Champaign Uncorked! hopes you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Now it’s time to begin celebrating Christmas in Champaign County. Following are a few recommendations for helping you get into the spirit in the next two weekends:
Santa’s Coming to Town – in a Caravan of Horses, Friday, Nov. 27
Santa arrives at the Gloria Theatre for last year’s Santa Land.
Santa will arrive in Urbana at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, like never before.
He’ll be escorted through town by a caravan of lighted horse-drawn carriages and horseback riders, in the first-ever Urbana All-Horse Christmas Parade.
The parade will start a 6 p.m. at the intersection of Patrick Avenue and Water Street, make its way down Patrick Avenue, turn left onto Scioto Street, and circle around Monument Square before returning to the starting point.
And Santa’s horse-drawn trolley will continue on to the Gloria Theatre, 216 S. Main St., the official headquarters of Santa Land (see “Santa Land” below).
The horse parade, organized in memory of Jim Clark, will include at least 22 lighted carriages and 40 to 50 riders. Janice Clark, Jim Clark’s widow, will be the parade grand marshal, riding in a wagon pulled by her late husband’s team of Haflingers.
Santa Land Through December 19
Santa is expected to arrive at the theater at 6:30 p.m. to listen to children’s wishes. The Grandworks Foundation and The Depot Coffeehouse will provide hot chocolate and popcorn. The Champaign Youth Choir will sing on stage at 7 p.m.
Santa will pose for pictures with children in his sleigh and will return to Santa Land every Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Christmas. Santa Land is offered free by Monument Square District and partners the Gloria Theatre, Grandworks Foundation, the Depot Coffeehouse, Security National Bank, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, Erin Patton and many volunteers.
Downtown Urbana is looking a lot like Christmas.
Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28—Shop Local for Christmas
Several downtown Urbana stores will observe Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, with special sales, door prizes, drawings, extended hours, refreshments and more.
According to Monument Square District, the following businesses will participate: H. Holding & Co., Downtown Divas, J. Michael Jewelry, Unique Boutique, Guild Gallery, Willman Furniture, Lily’s Garden, One Eleven-A Fashion Boutique, Kaleidoscope, The Green Gate, Cosmic Charlie Baking and Bread, Olde Scioto House of Design, Fruit Salad Antiques and Urban Prairie. Visit their Facebook pages for details.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Gloria Theatre, Dec. 5
Jimmy Stewart’s Christmas movie classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be on the big screen at the Gloria Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. The $5 admission will support the GrandWorks Foundation’s ongoing mission to restore the theater to enrich the community socially, culturally, economically and spiritually.
Christmas Walk, Dec. 5 and 6
This local Christmas tradition, begun in 2000, will take you on a walk through the Christmas story at Mechanicsburg Christian Fellowship, 4401 Allison Rd., Mechanicsburg. The walk features an original play written and directed by Christa Wolf of Mechanicsburg and includes nine interactive stations that depict the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.
Wolf has added new features to this year’s production and has collaborated with the Mechanicsburg United Methodist Church on the music. The walk will be held Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5 and 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. Groups of about 20 people will begin the walk every 15 minutes. The walk lasts about 45 minutes. There is no charge. Transportation will be provided for handicapped and elderly persons unable to comfortably walk the distance of the play.
No Room in the Inn, Dec. 6
In another local Christmas tradition, Messiah Lutheran Church, 1013 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, invites the community to No Room in the Inn, 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. The event will feature displays of more than 400 nativities and angels, a chicken noodle dinner for $5, a bake sale, silent auction and concerts by the Let’s Jam Show Choir at 2:30 p.m. and Guys and Dolls at 3:30 p.m.
All proceeds will support the homeless of Champaign County and the Caring Kitchen of Urbana.
The Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival provides guests an area to dine and enjoy live music–performed this year by 11 bands.
This couple truly picked up the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival vibe at last year’s celebration.
The third weekend each September, surf meets turf at landlocked Freshwater Farms of Ohio, a mile north of Urbana, Ohio, on U.S. 68.
Surrounded by cropland, the fish farm becomes an island oasis where fresh shrimp and fish are plentiful. And lilting strains of reggae music wash over the countryside, along with a jambalaya of folk/Americana, indie rock, funk, blues and other musical flavorings, performed over three days on an outdoor stage. (By the way, real, not figurative, jambalaya is on the menu.)
Last year, the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival drew about 5,000 visitors. Dr. Dave Smith and his Freshwater Farms crew are ready for more this year. The 14th annual edition of the festival starts this Friday (Sept. 18) at 4 p.m. and ends Sunday at 5 p.m. (The last I looked, 14,000 people had clicked “going” on the festival’s Facebook event page.)
Featured attraction at the Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival: grilled, locally-grown shrimp.
Feast your ears as you savor the food. The festival’s music lineup keeps getting better and better. And three popular performers from last year are returning. Consider these videos your festival appetizer (check out the complete music schedule here):
Fever Fever(with two songs on Billboard’s Christian rock charts this year), performing 3-4:30 p.m. Saturday:
And Champaign County’s own, Daniel Dye and the Miller Road Band, which has played on the festival stage in previous years,performing 5-6:30 p.m. Friday:
Festival hours: Friday, Sept. 18, 4-10 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 20, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Freshwater Farms of Ohio, 2624 North US Hwy. 68, one mile north of Urbana.
General admission: $5, good for the whole weekend; $2, ages 3-12; and free, 2 and under. Includes includes access to all music and many other activities. Pay once and return free with hand stamp. Parking is free in the field on the south side of the farm.
See you there!
Disclaimer: Even if Freshwater Farms of Ohio and the Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival weren’t my client through my copywriting business, Schenkel Communications, I’d give this festival my wholehearted endorsement. This blog post is just a little extra.
Here are Champaign Uncorked’s picks for bringing summer 2015 to an entertaining close:
Champaign County Fair, August 7-14
Junior Fair competition is at the center of the Champaign County Fair.
Summer is incomplete without Champaign County’s main event—one of Ohio’s best county fairs, if not the best. For this one week, activity gravitates to the fairgrounds. Everything else seems to slow down. And once it’s over, the start of a new school year is right around the corner.
So take time out to enjoy the food, the junior fair exhibits, livestock shows, local business booths, midway and just getting together with the rest of Champaign County.
Highlights for this year include the Josh Turner concert at 8 p.m. Friday, August 7, in the grandstand, and the crowning of the junior fair queen, awarding of 4-H boy and girl of the year and FFA boy and girl of the year, and pig and calf scrambles, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, August 8, at the grandstand. Click here for a complete schedule and details. The fairgrounds is located at 384 Park Ave., Urbana.
Bird’s-eye view of the 2014 MERFI Fly-in and car show at Urbana’s Grimes Field.
The 49th annual Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-in (MERFI), will feature an air race, airplane rides, pancake breakfasts, outdoor movies, classic car and hot rod cruise-in and live music. All at Urbana’s historic and active Grimes Field airport, starting at 5 p.m. Friday, August 21 and ending at 1 p.m. Sunday, August 23.
Admission is $5 per person. Children under 12 are free. For more information, visit the MERFI website.
A Summer Challenge, through September 30
My son Alex Schenkel guiding a tour at Ohio Caverns.
If you haven’t already, take part in the Naturally Ours, Rarely Seen Summer Challenge—and discover and enjoy some of Champaign County’s natural and recreational wonders.
The program, created by the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and members of the Chamber’s Leadership Champaign program, offers prizes for visiting three, five, seven or all nine featured sites. Examples of prizes: discount admission to Ohio Caverns and Cedar Bog, a free disc golf disc and a chance to win a free night of camping at any Ohio state park.
Though the Champaign Uncorked! Bucket List may be off to a late start for July, you’ll still find many opportunities to enjoy Champaign County to the fullest. And here are a few samples:
Urbana Community ParkFest!, July 10 and 11
About 55 years ago, Urbana was gifted with a 120-acre playground, which we know today as Melvin Miller Park. This weekend during ParkFest! you and your family have the opportunity to celebrate this treasure to the fullest.
The Urbana Parks and Recreation Department, with the help of generous sponsors, has packed a day and a half, beginning 6 p.m. Friday, with fun activities and events … live music, sports tournaments (disc golf, sand volleyball, tennis and basketball, to name a few), pool parties, a fishing derby, dunk tank, rock climbing wall, inflatables, tethered hot air balloon rides…. For complete details, check here and here. And for a little history on the park, click here.
Mechanicsburg Summer Celebration, July 11
Mechanicsburg will celebrate summer with a festival Saturday that includes a parade at 3 p.m., a vintage baseball game at 4 p.m., an apple pie contest, a concert by the Average Wright Band at 7:45 p.m., and fireworks at dusk. And ice cream and cake will be served 6 to 8 p.m. to celebrate Goshen Township’s 200th anniversary. Check for more details here and on the Our Towne Mechanicsburg Facebook page.
“Who Am I This Time? (& Other Conundrums of Love),” July 10-12
This latest production at the Gloria Theatre, 216 S. Main St., Urbana, is a play presented by Sansami Creative Works and adapted from three short stories by Kurt Vonnegut. Shows are scheduled Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 12 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by clicking here.
Missoula Children’s Theatre Open Auditions, July 13
The Missoula Children’s Theatre is making a stop in Urbana at the Gloria Theatre, Monday, July 13, to audition kids, grades K-9, for a production of “Blackbeard the Pirate,” to be performed at the theater Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18. Auditions will be held Monday 10 a.m. to noon. For details, call Lydia at 937-612-1651 or email lydia@grandworks.com.
Here’s a chance to help our neighbors. Week of Hope, coordinated by several local churches, provides a variety of opportunities to serve our community, including home repairs, meals, a pool party and a community worship service. For details, check the Week of Hope Facebook page and click here for a schedule.
Art Affair on the Square, July 18
Celebrate Urbana’s artistic side from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 18 in historic downtown Urbana. Sponsored and organized by Monument Square District, this festival—now in its 11th year–attracts artists and visitors from across Ohio and beyond.
Artists will display and sell their works under dozens of white tents. The festival also features performing arts, children’s art activities, architectural tours, exhibits and literary arts. And downtown specialty shops and restaurants will be open to add to the festivities. For more, visit the Art Affair on the Square Facebook page.
Leading up to Art Affair, the Champaign County Arts Council, 119 Miami St., will host a reception in memory of local artist Paul Reif, Friday, July 17, 6-8 p.m. His work also will be on display in the Arts Council Gallery during Art Affair and during normal business hours, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., July 13-24.
We’re just a little more than a week away from the start of summer. Farmers’ markets are in full swing. And the Champaign Uncorked! Bucket List is here to recommend a sampling of the many exciting local Champaign County activities to try out in June. Some are brand new. Others are tried and true.
So, here goes….
Rock the Monument 4 Miler/1.5 Mile Fun Walk, June 12
I’m already registered, and you can still sign up beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 12 at Urbana’s Melvin Miller Park, 731 Children’s Home Rd. Start time is 7 p.m. Registration is $25 for the Four Miler. The fun walk is free, though registration is required. Donations to support MSD will be accepted.
By the way, all participants registered for the Four Miler will receive a weekend pass to the next event on the Bucket List, the Rhythm & Foods Festival….
Rhythm & Foods Festival, June 12 and 13
Whether or not you worked up an appetite running four miles around Melvin Miller Park, here’s another not-to-miss, first-time event.
A surefire success, thanks to the rising popularity of food trucks, Rhythm & Foods brings together more than 50 food trucks and vendors, craft beersand seven country rock bands at the Champaign County Fairgrounds, 384 Park Ave, Urbana.
A $5 weekend pass—covering Friday and Saturday—includes admission to all seven shows—including Urbana’s own Acoustic Justice and long-time regional favorite McGuffey Lane. Tickets are available only at the gate, which opens at 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.
Visit the festival website for a complete band schedule, listing of food trucks and other features, including a Robert Rothschild Farm products warehouse sale.
Kudos to Dave and Darcy Bacher of St. Paris for creating and organizing this event.
This event at Urbana’s Grimes Field airport, 1636 N Main St, will honor veterans in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of U.S. ground troops arriving in Vietnam. The event is co-sponsored by DAV Chapter 31 and VFW Post 5451.
The all-day tribute will feature 13 Vietnam-era aircraft, including flights in Cobra and Huey helicopters (for a fee), an air show, military vehicles, music, a beer garden, and pancake breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m. The day will conclude with a 5 p.m. tribute to 10 Champaign County natives who gave their lives in the Vietnam War.
Admission is only $1 and free for veterans. Shuttle service will be provided between the airport and the Rhythm & Foods Festival.
A Champaign Uncorked! salute to Dave Millner and Jim Bob White, who conceived the idea for the appreciation day and planned it.
Volunteer at the Gloria Theatre, June 16 and 17
And here’s your opportunity for an intimate, participatory theatrical experience: Volunteer Tuesday, June 16 and/or Wednesday, June 17 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. to help prepare the stage of The Gloria Theatre for “Spotlight, Tonight” (see next Bucket List item) and other productions.
No auditions. Just show up, ready to work at The Gloria, 216 S. Main St., Urbana, and you’ll be handed a role and the tools to carry it out–perhaps a drill, a broom, a hammer.
To learn more about how you can support the ongoing restoration of the Gloria Theatre, as a volunteer and/or financial contributor, visit the GrandWorks Foundation website.
Spotlight, Tonight!, June 26
This original sketch comedy show will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. at Urbana’s Gloria Theatre, 216 S. Main St. A production of Sansami Creative Works of West Liberty, the show is written by community members and directed by Lucas Keeran with assistance from Thoryn Johnson.
Presale tickets for the show can be purchased for $7 at the Gloria Theatre during office hours. Tickets will be available at the door the day of the show $10 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and students.
Part of the proceeds will support the GrandWorks Foundation, which is restoring the Gloria Theatre.
CCPA Historic Home & Garden Tour, June 27 and 28
This annual fund-raising event of the Champaign County Preservation Alliance enjoys a long run of success—23 years—shining the spotlight on Champaign County’s historic architectural treasures, including homes and business properties, as well as gardens.
This year’s tour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, features 12 stops in Urbana, including a house currently being restored, the Johnny Appleseed Musem at Urbana University and the Market Street Community Gardens. (You can say hi to my wife, Kay, who will be volunteering at the Little Wedding Barn, 228 S. Kenton St.)
Tickets are available for $10 presale, or $12 during the tour–available at any stop on the tour or at the white tent behind the Urbana Municipal Building, 205 S. Main St. Tour is free for children under 12. Click here for presale ticket locations. Free shuttle service is available from stop to stop.
Farmers’ Markets
Through the end of the season, these three local farmers’ markets will offer a wide range of locally grown foods as well as locally made food products, including baked goods:
The Mechanicsburg Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market — Tuesdays, 4:30-7 p.m. at the Heritage Cooperative, 140 S. Main St., Mechanicsburg, Ohio
St. Paris Farmers’ Market – Fridays, 2:30-6 p.m., Municipal Building, 135 W. Main St., St. Paris, Ohio
Champaign County Farmers’ Market – Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Locust Street at the corner of East Market Street, behind the Urbana Fire Department.
Here’s your February Bucket List, a sampling of the many ways to enjoy the month in Champaign County – from celebrating Valentine’s Day to supporting good causes to enjoying good music. Hope you have a great month!
Empty Bowls, Feb. 12 – You can help those who don’t have enough to eat when you buy a handmade ceramic bowl for $15 and sample a variety of soups and breads donated by local restaurants, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Urbana University Student Center, 579 College Way, Urbana. All proceeds from Empty Bowls support the Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties. For more information, contact Anna Plataniotis at 937-325-8715 or visit the Second Harvest Food Bank website.
Lions Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast, Saturday, Feb. 14 – Start your Valentine’s Day supporting the Urbana Lions Club, 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Champaign County Fairgrounds, 384 Park Avenue, Urbana.
Valentine’s Day Wine & Beer Tasting, Saturday, Feb. 14 – Treat your sweetheart at Mad River Farm Market, 7538 N. U.S. 68, West Liberty, 5 to 8 p.m. And stay to enjoy the music of Above the Law, 7 to 11 p.m.
Concert featuring Daniel Dye and the Miller Road Band with Aallotar, Saturday, Feb. 14 – Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a mix of American and Finnish folk music and the direct trade coffee of host Hemisphere Coffee Roasters, in HCR’s new location, 39 S. Main St., Mechanicsburg, across the street from the HCR coffee shop. Champaign County’s very own Daniel Dye and the Miller Road Band welcome special guest, Aallotar, a transatlantic collaboration of Finnish-American violinist Sara Pajunen and Finnish accordionist Teija Niku. Admission by donation.
Four-Course Wine Pairing Dinner, Thursday, Feb. 19 – Savor an elegant night out, 6 to 8 p.m., at Freshwater Farms of Ohio, 2624 N. U.S. 68, Urbana. Four-course dinner prepared by The FoodSmiths Catering. Reservations required by 7 p.m. Feb. 17. Call 937-652-3701 or email cherie@fwfarms.com. Cost: $35 per person; food only, $25 per person (plus tax and gratuity). More information.
Peace Labyrinth: Quilting the Golden Rule, through Feb. 28 at Urbana University –Walk through a labyrinth of 17 beautiful quilts that portray the common thread of the Golden Rule in 17 major world faiths and humanist philosophies. At the Swedenborg Memorial Library on the university campus, 579 College Way, Urbana. For hours and more information, click here.
Sponsored by the Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund, started in 2002 in memory of Alicia Titus, an Urbana University alumna who was killed while working as a flight attendant on United Flight 175 on September 11, 2001. Group tours may be arranged by calling Bev Titus, 937-663-5360.
Meet and Greet at the Gloria Theatre, Saturday, Feb. 28 – Stop by the Gloria Theatre (former Urbana Cinema), 216 S. Main St., Urbana, any time between noon and 3 p.m., to see how it’s being transformed into a community theater and community center by the nonprofit GrandWorks Foundation. Learn how you can help and how the theater can serve as a resource for you, your organization or your business—for community performances, meetings and special events. For more information, call 937-612-1651.
Skunk Cabbage Walk at Cedar Bog, Saturday, Feb. 28 – Spring can’t be far behind! Join Cedar Bog volunteer naturalist Cheryl Erwin, 1 to 3 p.m., on a search for the bog’s first bloomer of the season – the skunk cabbage. Cost $5, adults; $4, children and Cedar Bog and Ohio History Connection members.Located at 980 Woodburn Rd., Urbana. 937-484-3744
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