CELINA - A slew of musical acts will shake, rattle and roll Bryson Park District this summer.
The Celina Summer Concert Series is back with a mix of free Sunday evening shows under the red tent and Saturday evening performances at Harley C. Jones Memorial Rotary Amphitheater.
The fifth annual summer concert series at Coldwater Memorial Park Amphitheater will feature performances by a variety of musical acts. All concerts start at 7 p.m.
ST. HENRY - The lineup for the 11th annual St. Henry Summer Concert Series will feature a variety of acts that include rock tribute bands and local talent at the St. Henry Freedom Amphitheater.
FORT RECOVERY - Crowds flocked to the Fort Recovery Friends of the Arts summer concert series last year.
Organizers report they have another talented lineup for this summer's offering the free concerts. This is the 31st year for the series.
NEW BREMEN - The New Bremen Summer Concert Series will again feature a local flavor with musicians from west central Ohio.
The free concerts will be held at the Crown Pavilion on Plum Street along the Miami-Erie Canal. The concerts are all on Sundays and begin at 6:30 p.m.
MINSTER - Tribute bands performing hit songs from the 1970s and '80s will entertain audiences attending this summer's Minster Summer Concert Series.
The free concerts will be held at Minster Machine Centennial Park on Fourth Street. The concerts are held on Sundays and start at 6:30 p.m.
The two-county Grand Lake region boasts numerous recreation sites ranging from museums about Ohio's contributions to air and space travel and bicycles to churches on the national historical register, dog parks, walking trails and others.
Arrowhead Park Golf Course
Directions: Take Ohio 66 south out of St. Marys to Minster. Once in Minster, take a right onto First Street and follow it to Canal Road. Turn left on Canal. The course is located on the corner of Canal and Dirksen.
Those seeking lodgings during the festival season have a number of options to choose from in the Grand Lake area.
Numerous hotels, motels, inns and campgrounds are available for visitors to Mercer and Auglaize counties.
