WAPAKONETA, Ohio (WLIO) — A longtime Fourth of July tradition in Auglaize County is preparing to celebrate 76 years of family fun and community support.
The 76th annual St. Joe Festival will take place July 3-4 at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds. The festival serves as a fundraiser for St. Joseph Church and features live entertainment, children's games, the popular cake wheel, fair food, refreshments and prize drawings.
Festival organizers say the event has become a staple of Independence Day celebrations in Wapakoneta and throughout Auglaize County, bringing families together while supporting the church.
"From 8 to 88, there's something for everybody to do out the St. Joe Festival with food, we got games, we got our big Grand Sizzler drawing we're going to give away over $60,000 in prizes. We have a jugger that comes out, that's free. This year Ralph Reynolds from Wapakoneta is having a big military display and that goes back to how our army and our military, our our great men and women that serve our country starting back with the Revolutionary War, up to present. So it's really a really a beautiful presentation, a beautiful exhibit," said Tom Vehorn, St. Joe's Festival Committee.
The festival opens at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, with live music beginning at 8 p.m. in the beer tent.
Activities on Friday, July 4, begin with the Rocket to the Moon 5K at 8:30 a.m. A VFW Color Guard ceremony starts at 1 p.m., followed by chicken and rib dinners at 4 p.m. The celebration concludes with a fireworks display at 11 p.m.
76th Annual St. Joe Festival Schedule
Thursday, July 3
- 5 p.m. — Festival opens
- 8 p.m. — Live music in the beer tent
Friday, July 4
- 8:30 a.m. — Rocket to the Moon 5K
- 1 p.m. — VFW Color Guard ceremony
- 4 p.m. — Chicken and rib dinners
- 11 p.m. — Fireworks
