• E-Edition
• Home
• News
• Sports
• AP
• Obituaries
• Classifieds
• Jobs
• Autos
• Homes
• Garage Sales
• Coupons
• Subscribe
• Archive
• Services
• Contribute
• Blogs

June is filled with festivals and celebrations

Share Story:     E-mail Story    |    Print Story    |    Comments    |   

COLUMBUS -- Ohio's outdoor celebrations and festivals are ushering in the summer's warm weather and fun for people of all ages.

June is alive with exciting events, including a festival that celebrates the creation of the banana split, blues and jazz music and the spirits of those who took part in the Civil Rights Movement.

The following is just a sampling of June events available to those looking for something to do close to home.

For additional events, visit www.DiscoverOhio.com or call 800-BUCKEYE.

* Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival, Gahanna, June 19-21. The festival has grown into a feature event for central Ohio combining musical acts with the talents of regional artisans and crafters, amusement rides, family-oriented games and activities, local entertainment and great food.

* Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival, Veteran's Memorial Park, Avon, June 19-21. During Father's Day weekend, the family can celebrate at Avon's pirate-themed duct tape festival. The festival features everything duct tape -- from sculptures and crafts to fashions and games. The event also includes a duct tape parade with floats made of duct tape.

* Junior World Championship of American Football, Fawcett Stadium, Canton, June 27-July 5. The 2009 International Federation of American Football Junior World Championship is the world's first football tournament featuring the best high school-aged national teams from four continents. All games will be played in Canton's historic Fawcett Stadium, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremonies. Call 800-574-5874 to reserve a ticket.

* Third Annual Civil Rights Game, The Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, June 20. Come cheer on the Cincinnati Reds as they battle the Chicago White Sox.The game is played in honor of the three recipients of Major League Baseball's annual Beacon Awards that recognize those whose lives are emblematic of the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement. This year's three honorees are Bill Cosby for the Beacon of Hope, Hank Aaron for the Beacon of Life and Muhammad Ali for the Beacon of Change.

* Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure, throughout northwest Ohio, June 20-27. This bike tour of Ohio attracts more than 3,000 cyclists of all ages from across the nation. This year's adventure stops in Norwalk, Elmore, Bowling Green, Defiance and Fostoria for visits to the Thomas Edison Home, Hayes Presidential Center, Bellevue Railroad Museum, Schedel Arboretum, Ft. Meigs, Auglaize Village, Fostoria Glass Heritage Gallery and Snooks Dream Cars.

* Tecumseh!, Chillicothe, June 5-Aug. 29. Witness the epic life story of the legendary Shawnee leader Tecumseh as he struggles to defend his sacred homelands in the Ohio country during the late 1700s. This outdoor drama has been labeled one of the most mesmerizing in the nation. Sit beneath the stars in the beautiful and spacious Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre and experience a herd of galloping horses, live military cannon firings and battle sequences offered on stage.

* Muster on the Maumee, Fort Meigs, Perrysburg, June 20-21. Muster on the Maumee presents real-life demonstrations of soldiers from the Medieval period up to Vietnam. Period military camps, including one of the largest Roman and Viking encampments in the country, are open for visits with re-enactors. Musket, rifle and artillery demonstrations will take place throughout the day, and period trades people will be offering their wares for sale.

For more Ohio events, visit www.DiscoverOhio.com. To order your free copy of the 2009 Ohio Travel Planner or Spring/Summer Ohio Calendar of Events, click on the free publications icon online or call 800-BUCKEYE.

The Ohio Travel Planner and Ohio Calendar of Events also are both viewable online at www.DiscoverOhio.com.

For questions and additional information, trained travel counselors are available to assist 800-BUCKEYE callers weekdays from 8 a.m.- 9 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.