CELINA, Ohio (WLIO) – The Durbin Bean Bake has been a Labor Day tradition in Celina since 1898.
It began as a reunion for Civil War veterans and has since evolved into a Labor Day celebration featuring free games, a petting zoo and, of course, beans. Volunteers cook hundreds of pounds of beans in large kettles, honoring the history of the original gathering.
“We cook 450 pounds of beans. When we take them up, I'll have approximately 55 five-gallon buckets full of soup beans, and we give them out free at 4:30 with a free-will donation. The people donate money as they come through and get beans,” said Larry Fennig, head bean cooker.
The money raised through donations goes back into the community, helping support local groups and causes.
