SIDNEY — It’s been said that Tawawa Park is to Sidney what Central Park is to New York City: its crown jewel.
The local gem of a park, at 12 Tawawa Drive, will sparkle as it celebrates its 75th anniversary, Saturday, June 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a plethora of activities, all organized by the Shelby County Historical Society.
Some 50 craft and food vendors, a cruise-in, a nature walk, a history talk, music and rides in a vintage Model T Ford are all on tap. The historical society, the Rainbow Gardeners, the Shelby County Master Gardeners, the city of Sidney Tree Board, and the Council on Religious Education will offer a variety of crafts for children to make. Also for children, a kiddie drag race will feature battery-operated cars. The Shelby County Animal Rescue Foundation (SCARF) will host a dog-watering station. Other activities are still in the planning stages and haven’t yet been announced.
Admission is free.
There also is no fee to register a vehicle for the cruise-in. Dash plaques will be given to the drivers of the first 100 cars to register. Goody bags will be given to drivers of the first 150 cars to register. All drivers who register their vehicles will be eligible to win door prizes. Local businesses have donated items for the goody bags and door prizes. Among the door prizes are tickets to the Ohio State Fair, Cincinnati Reds and Dayton Dragons baseball games, and the Cincinnati Zoo, and a family membership to the Dayton Museum of Natural History.
Crafters and vendors will offer mugs, T-shirts, jewelry, paintings, candles, textiles, bows, candies, hats, greenery, tea, bicycles and more for sale.
Nine Mile Creek, featuring Shelby County musicians, will perform on dulcimers, autoharps and guitars. The Buckeye Roadshow will follow with traditional music, folk, a touch of bluegrass, and old-time gospel on hammered dulcimers, claw hammer banjo, harmonica, guitar and mountain dulcimer.
Anniversary visitors are asked to park in the lot near Geib Pavilion. Handicap parking will be in a small lot behind the pavilion and also in Wagner Glade. Volunteers with golf carts will take people from the parking lots to various locations for activities. Signs will be posted throughout the park to direct attendees, as well.
Scheduled events and their locations in the park are as follows:
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Food trucks – Wagner Glade and Kaser Dell
• Craft booths – Wagner Glade
• Children’s crafts – Wagner Glade
• SCARF dog-watering station – Wagner Glade
10 a.m.-noon
• Cruise-in registration – Kaser Dell
10:30 a.m.-noon
• Nine Mile Creek performance – Wagner Glade
10:50 a.m.
• Nature walk led by Park Ranger Justin Aslage – Trailhead just past Ross Covered Bridge in the Milligan Glen area
Noon-4 p.m.
• Cruise-in – Kaser Dell, Ferguson Circle and Milligan Glen
• Music by Simons DJ – Kaser Dell
Noon-3:30 p.m.
• Buckeye Roadshow performance – Wagner Glade
Noon
• History of Tawawa Park, a talk by Faye Spangler – Ross Covered Bridge
1-3 p.m.
• Model T rides – O’Leary’s Niche
• Kiddie drag race, vehicles provided – Wagner Glade
