The annual Ohio Geoclash & Festival will be held in Seneca County in 2023. It takes place from May 31 through June 4 throughout the community. The main event occurs at the Frost-Kalnow Amphitheater at the East Green in Downtown Tiffin.
Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt that uses a Global Positioning System (GPS) and online clues to help participants find caches or hidden containers. In partnership with Geocachers Anonymous, Destination Seneca County launched the only geocaching trail in Northwest Ohio as of September 2021. Since the trail’s launch, more than 150 geocachers have completed the trail, some traveling up to 17,712 miles. Destination Seneca County will soon unveil a new interactive geocaching trail featuring a new theme, caches, and locations.
Historically, the Ohio Geoclash & Festival draws more than 500 geocachers into the host community throughout the weeklong event. The week before the festival, the planning committee will place geocaches in the community, allowing geocachers to explore the area.
Seneca County is the first community in Northwest Ohio to host the festival because of the growth of geocaching in the area. The festival is designed to allow geocachers to experience different areas of Ohio and help support many small businesses throughout the festival.
Here are 16 Ohio Memorial Weekend destinations that truly symbolize the holiday and our remembrance of those who died in active military service.
Champaign Aviation Museum
Fallen Timbers Battlefield
Fort Jefferson
Fort Meigs
Fort Recovery
Fort Steuben
Mansfield Soldiers & Sailors Memorial
MAPS Air Museum
McCook House Civil War Museum
Motts Military Museum
Ohio Veterans Museum & Hall of Fame
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
National Veterans Memorial & Museum
Spirit of ’76 Museum
USS Cod Submarine Tour
WACO Museum
These are just 16 Ohio Memorial Weekend places to go or things to do out of many others, with military collections at various historical museums, events, and sites. Visit www.OhioTraveler.com to see these sections of the website for more ideas of where to go on Memorial Day in Ohio or discover other places for long weekend getaways.
Admission to the Butterfly Show At Krohn Conservatory: Approximately $10 adults, $7 kids ages 5-17.
- Open: May – September annually from 10am – 5pm daily
- Location: (Map It) 1501 Eden Park Drive in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Phone: 513-421-4086
- Web: click here
Butterfly Show At Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati, Ohio: Join the Cincinnati Park Board in Eden Park for an up close and personal look at a remarkable collection of butterflies. As many as 16,000 butterflies representing more than 100 species fly freely inside the conservatory among the exotic flora. Special activities for children are planned.
Admission to the COSI Science Festival is Free!
COSI Science Festival: As the largest STEM event in Ohio and one of the largest in the nation, the COSI Science Festival is an annual four-day festival that engages thousands with hands-on experiences, inspiring the pursuit of careers in STEM.
The COSI Science Festival will once again deliver engaging and exciting science content to homes, schools, community centers, and workplaces throughout Central Ohio, bringing science to residents where they live, learn, and lounge.
The distribution of COSI Learning Lunchbox education kits will amplify the impact and engagement of these STEM events. These Kits will be donated to partner communities. Learning Lunchboxes are interactive science kits filled with all supplies needed for five fun STEM activities and additional exciting learning resources. Fun for the whole family and perfect for school-age learners, all Learning Lunchbox content is aligned with national learning guidelines and standards.
Admission to the Vinton County Wild Turkey Festival is free.
- When: May 4 – 7, 2023 (Always the first full Thursday through Sunday in May)
- Location: (Map It) 100 East Main Street in McArthur, Ohio
- Phone: 1-800-596-4459 or 740-596-5033
- Web: click here
Vinton County Wild Turkey Festival in McArthur, Ohio: Some festivals have the expected contests, some have a few that are interesting, and only a handful have truly unique. At the Wild Turkey Festival in Vinton County, you will hear people making the strangest noises while they compete in the Turkey Calling Contest. This street fair features a parade, car show, quilt show, rides, games, arts and crafts, and plenty of entertainment.
Admission to the Biggest Week in American Birding at Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, Ohio, is free.
- When: May 5 – 14, 2023
- Location: (Map It) Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio. Festival Headquarters: Maumee Bay Lodge & Conference Center at 1750 State Park Road in Oregon, Ohio
- Phone: 419-898-4070
- Email: biggestweek@bsbo.org
- Web: Click here
Biggest Week in American Birding at Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, Ohio: This 10-day event is planned at the peak of spring warbler migration in the Lake Erie Marsh Region of Northwest Ohio. The “Biggest Week” will be jam-packed with workshops, warblers, free guided walks, warblers, half-day trips, keynote speakers, island birding trips, and more warblers.
“The Warbler Capital of the World” features incredible views of warblers and other many other migrating songbirds, guided trips to area birding hotspots and private lands, Lake Erie Island birding trips, bird identification workshops, evening keynotes and socials featuring some of the region’s wonderful food, wine, and music, and much more!
The festival is headquartered at Maumee Bay Lodge & Conference Center on the shores of Lake Erie in Oregon, Ohio. The Lodge is approximately ten miles east of downtown Toledo, Ohio, and fifteen miles west of Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, Ohio. The Biggest Week is hosted by Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Maumee Bay Lodge & Conference Center, Destination Toledo, and Lake Erie Shores & Islands.
Admission to the Ohio Camera Collectors Society Auction, Show & Sale is a suggested donation.
- When: May 5 & 6, 2023 (Auction is 12pm -5:30pm on Friday and the Show is 9:30 – 2pm on Saturday).
- Location: (Map It) 2436 West Dublin Granville Rd. in Linworth, Ohio
- Call: 740-358-6390
- Web: Click here
The Ohio Camera Collectors Society Auction, Show & Sale in Columbus is America’s Oldest Camera Collector’s Club annual show, auction, and swap meet.
Admission to the Put-in-Bay Blessing of the Fleet is free.
- When: May 9, 2023 at 11am
- Location: (Map It) Put-in-Bay, Ohio
- Phone: 419-285-2832
- Web: click here
The Blessing of the Fleet in Put-In-Bay: Get ready for some fun on one of the Great Lakes as Lake Erie’s summer hot spot kicks off another season with its Blessing of the Fleet. This annual celebration of the new fishing season includes a boat parade, music, and entertainment.
Blessing of the Fleet celebrations also occurs in Ashtabula, Ohio, and other locations throughout the state’s north coast and Ohio River communities.
Admission to the Miami County Food Truck Rally & Competition at the fairgrounds in Troy, Ohio, is free.
Miami County Food Truck Rally & Competition at the fairgrounds in Troy, Ohio: Join over 10,000 people for the Miami County Agricultural Society’s Food Truck Competition & Rally at the Miami County Fairgrounds in Troy, Ohio.
This unique event promises to have something for nearly every culinary delight. Whether your passion is for the main course, a sweet treat, or a specialty beverage, you will find the right truck for you! Entertainment is provided throughout the day as well as plenty of dining areas for your group to gather.
Purchase tickets in advance to the Oxford Wine Festival for $20.00 – Includes five tasting tickets and a tasting glass. Tickets on the day of the event are $25.00 at the door. The cost is subject to change.
- When: May 20, 2023, from 2pm to 10pm
- Location: (Map It) Uptown Parks, Oxford, Ohio
- Phone: 513-523-5200
Oxford Wine Festival in Oxford, Ohio: Enjoy charming Uptown Oxford for a full day of international wine tastings, a beer garden, artisans, live music, and a taste of Oxford cuisine. Oxford is home to Miami University.
Admission to the Port Clinton Walleye Festival is free.
- When: May 25 – 29, 2023 (Always Memorial Weekend)
- Location: (Map It) Waterworks Park on the shores of beautiful Lake Erie, Port Clinton, Ohio
- Phone: 419-734-5503
- Web: click here
Port Clinton Walleye Festival: With a beautiful view of Lake Erie from the Waterworks Park in Port Clinton, the Walleye Festival is five days of great outdoor celebration to kick off the beginning of summer. Port Clinton is known as the “Walleye Capital of the World” and brings in those from all over seeking walleye. With live entertainment including a kid’s fishing derby, carnival rides, Walleye Beer Fest, a Grand Parade, live concerts, a 5-k race, and hundreds of food and merchandise vendors from around the nation, the Walleye Festival is one of Ohio’s largest outdoor celebrations. The free annual festival is five fun days on the picturesque Lake Erie shore.
Admission to the Feast of the Flowering Moon in Chillicothe is free.
- When: May 26 – 28, 2023 (Always the Friday – Sunday of Memorial Weekend)
- Location: (Map It) Chillicothe, Ohio (downtown at Yoctangee Park)
- Phone: 740-702-7677
- Web: click here
Feast of the Flowering Moon in Chillicothe: This annual three-day themed event features native-American music and dancing, traders and exhibits and mountain-men encampments depicting pioneer life in the 19th century, and daily entertainment. In addition, it displays arts and crafts and traditional entertainment and food. All events are FREE to the public. These events include Main Stage Entertainment, Kid’s Fun Run (Saturday), Senior Citizens Day & Bingo (Friday), Gospel Day (Sunday), Memorial Day Parade, and more.
Admission to the New Straitsville Ohio Moonshine Festival is free (tickets for rides may be purchased).
- When: May 26 – 29, 2023
- Location: (Map It) Main Street, New Straitsville, Ohio
- Phone: 740-394-2425 or 740-394-2239 or 740-394-2727
- Web: click here
- Play Video
New Straitsville Moonshine Festival: An Ohio festival for the rebel inside you. Once the moonshine capital of the world, New Straitsville hosts an annual festival devoted to celebrating the history and making of moonshine. During the days of Prohibition, the town of New Straitsville churned out more moonshine than anywhere else in the country. The festival has been held every May since 1971. The five-day Moonshine Festival features free live entertainment, amusement rides, carnival-style food and drinks, and the Moonshine Festival parade along New Straitville’s Main Street. The city gets a five-day license to brew old fashion moonshine to demonstrate the complicated process to festival-goers. Visitors can also visit the history museum and see a working moonshine still display. Visitors are welcome to experience everything this unique festival has to offer. ; )
Admission to the Oak Hill Festival of Flags is free.
- When: May 26 – 29, 2023 (Always Friday to Monday, Memorial Weekend)
- Location: (Map It) 316 W. Main Street in Oak Hill, Ohio
- Phone: 740-682-9956
- Web: click here
The Oak Hill Festival of Flags is an annual tradition commemorating Memorial Day and has become a fun-filled way to celebrate the holiday weekend. The town first created the Festival of Flags to celebrate patriotism around Memorial Day weekend. There are more than 2000 flags on display and festive decorations around the town each year for the event. The festival is held at Aetna Park and includes continuous, fun, and free entertainment for people of all ages. Features like rides, crafts, food booths, an old car show, a baby contest, a dog show, several historic exhibitions like Oak Hill’s one-room school, a quilt show, a karaoke contest, a corn hole tournament, children’s activities, and an annual 5-k run. The festival highlights the town’s history with five days of endless activities.
Admission to the Columbus Asian Festival is free.
- When: Always Memorial Weekend (Sat & Sun) from 11am – 8pm and 11am – 6pm, respectively
- Location: (Map It) Franklin Park at 1755 E Broad St. in Columbus, Ohio
- Web: click here
Columbus Asian Festival in Columbus, Ohio: This festival is a major draw in central Ohio and attracts approximately 50,000 or more visitors of all backgrounds annually. Not only will guests learn about the cultures and traditions of the people from China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Laos, and Pakistan – to name about a dozen – it presents a very rich and fun experience. Activities are abundant. They include performing and visual arts shows, children’s activities, cultural displays, martial arts demonstrations, and educational exhibitions.
Parking for the Utica Sertoma Ice Cream Festival at Ye Olde Mill and Velvet Ice Cream Company is approximately $5 per vehicle.
- When: May 27 – 29, 2023 (Always Memorial Weekend from Saturday to Monday)
- Location: (Map It) 11324 Mt. Vernon Rd in Utica, Ohio at Ye Olde Mill and Velvet Ice Cream Company
- Phone: 740-892-3921
- Web: click here
The Utica Sertoma Ice Cream Festival at Ye Olde Mill and Velvet Ice Cream Company: What’s summer without ice cream. If you like ice cream, you will love this festival, which has plenty of that and more. A mile south of Utica, Ohio, the Utica Old Fashion Ice Cream Festival on the grounds of Velvet Ice Cream Co. is held every year on Memorial Day Weekend. This festival starts with the grand parade to kick off the celebration. Over 90 artisans and food vendors come to the event every year. The festival starts out with an ice cream parade. Anyone can participate in the Velvet Ice Cream eating contest. Other events include live musical performances, egg tosses, pony rides, a car show, a motorcycle show, and a magic show. The decades-old tradition brings about 40,000 people to Utica, and they gulp down more than 75,000 scoops of ice cream. Ice cream and family fun is a perfect way to kick off the summer.
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