Who else is ready to get out and celebrate after one nutty year?

Who would a thunk it? A deadly virus shutting down the world. Is this a Stephen King novel coming to life?

But now it looks like we might be getting back on track to at least some sort of new normal. According to some major festivals, museums and the like, it’s time to PARTY like it’s 1999—or rather 2021.

Take for example my fine friends at the Ohio Renaissance Festival.

“The normal event season [last year] would have kicked off in June and ran monthly events until mid-December. We were fortunate to operate very limited capacity events with the guidance from the local health department. However, the park wasn’t filled with the same energy and excitement it normally would have been. It was very much like a ghost town,” says my good friend Cheryl Buckholtz, the queen of marketing for everything Ren Fest related.

But, like everyone else, they took the task on as a challenge.

“Being shuttered for a year was very surreal and filled everyone with much uncertainty about the park’s future. From working remotely, as a team we learned how to collaborate and communicate better and more effectively,” she says.  

Now, it’s all systems go!

“Our event season kicks off with Celtic Fest Ohio 2021 on June 19, and the Ohio State Steak Cook Off on June 26. The 1572 Roadhouse Bar-B-Q opens with bike nights (held every Thursday after opening) and a concert series on select Saturday nights throughout the summer. Friday Flicks return in late July on the Shipwreck Stage, and then we come to the big show, the Ohio Renaissance Festival, Sept. 4. We are so excited to be able to operate events and festivals this year and committed to doing so with the most current safety and health guidelines put in place by the state and Warren County,” Cheryl adds.  

Carillon Historical Park’s President and CEO Brady Kress went back to the drawing board with a little inspiration from inventors like the Wright brothers.

“In the first week, we worked over the campus with the health departments recommendations—propped open doors, covered touchable surfaces and put away our hands-on activities. Then the closure orders came and we shut down the museum and the restaurants,” he says.

While closed, they kept people busy with painting and repairs—the grass grows and paint peels even in a pandemic.

“Our event schedules were decimated for the most part. Schools canceled their visits, large fundraisers were not permitted and most rental events were cancelled by the organizers due to the state’s restrictions. We started to see a turnaround in late summer 2020 with more families visiting and Culp’s patio doing very well. We welcomed over 28,000 guests to the museum in December. As the weather breaks this spring, we are looking forward to our beer garden picking up speed, Culp’s reopening soon and Concours is a go in September,” Kress says.

Karla Knox, president of PACO (Puerto Rican American and Caribbean Organization), which organizes the Hispanic Heritage Festival, was down, not out.

“For PACO it was very disappointing to cancel the Hispanic Heritage Festival for 2020 especially because it was going to be the 20th anniversary. However, we hope to celebrate the 20th anniversary this Sept. 18 and are already planning what will be an amazing festival,” she says.

“We have been fortunate enough to have several successful festivals in the recent years. So financially, not having the 2020 festival did not hinder our ability to continue awarding scholarships and our charitable giving, which includes food baskets for families and toys for children during the holiday season,” Knox adds.

Tradeshow LLC has been promoting and managing events in the Dayton and surrounding areas for 45 years. Owners Chad and Diane Mullins say 2020 was not kind to say the least. “When the virus hit, it devastated our business, with event centers closing, festivals and other food events cancelling. In 2020 we went from 35 events a year to just one,” Chad says.

2021 brings a more promising look with more festivals opening. “We are planning a huge two-day music festival in Lebanon at the Warren County Fairgrounds July 30 and 31 featuring Friday night music classics and Saturday cover bands,” Chad says. “There will be a car show that will benefit area veterans at Save A Warrior.”

All these events and more will bring plenty of smiles to hunker-downers’ faces. Smiles we can see again without masks. Here’s hoping!

Cheers,
Buch