The Bob Evans Farm Festival has become a celebration of southeast Ohio and Appalachian culture, say supporters.
RIO GRANDE — Families look forward to some of the biggest events of the year in Rio Grande as the 48th Bob Evans Farm Festival arrives Oct. 12-14, along with the AMB FoxTrot 5k and Rockets over Rio taking place on Saturday.
The FoxTrot 5k begins Saturday morning with the race at 8 a.m. and the Kit Dash for children after the race. Registration begins at 7 am. in the Bob Evans Farm Hall parking lot at the University of Rio Grande.
Rockets over Rio once gain returns to Rio Grande, Oct. 13, with launch at 9:30 p.m., the same weekend as Bob Evans Farm Festival.
According to Rio Grande Mayor Matt Easter, the fireworks display is in its ninth year as a strictly donation-funded event hosted by the Village of Rio Grande. Launch will take place near the Stanley Evans Athletics and Recreation Field on the campus of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College. The event is free and open to the public. The event is slated to launch what is arguably the largest firework shell in Gallia’s history with the shell measuring 16-inches in diameter.
The Bob Evans Farm Festival attracts literally thousands of people to Gallia County with activities like performances from lumberjacks and chainsaw carvers, animals from the Columbus Zoo, and farm demonstrations including demonstrations from Team Zoom Border Collies and cow milking with the Laurel Valley Creamery. Kids’ Farmyard Fun area for face painting, a hay bale maze, game tent, kiddie train rides, corn pile, pig racing and more. Families can also take a trip through an authentic log cabin village, which includes four cabins and a one-room schoolhouse that have all been reconstructed on the Bob Evans Farm. Then there’s the food, including bean soup, cornbread, apple dumplings, apple cider, kettle corn and other farm festival fare.
Visitors can try cow chip tossing, chicken scratch, corn shelling, feed sack races, team egg toss, pie eating, donut eating and stick horse races and children can test their strength at the kids’ pedal tractor pull.
According to a news release, the entertainment schedule states on the amphitheatre stage: Friday, 11:30 a.m., Jonah Riddle & Carolina Express, 1:30 p.m., Love Canon, 3:30, p.m., The Rarely Herd. Saturday, 11:30 a.m., New Silver Eagle Band, 1:30 p.m., Shane Runion Band, 3:30 p.m., Bucky Covington. Sunday, 10 a.m., Kyle & Brittany Schaeffer Music Ministry & Congregational Singing, 11 a.m., Worship Service by Bob Powell, 12:30 p.m., Sandy Shortridge Band, 2 p.m., Johnny Staats & The Delivery Boys, 3:30 p.m., Larry Sparks. Open daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., admission is $5 for adults, children aged 5 and under get in free.
On the O’Neil Entertainment Stage: Friday and Sunday, at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., Taps in Motion Cloggers will be on stage. On Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and2 p.m., the Columbus Zoo will present six to eight animals with a handler speaking about the animals’ habitats, habits and conservation.
In the barnyard tent all weekend at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., cow milking demonstrations will be presented by Laurel Valley Creamery along with Sheep Shearing by Stanley Strode and H & R farms showing up close views of farm animals, including alpacas, goats, chickens, ducks, donkeys and more.
Field demonstrations held all weekend include: 10 a.m., Team Zoom Border Collies, 10:30 a.m., Reno Family Horsehoe Pitching, 11 a.m., Great Lakes Timber Show, 11:30 a.m., Circle C Farm’s Hogway Speedway, 12:30 p.m., collies and horshoe pitching once more, 1 p.m., hogway speedway and timber show, 2:30 p.m., hogway speedway and horseshoe pitching, 3 p.m., collies and timber show, 4 p.m., hogway speedway.
Ongoing displays and demonstrations include Stihl Pro Chainsaw Carving, a firetruck display by Rio Grande Fire Department, military demonstrations to be announced, the Wayne National Forest educational materials and Smokey the Bear, Ohio State Parks and Division of Watercraft educational display, Ohio Division of Wildlife educational materials.
Registrations for contests are held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. A kiddie pedal tractor pull will be held at 11 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. for adults and kids 12 and under are team cow chip tossing contests, corn shelling, team egg toss, pie eating, donut eating, stick horse racing. For children 12 and under, they can compete in field sack races. For children six and under, they can compete in chicken scratch.
Primitive camping is available Oct. 9 through Oct. 15, free and includes a dump station, potable water, outhouses and 24 hour security.