Friday, May 26th, 2023
Coldwater vocal group is feeling pretty 'groovy'
By Georgia Rindler
COLDWATER - The Sound Waves Chorus has been keeping alive the barbershop musical tradition in the Grand Lake area for three decades, harmonizing their signature melodies to folks young and old.
While the old-timey style of barbershop has largely remained the same, the group in recent years has opened the door to female singers. [More]
St. Marys shuts out Wapakoneta to reach district final
By Gary R. Rasberry
  BLUFFTON - Whenever Wapakoneta threatened, St. Marys found a way to beat it back.
Brayden Sullivan got great defense from himself and his teammates and the Roughriders managed two runs past Grant Jolly as St. Marys shut out Wapakoneta 2-0 in the Division II baseball district semifinals on Thursday afternoon at Memorial Field at Bluffton University. [More]
Obituaries on May 26th, 2023
Harold E. Look, 67, of Celina, Ohio, passed away at his residence in Celina on May 23, 2023. [More]
Local pictures on May 26th, 2023
Subscriber stories on May 26th, 2023
ELIDA - None of Ottawa-Glandorf's four pitchers could find the strike zone Thursday, and Coldwater's batters were happy to sit back and take what the Titans gave them.
Division II Track and Field
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The St. Marys boys and girls and Coldwater boys track teams competed in the opening day of the Division II regional track and field meet at Alexander Stadium in Piqua.
CELINA - People want to visit where people want to live, and the Grand Lake region had plenty of visitors in 2022.
Greater Grand Lake Region Visitors Center Director Donna Grube recently delivered a report on 2022 tourism figures and highlighted some area attractions.
COLDWATER - Coldwater Knights of Columbus will host their 56th annual picnic June 2-4 on the grounds of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, promising an entertaining weekend.
Taste of the Town fixture for 10 years
COLDWATER - The Taste of the Town food event returns to Coldwater on June 6.
It will be held 5-10 p.m. on Elm Street near the depot in Coldwater Memorial Park.
VERSAILLES - Versailles Poultry Days is sure to be a finger licking good event this year.
In the spirit of the event's "Chilly Willy Wonka and the Chicken Factory" theme this year, officials are placing three golden tickets randomly into chicken dinners or coolers.
BURKETTSVILLE - A touch-a-truck event will be the newest children's activity at the Burkettsville Community Picnic, which is set for June 9-11 at the village park.
CHICKASAW -- Chickasaw Community Picnic organizers are offering pickleball players a chance to show off their skills with men's, women's and mixed doubles tournaments.
FORT RECOVERY - The Fort Recovery Harvest Jubilee is back June 14-18 at Ambassador Park with several new events on the docket for adults and kids alike.
Eldora Speedway celebrates its 70th season of racing in 2023 with a full slate of racing on the half-mile dirt track.
The traditional crown jewel r
MONTEZUMA - After a popular debut last year the kids tent will be back again at this year's Zuma Days celebration June 16-17 in the village park, 6700 Brookside Drive.
ROCKFORD - The Rockford Community Days festival returns June 16-17 at Shanes Park.
The two-day festival starts at 5 p.m. Friday with an art show, v
MARIA STEIN - Organizers of the 36th annual Maria Stein Country Fest plan to wow visitors with thrilling acrobatic performances as part of this year's festival set for June 23-25 at the Maria Stein Shrine.
ST. HENRY - The St. Henry Community Picnic is on track for another great year with the event planned for June 30-July 2.
The three-day affair will
NEW KNOXVILLE - Fireworks, music and sports of all sorts will be among the attractions at this year's New Knoxville Independence Day Celebration.
The annual festival is June 23-24 at the village park. This will be the 27th year for the festival.
CELINA - Hordes of foodies and revelers will gather for the Taste of Celina Block Party & Car Show, a smorgasbord of scrumptious local cuisine, drinks and live music.
CELINA - The Immaculate Conception Festival returns July 21-22.
The festival will be held on the grounds surrounding the church.
Organizers are once again barreling ahead with a two-day festival. Many events and activities were still being firmed up as of publication.
The Grand Lake half-marathon enters its second year as the featured event after the full marathon was dropped following 2021.
Race director Ryan King said that the reconfigured event ran smoothly in its first iteration.
CHATTANOOGA - The Chatt Farmer's Picnic has been a fixture since the early 1900s and another large crowd is expected for this year's event on July 27.
This year marks the 108th Chatt Farmer's Picnic. The event is held on Tama Road, 2 ½ miles east of Chattanooga.
BERNE, Ind. - The Berne Swiss Days is scheduled to return July 27-30 in downtown Berne.
There will be ample entertainment on the main stage at city
CELINA - Celina Lake Festival gets underway with the Miss Lake Festival Scholarship and Outstanding Teen Pageants on Sunday, July 23.
The Miss Lake
FORT RECOVERY - The 2023 Fort Recovery National Tractor Pullers Association Grand Nationals event returns July 28-29 at Ambassador Park.
Gates open at 4 p.m. and pulls start at 7 p.m. July 28. Gates open at 11 a.m. and pulls begin at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. July 29.
NEW BREMEN - The New Bremen-German Township Fireman's Picnic, the longest-running picnic in Auglaize County, will mark its 102nd year July 21-22 at the downtown Crown Pavilion.
WAPAKONETA - The 171st Auglaize County Fair will be held July 30 to Aug. 5 at the fairgrounds located at 1001 Fairview Drive, Wapakoneta.
Billing itself as "The Family Fair," the weeklong celebration of the county's rich rural culture will feature a mix of beloved mainstays and new events.
COLDWATER - The 63rd annual Coldwater Community Picnic will be held Aug. 3-6. The theme is Pardi Gras.
Picnic president Mark Davis said two electr
Family-friendly events attract thousands of visitors to city
WAPAKONETA - The Wapakoneta Summer Moon Festival is set to take place July 18-23.
"Drawing thousands of visitors from near and far, this week-long
The World's Longest Yard Sale returns to Mercer County properties along U.S. 127 Aug. 3-6.
The annual event is nearly 700 miles long and spans Mich
CELINA - The area's strong agricultural heritage will be celebrated with livestock shows, exhibits and vendors galore at the 171st Mercer County Fair Aug. 11-17.
ST. MARYS - St. Marys SummerFest celebrates 40 years this year.
The annual festival takes place Aug. 10-13 at Baughman Stadium Complex.
This yea
COLDWATER - The 43rd Coldwater Multiple Donations Softball Tournament will be held Aug. 16-20 at Coldwater Memorial Park.
Between 1980 and 2019 the local tournament has raised and donated more than $1.3 million to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
NEW BREMEN - The theme for this year's Bremenfest parade is Highway to New Bremen, which is keeping with the route of the procession, which starts on State Route 66 and then turns onto State Route 274.
The Mercer Health 5K Challenge returns for more road running competition.
Since 2013, the challenge allows runners to earn points for each of the s
FORT RECOVERY - The fifth annual Win on the Wabash returns Aug. 25-26 to Ambassador Park with an array of door prizes, raffles, music, food, drinks, exhibitors and top-notch entertainment, including '90s country star Tracy Byrd.
CELINA - The Durbin Bean Bake, one of the area's most historic and longest running events, returns Labor Day, Sept. 4.
The event, first held in 1898 and now in its 124th year, traces back to a reunion of Civil War veterans.
ST. JOE - The St. Joe Homecoming Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
The festival takes place Sept. 8-10 at 1689 St. Joe Road, Fort Recovery.
MARIA STEIN - The annual Heritage Day Celebration returns to the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics courtyard 1-4 p.m. Sept. 17.
Held in the Ma
NEW BREMEN - Organizers of the first New Bremen Pumpkinfest thought it would likely be a one-off. Instead, the festival has continued to grow and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
MINSTER - A home brew contest is being added to the many beer-related events at this year's Minster Oktoberfest.
Thousands of people will converge
COLDWATER - The sixth annual summer concert series at Coldwater Memorial Park Amphitheater will feature nine performances by a variety of musical talents. All concerts start at 7 p.m.
CELINA - Celina Summer Concert Series organizers are celebrating their 20th year of holding high quality shows free to the public at Lakeshore Park.
FORT RECOVERY - One of the first things people attending this year's Fort Recovery Friends of the Arts Summer Concert Series will notice is the many improvements made to Hein Amphitheater in Van Trees Park.
NEW BREMEN - Several audience favorites will be returning this year for the New Bremen Summer Concert Series.
The concerts will be held on Sundays at the Crown Pavilion on Plum Street near the banks of the Miami and Erie Canal. All concerts begin at 6:30 p.m.
MINSTER - This year's Minster Summer Concert Series will feature tributes to classic country and rock music acts.
The free concerts will be presented at the Minster Machine Centennial Park on Fourth Street. The summer concerts will start at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.
ST. HENRY - In addition to enjoying a variety of entertainment acts, visitors to the June 23 performance of the 12th annual St. Henry Summer Concert series will have an opportunity to grab a bite to eat from a food truck lined up for the night.
The Grand Lake Mariners will open their 34th season with a new man at the helm.
Neil Schaffner, currently the Parkway baseball coach and a member o
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
Location: Minster
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.