26th Annual Ohio Tobacco Festival to be Held This Weekend

Source from:  maysville-online.com RIPLEY, Ohio Sunday, August 19 08/20/2007

On the banks of the Ohio River, tobacco is still king in the eyes of organizers of the 26th Annual Ohio Tobacco Festival, which will be held Aug. 23-26, with "Tobacco Forever and A Day" as its theme. The festival will be held along Front Street in downtown Ripley, which will be filled with exhibits, vendors, entertainers, a carnival area and of course, tobacco orientated competitions. The Ohio Tobacco Festival queen pageant is Thursday evening Aug. 23. Once crowned, the young lady will preside over the festival and later have a chance to travel the state as a representative of the tobacco heritage of southern Ohio, officials said. The parade on Friday will be begin line up in the area of RULH High School and make its way to downtown Ripley. Float designers are encouraged to incorporate the festival theme into their floats. A local talent show is scheduled for Saturday on the main stage. Registration begins at noon with the contest beginning at 12:30 p.m.. There will be four categories of contestants; Kindergarten- grade 4, grades 5-8, grade 9-12 and adult. Talent show contest registration fee is $5 per person. Crafts shows and sales, food booths and commercial exhibits will be set up for visitors to see. Kenny Welch and the K.W. Band, Simba, Tim O'Mark and Southern Justice, and Steve Parks are all scheduled to entertain on the main stage during the festival. A 5K Run/walk is scheduled for Saturday, with registration at 7 a.m., and the race beginning at 8 a.m. on Upper Main Street. Tobacco contest throughout the festival include judging and show contests, Friday; cutting and stripping, Saturday and cigar and pipe smoking on Sunday. Other contests include a frog jump on Main Street and a variety of children orientated competitions. A softball tournament will span all three days and raffles will be drawn on Sunday for everything from a 2007 John Deere Gator TS or a lawn tractor, to Mac tools and a framed James Werline print. There will also be horse shoe pitching tournaments Saturday and Sunday and a corn hole tournament Saturday. For a different type of entertaining competitions, the wagon backing contest and garden tractor obstacle course will take place Saturday afternoon. Carnival rides will be available daily, an outdoor flea market, antique car show and a Sunday prayer breakfast are also scheduled. For information on the pageant or parade call 937-392-445, talent show call 937-392-4829, and general information call 937-373-3651. Enditem