GALION — Festival season in Galion and Crawford County officially kicked off last weekend with the second of four 2019 Third Friday in Galion events.
If you’ve not made it up to a TFIG event, there are two more, on July 19, and the season finale is Aug. 18. Third Friday is the brain child of Miranda Jones, member engagement director for the Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Galion. It came about as a way to get more people in the area to visit Galion’s uptown area, which has become a lot more people friendly in recent years with new businesses, eating and drinking establishments, art galleries and much more.
Third Friday events include local entertainment, local special at Historic Uptowne Galion businesses, food, a local vendor’s market and a chance to meet and greet and visit with family and friends.
If you’ve not noticed, Galion’s uptown area is changing … for the better. Long-vacant store-fronts are filling up along Harding Way and elsewhere. Locals and visitors are stopping at new and older business more frequently. And others passing through town marvel at the veteran tribute banners that adorn our main drag.
Right now, Galion area residents are prepping for next weekend’s Pickle Run Festival.
But first, a new event this weekend in Bucyrus, sponsored by the Crawford Park District. The park district, coming off last month’s successful Living History Days, is having its first Civil War Re-enactment. Read more about it below, but there will be events at Unger Park in Bucyrus on Friday and Saturday. If you’re a Civil War buff, you’ll want to take in some of the action.
The Pickle Run Festival kicks off July 6 in Galion’s Heise Park It includes numerous sporting events for kids of all ages, including a new kickball tournament this summer. Friday ends with one of last year’s most-popular events, the YMCA Glow Run, which includes Fun Run for kids and a 5K.
The action starts again Saturday morning with a car and cycle show, a craft show, more competitionsfor teens and individuals and games and inflatables. The always-popular parade starts at 1 p.m. and ends at Heise Park. That, and other events and food and music will draw thousands to Galion over the weekend. The Anything Goes competition in the stadium starts at 5 p.m. and the Galion Graders play at 6 p.m.
The Pickle Run Festival unofficially ends with the community fireworks display at dusk on Saturday evening.
Officially, the festival ends Sunday. Throughout the day the annual Pickle Run disc golf tournament takes place at Amann and Amick Reservoirs.
The Crawford County Fair begins July 14 and runs through July 20. Kids are getting the animals primed and their projects done and adults are putting together their best vegetable and flower displays.
August brings the Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival. It runs Aug. 15-17. This year, Brattie Salutes our Veterans.
Also returning this year, after a one-year absence, is the Galion Oktoberfest. It is scheduled Sept. 26-28, also along the streets of uptown Galion.
