Businesses, community gather for parade, crafts, games
Story and photos by Steven Bieber
SYLVANIA – Thousands of people gathered on Main Street this weekend for fun, live music and a parade at the 38th annual Sylvania Fall Festival.
A highlight of the weekend fest was the Nite Lite Farmers Market, featuring crafts and vendor booths illuminated by colorful, festive lights. There were about 65 booths on Saturday and 100 on Sunday, including Sweet Stache Farms, Shaman and the Bear, Timbo’s Licorice Ropes and A&J Landscape.
Attendees could participate in the 4th annual cornhole tournament and the annual Dino Dash, which involved young kids and adults dressed in dinosaur costumes and competing in races. There was also a Trick or Treat on Main Street and a Pumpkin Patch for the kids.
The main event of the festival was the annual parade, which showcased approximately 30 organizations from the community. Town crier Mike Lieber was the grand marshal, and participants included Sylvania Mayor Craig Stough; marching bands from Northview, Southview and Evergreen; Lourdes University cheerleaders; and dinos.
Tiffany Bosch, president and CEO of the Sylvania Chamber of Commerce since 2021, said this is a good time to hold the fest.
“I think it’s a fun time of the year in the midwest. The leaves are changing; there’s a huge push for apples, apple cider, pumpkins, pumpkin spice lattes; and it’s just a fun time that everybody really enjoys before the holidays,” she exclaimed.
Bosch discussed how the festival has grown and its ability to bring people from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan together.
“It’s a great way for us to highlight Sylvania during a very busy time of the year for festivals and markets,” she said.
Although the festival has been going on for 38 years, the Chamber of Commerce has been coordinating the festival since 2017. Bosch explained that it’s their job to help facilitate the committee that involves community members, organizations, and first responders.
Bosch said the festival is good for Sylvania because it puts the city on the map.
“There’s tens of thousands of people from all over who come enjoy this. It’s not just for our residents, but it’s a way for Sylvania to be highlighted,” she said.
“They might not purchase anything that day, but they’re coming back. There is huge tourism, and visitors push from outside of the Sylvania area that attend, so it’s a great way for us to highlight our community and really showcase who we are every year.”
Bosch added that the festival offers something for everyone. The Saturday Nite Lite Farmers Market could make for a great date night, while the events on Sunday make for a great family outing with the kids. She also mentioned that the parade gets bigger every year.
Don and Lori Claar traveled from Northwood to attend the festival and watched the parade. The couple heard about it from a friend who owns Olive’s on Main restaurant.
Don said the festival is “something to do on a nice, beautiful day like this. I couldn’t just sit around watching football.”
