By Anna DeWine
XENIA — Fall is here and so is festival season for Greene County.
Lion’s Club Bean Festival: Jamestown is celebrating its bicentennial year with balloons, beans and more at the Bean Festival, which kicked off on Thursday and continues through Saturday. Among the festivities, festival-goers can expect a choice of five kinds of homemade beans served with cornbread and many other foods. The Bean Tent opens at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, followed by opening ceremonies, the crowing of the queen, and bingo games. The crowd-pleasing pancake breakfast will kick off the festival on Saturday at 7 a.m. Continue the day by walking in the cancer walk, watching five hot air balloons launch, cheering for the parade or participating in evening Bingo.
Xenia Community Festival: An “old fashioned community festival” for Xenia is set for Friday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 17. In the evenings, visitors should look out for a balloon glow with champion balloonist Al Nels of Beavercreek in the park on Friday, and listen for local Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers on Saturday. A Saturday morning parade will begin the celebration. Additional activities will include paddle-boating on the lake, the Imagination Station, the bike rodeo, an AVA Walk, the Junked Bike Art Competition and more. The festival will open at 4 p.m. on Friday until 9 p.m. Saturday’s hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Old Timers Days: Opening ceremonies begin on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. Center Stage at the Greene County Fairgrounds. Gate admission is $4 for adults, $1 for seniors, and children are free with an adult. A 3-day pass is sold for $10. The parade will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday, circling around the track at the Grandstand. Auctions will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Auction items will include a 1949 John Deere MT, along with lumber from the Sawmill.
Young’s Fall Farm Pumpkin Festival: Family and fun go together at Young’s Jersey Dairy, especially at the Farm Pumpkin Festival on October 1 and 2. Farm visitors can park their cars across the road in the field, and walk over to the dairy for activities. These include Cowvin’s Corny Maze opening at 11 a.m., followed by cow milking demonstrations and cheese-making facility tours, caramel apple and pumpkin donut hole making, and more pumpkin activities like pumpkin painting, pumpkin launching, and pumpkin bowling.
Spring Valley Potato Festival: Taking place on Main Street, the potato festival is celebrating its 39th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2. This event will showcase many arts and crafts and food vendors — including potato-themed foods like potato soup and potato candy. Festival-goers can listen to live music in Bledsoe Park at Thompson Pavilion, and check out the book sale at the library. Other scheduled events for the festival include a 5k Tater Trot Run/Walk, a pet parade and fun for children, including a Kiddie Tractor Pull, carnival rides, and children’s games.
Yellow Springs Street Fair: The Saturday, Oct. 8 street fair boasts “a day of hoopla” and 200 booths full of fine arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, fair trade items, gifts, massages, international cuisine and more. The all-day foods and arts festival will begin at 9 a.m. Entertainment includes street performers at the Jackson Lytle & Lewis Stage, along with the Music Festival and Beer Garden from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Sauerkraut Festival: The Midwest-famous sauerkraut festival, which began as a small local event in 1970, will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8 and end at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9. Now one of the premier craft festivals in the nation, the Waynesville festival will showcase over 450 vendors with handcrafted items. Arts and crafts range from ceramics to paintings to word-working, while food offerings range from sauerkraut pizza to fudge.
Fairborn Halloween Festival: The annual Fairborn Halloween Festival promises a spooky time for adults and kids alike. Packed full of family fun, the Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22 event will host rides and vendors, along with Foy’s Haunted Museum and the Spooktacular Parade. The parade will take place on Friday night and will feature kids and adults dressed in their best Halloween costumes. Saturday night’s Zombie Walk will cost $10 for adults and $7 for children, which covers face painting, blood bath, beverages and snacks.
