German Heritage Days kicks off Friday

MELANIE SPEICHER
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FORT LORAMIE — The German Heritage Days Committee of the Fort Loramie Chamber of Commerce is excited about their upcoming 15th Festival to be held in Canal Park Sept. 20-21.

It all starts on Friday with the Beer and Food Stands opening at 4 p.m. The Shelby County Traveling Museum will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. to help celebrate Shelby County’s Bicentennial. Chair Lynn Gusching says they are really excited about Talback Musikanten music group who are coming to Ohio from Germany for this special weekend. They will appear on the Main Stage in Canal Park from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday. Entertainment for Friday also includes Freelance in the Gazebo from 6 to 9 p.m. and Rare Form on the Mainstage from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Saturday morning starts off with registration for the car show at 9 a.m. and the Point 5K Run/Walk at 10 a.m. The Beer and Food Stands open at 10 a.m. along with the Car Show and Shelby County Traveling Museum. The 5K Run/Walk takes off at 11 am and the Fort Loramie Historical Museum opens at noon. Jim McGowan will perform at the Gazebo from 1 to 3 p.m. and the Bicentennial Flag Ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. The Shelby County Beer Tapping Ceremony will commence at 3:30 p.m. and Chief Blackhoof will talk at the Gazebo at 4 p.m.

Adam (Bubs) Ranley will entertain at the Gazebo from 6 to 8 p.m. with the Stein hoisting starting at 8 p.m.

Ohio Brewed will perform on the Main Stage from 9-midnight with the 50/50 raffle drawing to be held at 11 pm.

The food stands will host some of the best German food around including brats, whole hog sausage, sauerkraut, cabbage rolls, hot pretzel sticks, Reuben bites, apple dumplings, hot dogs, hamburgers, and homemade German potato salad, potato soup, German chocolate cake, and Jaeger Schnitzel with pretzel bun.

During the festival, there will be many different beers available with Hofbrau Original, Hofbrau Dunkel, Hofbrau Oktoberfest, Paulaner Hefe, Paulaner Lager, Warsteiner Dunkel, Miller Lite, Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest, Leinenkugel’s Berry Shandy, Leinenkugel’s Harvest Patch, Shelby 1819 Limited, and White Claw.

By Christi Thomas

For the Sidney Daily News

Celebrating the bicentennial

FORT LORAMIE — Fort Loramie and the surrounding area will be taking their turn to celebrate the Shelby County Bicentennial at the annual German Heritage Days.

The Shelby County Bicentennial will be recognized with the appearance of the Shelby County Historical Society’s traveling museum, which will highlight the Fort Loramie, Newport, Oran and St Patrick areas. There is no admission charges but donations will be accepted.

At 3 p.m. on Saturday, the Shelby County Bicentennial flag will be escorted to the park grounds by a procession of the “People of Fort Loramie” aboard a horse drawn wagon pulled by the Barhorst Family and their team of Belgian draft horses. Local organizations will also be represented in the escort led by the local Indian Chief on horseback. The flag will be accepted during a ceremony in the park Gazebo by Mayor Randy Ahlers and other dignitaries and will conclude with a keg tapping of the “Shelby 1819 Limited” beer brewed specially for the Bicentennial Celebration.

This will be followed by a special presentation by Chief Blackhoof at 4 p.m. in the Gazebo. Chief Blackhoof gives historical presentations from the experiences of an 18th Century Native American. A band from the Black Forest region of Germany called Talbach Musikanten will be performing from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday on the main stage under the tent. Additional entertainment and events will take place on both dates through midnight at this year’s event.

The writer is a regular contributor to the Sidney Daily News.

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