Musicial performers are shown on stage at a previous Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival.
Submitted photo
Submitted story
Topflight musical entertainment, scrumptious seafood and family fun will again be in good supply for the 22nd Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival, to be held three consecutive Saturdays, Sept. 7, 14 and 21, at Freshwater Farms of Ohio, 2624 N. U.S. 68, just north of Urbana.
Save on admission now with early-bird pricing when you order tickets online before Labor Day, Sept. 2, at fwfarms.com/2024-ohio-fish-shrimp-festival-admission. Early-bird pricing is $7 per general admission ticket (ages 13 and up) and $4 for ages 3 to 12. Admission at the gate, without early-bird tickets, will be $10 for general admission and $5 for ages 3 to 12. Admission is free for 2 and under.
Admission covers live music, the farm’s sturgeon petting zoo, fish and critter displays, bounce houses, art and craft vendors and the kids’ play zone. Parking is free, with golf cart shuttles available. The admission gate will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Over the three weekends, 12 bands will perform a wide range of genres on the outdoor stage – rock, Celtic, American roots and bluegrass, Motown and funk, blues, and polka. Festival goers can enjoy food and music at tables and chairs set up in front of the stage. Guests may bring lawn chairs and blankets.
Bands include local favorites like Eleyet McConnell, Bill Purk and the Muleskinners, and Honey Compass, as well as popular country rock band McGuffey Lane, internationally acclaimed and Grammy nominated singer/songwriter/recording artist Steve Free, and the Chardon Polka Band, which plays a mix of traditional and punk rock-infused polka music (the band earned an Emmy award for their series “The World According to Polka,” broadcast on PBS Western Reserve).
For the complete music schedule, visit fwfarms.com/festival/schedule.
Food selections include Freshwater Farms’ rainbow trout, coconut crusted shrimp and fries, grilled shrimp and fries, flight of smoked fish spreads, breaded shrimp and fries, fish and fries, jambalaya, shrimp cocktail, edamame salad and cole slaw. A variety of food trucks will offer a wide range of other selections.
Charlie’s Bar by Freshwater Farms will serve beer on tap, craft beers, wine, margaritas and mead, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Besides the stage area, additional tables and seating will be available for enjoying meals and drinks in the farm’s fountain display area and the R.A.I.N.B.O.W. Project, which features a wisteria dome and wildflower meadow maze.
Other festival features include:
· Games for children and adults: Angry Fish Throwing Game, Battling Water Balloon Catapults, Live Goldfish Bowl Toss and John Darts Target Game
· Four inflatable bounce houses, face painting, balloon sculptures and Pirate Treasure Sand Dig
· Critter displays, including the sturgeon petting zoo, touch tanks, trout feeding by hand (bring quarters)
· The Freshwater Farms of Ohio Farm Market, open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day
· Fresh harvested shrimp for sale, until sold out, beginning at 11 a.m. Sept. 14
· Mermaid Tami will visit on September 21 and will be available 11-1, 2-4 and 5-7 p.m.
For more information about the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival, visit fwfarms.com/festival or the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival Facebook page. Freshwater Farms of Ohio is the largest indoor fish hatchery in the state.
Info from event organizers
