FORT LORAMIE — Lake Loramie State Park will host a party four decades in the making from Friday, Sept. 16, to Sunday, Sept. 18, during the 40th annual Lake Loramie State Park Fall Festival.
“It’s always a big event,” park camping Coordinator Becky Moon said. “This year is the 40th anniversary, so that’s a big milestone for us.”
Approximately 4,000 people are expected at the park during the free festival, which will feature food vendors, live entertainment, camping, arts and crafts, marching bands, and tractor shows.
“There will be over 100 tractors here for the power show,” Moon said. “There will be chainsaw carving, and we also have a mountain-man encampment area that will be set up.”
“It’s just like back in the pioneer days,” she said. “They set the tents up and do things from back in the pioneer days; they will do cooking back there, and do some blacksmithing shows and different things of that sort.”
The festival opens at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, and continues through Sunday, Sept. 18. Children’s activities will be available, and the festival will also feature horses and a canine demonstration presented by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Camping will also be available, although sites within the park campground usually fill up quickly.
“We do have overflow camping that is available, but the actual sites within the campground have been booked,” Moon said. “Those book out six months, to the day.”
Lake Loramie State Park has been hosting the annual Fall Festival since the early 1980s.
“It actually started out as a steam show years back, and then it just kept getting added to,” Moon said.
Additional sponsors include Wagoner IGA, DANNON, Tru-Value Hardware, Buckeye Farm Antiques, the Minster Fraternal Order of Eagles, Boy Scout Troop 355, The Lake Loramie Improvement Association, The Shelby County Fairgrounds, Progressive Tool and Stamping and Meyers Garage and Drive-Through.
“We actually have our own volunteers here,” Moon said. “Our staff is also here throughout the weekend.”
“It’s a big team effort,” she said, “and we have multiple people out of the community who also come and help. It’s definitely a community effort or it could not be done, if we didn’t have all the help.”
The writer is a regular contributor to Miami Valley Today.
