AUTHOR’S NOTE: The Galena Summerfest and the Sunbury Sizzle and Sounds no longer celebrate their festivals on the same weekend as shown in this review.
In fact, you can read a more updated 2021 review of this festival at
https://ohiofestivals.net/sunbury-sizzle-and-sounds
This post documents my experience on August 27, 2011.
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Deep in the land of the Big Walnut Golden Eagles…
…two neighboring township festivals celebrated together…
…connected only by a free trolley service.
This posting is dedicated to the Sunbury Sizzle and Sounds Festival…
When I arrived at the first annual Sunbury Sizzle and Sounds Festival, it was strangely enclosed with ropes…
…small, thin easy-to-step-over ropes.
Having parked along the square and not seeing any nearby entrance, I thought these ropes were initially set up as subtle suggestions to parents to keep their children from running into nearby traffic.
I, therefore, thanked the township for its safety measures and stepped right over them.
When I saw a corner entrance attended by festival volunteers, I didn’t think twice about walking past them outside the roped area and then back inside after a few photos. And, since they didn’t say anything to me, I thought they were only keeping guard of the nearby trolley stop, helping festival goers get on and off.
But as I took a walk around the outside of the square…
…to see how area stores took advantage of the festival…
…and to check out the farmer’s market…
…I noticed a small group of people paying $1 each to enter a different entrance attended by volunteers. It then became clear to me that I had snuck in without paying, which I remedied immediately.
Turns out these ropes weren’t for the kids, after all.
But even if the ropes weren’t there specifically for the kids, a large part of Sunbury’s festival was. Actually one of the cooler aspects was the amount of activities it held for children.
There were inflatable jump houses…
…basketball games…
…and obstacle courses too.
They even had kiddie pools and bubbles for the smallest of children.
It was rather impressive.
Elsewhere…
…adults took delight in raffles and free yardsticks (for the kids?)…
…a handful of food vendors…
…plenty of great musical performances…
…and vendors scattered all over the square.
I actually shouldn’t say scattered. That would imply they were randomly placed.
Instead, boxed areas were previously spray-painted onto the lawn so that vendors knew exactly where to go….
…as if they spelled out a secret message understood only from the sky!
Along with OSU items, Tupperware, corn hole boards and crafts, these booths were made up of…
…snack food…
…home grills…
…future festival advertisements…
…and veteran aid for both the living and deceased.
And, speaking of veterans…
…festival goers were also able to visit the historic Myers Inn…
…and learn about the area’s own Major General William S. Rosecrans (standing here with a model of the proposed memorial they were accepting donations for).
I took great delight ending my festival experience at this museum….
…chatting with the various volunteers dressed in period clothing…
…looking over the exhibits of old medical tools and children’s games…
…and even staring at the crazy-eyed raccoon as the crazy-eyed raccoon stared back at me.