Banana Split Festival
When: 4-10 p.m. June 9; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. June 10
Where: 1326 Fife Ave., Wilmington, Ohio
Drive Time: 1 hour
Which state is the birthplace of the classic banana split? Well, it depends on who you ask — Ohio and Pennsylvania have both vehemently claimed the title since the early 1900s. Wilmington, Ohio refuses to back down, and they mean business: They’ve gone so far as to provide photographic evidence of local restaurateur Ernest Hazard serving up the dish to some eager-looking patrons circa 1907. Enter the Banana Split Festival, a silly themed bash with ’50s-era food, carnival games, a classic car show and a make-your-own banana split booth. The event — now in its 23rd year — is the only banana split festival in the nation. Look for split-eating contests, banana-themed games and festgoers clad in banana costumes, plus crafts, live music and a new youth baseball tournament. bananasplitfestival.com.
Washboard Music Festival
When: 5-10 p.m. June 15; noon-11 p.m. June 16-17
Where: Main Street at Worthington Park, Logan, Ohio
Drive Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Ah, the washboard. Once used in nearly every American home as a tool for hand-washing clothes, only one washboard manufacturing company remains in the country today: the Columbus Washboard Company in Logan, Ohio. The eclectic Washboard Music Festival celebrates a different aspect of the tool — its continued use as an instrument in contemporary Jug bands and Dixieland groups. Draped over the shoulders to form a sort of vest, washboards were first used as instruments in rural America in the mid-1800s and were frequently accompanied by empty jugs and metal tubs. Hear it in action all weekend long as more than a dozen bands take two stages throughout the fest; performers include Spyder Stompers & Sugar Pie, the Ohio River Minstrels and the aptly named Washboard Hank and the Washboard Players. Festivities kick off June 15 with a concert by Arnett Howard & Friends alongside free amusement rides and food and drink vendors. Don’t miss tours of the Columbus Washboard Company 9 a.m.-7 p.m. June 16 and 17. washboardmusicfestival.com; columbuswashboard.com.
Avon Heritage Duck Tape Festival
When: 4-11 p.m. June 16; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. June 17; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. June 18
Where: 3701 Veteran’s Memorial Parkway, Avon, Ohio
Drive Time: 4 hours
If one thing sticks in your mind from this fest, it’ll be duct tape’s astounding potential. From enormous Duck Tape sculptures to entire outfits made with the stuff, the festival is a creative and colorful mecca held every Father’s Day weekend. The theme of this year’s 14th-annual fest is “Circus Spectacular,” featuring circus-themed Duck Tape parade floats, live entertainment, fair food, rides and attractions. New this year is an interactive Duck Tape creation station led by University of Cincinnati DAAP fine arts graduate Jake Brinkmann, who created a 15-foot-tall eagle sculpture for last year’s event. Head over to the station to help him complete another towering creation. Pro tip: The first 500 guests each day receive a free roll of Duck Tape, so arrive early to tap into your own adhesive artistry! ducktapefestival.com.
Kent Potterfest
When: Noon-9 p.m. July 29
Where: 138 E. Main St., Kent, Ohio
Drive Time: 4 hours
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, Potterheads — this is an entire festival devoted to the world of Harry Potter. Established last year to coincide with the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a manuscript of the play written by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, the fest overwhelmed Main Street Kent board members with its popularity; this year, 3,200 people have already indicating they’re attending on Facebook with another 16,000 interested. Downtown Kent’s Acorn Alley will transform into Diagon Alley (for the uninitiated muggle, that’s the magical shopping district in London). The day includes costume contests, potion classes, scavenger hunts, vendors and magic shows with plenty of surprises in store. This year, the event also includes a non-competitive Kent Potterfest 5K Fun Run at dusk July 28. It’s definitely worth the drive (because Floo Powder sadly doesn’t exist). mainstreetkent.org.
WAG! Festival
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 19
Where: Prairie Oaks Metro Park, 2755 Amity Road, Hilliard, Ohio
Drive Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Summer fests aren’t just for humans. WAG! is the largest dog festival of its type in the region, offering an entire day of pup-friendly fun. Accompany your canines on walking trails, let them take a swim off leash in Water Bark Beach and have them cool off in an ice castle filled with 2,500 pounds of ice. There’s also plenty for pet parents — head over to the WAG! Marketplace to browse pet-focused products and services, meet veterinarians, groomers and photographers and grab samples from a host of animal retailers. Other activities include disc demonstrations, dog agility demos, dock diving and more. Those looking to add a new furry friend to their family can meet adoptable dogs onsite from various rescue groups throughout the day. wagfest.com.
Johnny Appleseed Festival
When: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 16; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sept. 17
Where: 120 N. Market St., Lisbon, Ohio
Drive Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
For 50 years, Lisbon, Ohio has been honoring Johnny Appleseed’s memory with a celebration of all things apple. Organizers explain that although Appleseed is largely considered a mythical hero, the moniker is actually the nickname of a real man, John Chapman, who traveled westward across the U.S. in the late 1700s with nothing but an axe, a short-handled hoe, a Bible and a bag of apple seeds. Although Chapman died in 1845 while tending to his trees, his spirit remains very much alive in Lisbon — there’s even a statue of him, hoe in hand, standing sentry in front of the town’s sign. The celebration takes place every September and features apples as far as the eye can see; expect apple pressers, blacksmiths and old-fashioned crafts like yarn-spinning, vendors, World War II re-enactors and the crowning of a new festival queen. The highlight of the fest, however, is the food, which includes a little bit of apple-flavored everything: dumplings, fritters, butter, cider, ice cream and even dog treats. New this year is a free scavenger hunt for kids. lisbonareachamber.com.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 7, 2017.