Peony Festival set for this weekend

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It is the Golden Jubilee – the 50^th annual Peony Festival – and it’s happening this Friday and Saturday, June 6-7, in downtown Van Wert.

Things will get underway with a craft and vendor fair at Fountain Park from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, and Food Truck Alley, featuring 13 food vendors, will be open for business from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., making it a perfect choice for lunch or dinner.

For the kids, children’s inflatables will be up and running from 12-8 p.m. Friday and face painting will be available from 12-2 p.m. in the children’s tent, and and a meet-and-greet with Queen Jubilee Avery Altenburger and her court will be held at the children’s tent, which will also be the site of games, activities and prizes from 3-8 p.m.

The Peony Beer Garden will be open from 1-10 p.m. Friday and car show registration will be held from 3:30-6 p.m. on Main St. The Peony Festival Car Show is scheduled for 4-8:30 p.m.

The Peony Cafe will be open from 4-8 p.m. Friday, and carnival games and putt putt golf will be offered from 4-9 p.m. Kim Hohman’s Danceworks will perform at 5 p.m. at the pavilion, and the first Feel Good Fridays concert of 2025 will begin at 7:30 p.m. with the Heart tribute band Barracuda.

Things will get underway earlier on Saturday, with a children’s fishing derby at Camp Clay from 8:30-10:30 a.m. and the craft and vendor fair will open at 9 a.m. at Fountain Park and run until 8 p.m. At 9:30, Queen Jubilee Avery Altenburger and her court will perform at the pavilion.

In terms of more kids’ activities, a children’s bike rodeo (ages 3-14) will take place at the corner of Jefferson and W. Central Ave. from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., and a children’s chalk art contest will begin at 11 a.m. in the children’s tent. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., kids Power Wheels racing will occur, and children’s activities and inflatables will be available from 12-4 p.m. on Central Ave.

Carnival games and putt putt golf will be offered from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Peony Beer Garden and Food Truck Alley will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

A local favorite, the “Lancers of Steel” – the Lincolnview High School steel drum band – will perform at 1 p.m. at the pavilion and parade lineup will begin at 3 p.m.at the Northwest State Community College parking lot and the Grand Parade itself is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Main St. Longtime Van Wert County residents Jerry and Marcia Etzler will serve as grand marshals. After the parade, DJ music will be offered at Fountain Park.

At 7 p.m. parade winners will be announced at the pavilion and the grand prize drawing will be held with ¹/₂ of ¹/₂ steer with processing by Rode’s Meats. Tickets are $10 and are available at the information booth.

At 7:30 p.m., free SINGO! will take place at Fountain Park and at 9 p.m., the Peony Festival Golden Jubilee “Light Up the Night” drone show will take place over Fountain Park and Eggerss Stadium.