Harvest and Herb attendees:
30 years of a glorious fall festival in Ada Ohio, and this year we have 30 minutes of “HOLY COW! What else can happen?”
Our typical, perfect, sunny, fall day was replaced this year with cloudy rain. Our traditionally spectacular parade was interrupted by a harder rain, wind, thunder, lightening and then literally divided in half by the railroad gates going down.
But the parade MUST go on, until an actual train of 100 plus cars decided to pass by. In the 30 years of the festival this was only the third train appearance.
Then, believe it or not, an over sized load made it’s way up Main Street, retracing the parade’s path. That has happened only one other time in Harvest and Herb history. What a day!
But we all survived, eventually dried out and the day carried on…weather improving and laughs and support never ending.
There are so many “Thanks” that need to be given for helping to make this year’s festival a success.
• Thank you Anna Poling for chairing the Parade and thinking fast under the day’s conditions.
• Thank you Kyle Poling for helping with booth set up.
• Thank you Mike and Marie Gossman for decorating and escorting the Queen’s Court.
• Thank you to the Ada High School Marching band for playing our National Anthem and to the Ada VFW Post #9381 for presenting our national flag.
• Thank you to the Ada Fire and EMS department for your participation and service.
• Thank you to Ada Police department for your help.
• Thank you to all who helped monitor the train tracks.
• Thank You to Jeff and Deb Oestrich for helping to mark off the street booths.
• Thank you Diane and Les Thede and Jill and Bob Simmons for distributing festival posters.
• Thank you Jamie Hall and the Village workers for all your assistance and insight.
• Thank you Keith Nickelson for supervising and running the sound system. Thank you to Cole Motors for graciously sharing your car lot with us for the day as the “center” of the festival.
• Thank you to several members of the Ada Area Chamber of Commerce for helping to oversee set up and clean up.
• Thank you to Community Market for supplying the trash boxes for the day.
• Thank you to Marc Staley and the ONU Physical Plant for their help with equipment.
• Thank you to Alexis Amburgey, our 2014 H&H Queen, for assisting with the Queen ceremony.
• Thank you to the 2015 Harvest and Herb Queen, Sidney Faine, for presiding over the day.
• Thank you to Caleb, Tim and Noah Garmon for handling the day long clean up.
• Thank you Common Thread, Mike Wright and Jim Boedicker, The Crew and Kwik Fire for all the fabulous afternoon entertainment.
• Thank you to the Ada Boy Scouts and the Ada midget football team in assisting with the festival cleanup.
It was, by far, was the most memorable Harvest and Herb for many. Happy 30th anniversary Ada Area Chamber of Commerce Harvest and Herb Festival!
Most graciously and thankfully,
Scott and Arlene Allison,
Co-chairs of the 2015 Ada Area Chamber of Commerce Harvest and Herb Festival
