The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Duck Tape Festival excites patrons
A large variety of fair rides, food and local vendors is ready for another year of fun and excitement at the 15th annual Avon Heritage Duck Tape Festival.
The festival, which runs June 14 to June 16, is currently being held at Veterans Memorial Park, 3701 Veterans Memorial Parkway, in Avon.
“Were are having Day One on a Thursday so we don’t interfere with Father’s Day,” said Greg Hyer, committee member of the Duck Tape Festival. “We shifted because this is a three-day event. There is no other way to do it. There are too much fun things to
do, and we didn’t want to limit that to only two days. We also want to make sure everyone has the chance to see what we have in store for them this year.”
Hyer said the festival will continue having the fair rides people have come to expect.
“We have Big O Amusements as our ride provider this year,” he said. “There is everything from a mini roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, a children’s train and large slide. That section of the festival will also include different games. We will have Skee-Ball set up as well as Pop-A-Shot, Fish Bowl, where you get the Ping Pong ball into the jar, and the soda toss game among others. All of these give the chance of course to win some awesome prizes.”
Hyer said the festival committee chose wisely in selecting Big O Amusements for the weekend.
“They are a familyowned business out of Columbus, and their focus is on safety,” said Hyer. “They want to make sure children can have a good time and be safe on their rides. It made them the perfect provider for the rides this year and I know people are going to have a blast on these rides.”
Hyer said the other half of the festival is comprised of various vendors.
“We have different businesses that are set up and ready to show off various services they can provide,” he said. “There is also plenty of the food you would expect at a fair. We have corn dogs, kettle corn, gyros, funnel cakes, root beer, pizza, and a beer tent. We also have a stage set up where music and performances will be held in the evenings.”
Patti Sack, media manager for Shurtech Brands, said the theme of this year’s festival is under construction.
“We have multiple large Duck Tape sculptures that fit the theme,” she said. “There are construction trucks, tool belts and various other sculptures made for the festival. The sculptures were made by art students at the University of Cincinnati and a lot of them took three months and several hundred rolls of tape to construct.”
Sack said Duck Tape is obviously prevalent throughout the festival.
“Besides the sculptures, we also have a craft tent set up for anyone that wants to make something out of Duck Tape. There is also a gift shop with various rolls of Duck Tape and T-shirts for the event if you want a souvenir. We will also be having a Duck Tape fashion show, sponsored by Cedar Point at 1:30 p.m. June 16.”
Sack said June 16 is also the day of the annual Duck Tape parade.
“The final day features a parade that starts at Avon High School at 10 a.m. and ends back here at the park,” she said. “There will be various floats made by local businesses, organizations, and private creators. The whole week is a ton of fun and hope everyone comes out sometime this weekend.”
Justin Reininga, tour manager of Tractor Supply Company’s Follow Us To The Fair, said the company is making its first appearance at the festival.
“We travel to different fairs throughout the country and are happy to be here for the first time,” he said. “We have a very interactive area with an Ariat sponsored stuffed bull for photos, a Purina sponsored bean bag toss, and a Shell Rotella sponsored strength test. We also have prizes that adults can sign up for at our booth for a chance to win $700 worth of Purina gift cards and many other fun prizes.”
Cathy Pavlik, a Sheffield Village resident, said her family loves the festival.
“My children love the Duck Tape,” she said. “They have been really looking forward to making something with the tape and seeing everything going on at the festival. It’s a fun time every year.”
Tracy Grauel, of Strongsville, said she wanted to bring her family to a fun event.
“This is our first time here,” she said. “We heard about it and decided to give it a shot. So far we have had a great time, and I’m impressed with how much there is to do.”
Jean Vahue, of Rocky River, said her grandchildren love Duck Tape.
“It’s fun to use and my grandchildren like to make various things with it,” she said. “I’m glad to be able to take them to something they enjoy. It is a great event that I have been to in past years and I’m glad to be back.”
The festival starts at 4 p.m. June 15 and 10 a.m. at Avon High School, 37545 Detroit Road. The festival will end both nights at 11.