Fall festival season begins this weekend

Labor Day Weekend marks start of new season of regional Fall events. Check out what’s in store.

With the approach of the long Labor Day Weekend, fall festival season begins in Northeast Ohio and throughout the state.

These festivals are a great excuse for a family road trip, and in some instances you can even bring Fido along. Be sure you plan your time with good shoes for walking, sunscreen, plenty of water for hydration and a pocket full of $1, $5 and $10 dollar bills for instances when credit cards aren’t accepted.

Many of the events are framed around the harvest season, and most took a break last year because of the pandemic. Almost all are outdoor festivals, ranging from those celebrating arts and crafts to old-timey flea markets.

Head for Hartville, about an hour south of Cleveland, for the Big Labor Day Weekend Flea Market, closed on Sunday but otherwise running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 4 and 6.

More than 1,000 vendors are expected — boutique and food vendors indoors in the two-story building and others spread out around the 12-acre Hartville Market site. Parking is always at a premium, so early arrivals get the choicest spots. For information, call Harville Marketplace & Flea Market at 330-877-9860.

The 65th annual Hungarian Festival in Parma is set for 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 5 at German Central Park, 7863 York Road. Festivities include delicious food, musical entertainment, colorful authentic folk costumes and folk dance lessons.

Hungarian-language church services, both Protestant and Catholic, take place at 11 a.m.,

followed by kitchens opening at noon with stuffed cabbage, fresh sausages, grilled pork steak, goulash, chicken paprikash with dumplings, jam-filled crepes, “lángos” (fried dough), tortes, strudel pastries and espresso coffee.

All food will be available to takeout. Music will be performed all afternoon, and members of the Hungarian Scout Folk Ensemble will perform in their colorful authentic folk costumes from 2 to 7 p.m. Get details at csbk.org.

The 48-year-old Yankee Peddler Festival near Canal Fulton has amassed a loyal following over decades in the same location. It’s set for 10:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. weekends between Sept. 11 and Sept. 26 at Clay’s Park Resort in North Lawrence, where 75 acres of glades and streams beckon meanders.

Step back in time to 1776 and join 250 artists and crafters who

fashion their wares in rustic shops and provide demonstrations. See militias, an American-Indian encampment and mountain men in a pioneer setting, where foods are made over open fires and entertainment is that of magicians, puppeteers, cloggers and musicians. Details: yankeepeddlerfestival.com; 800-535-5634.

Or head west for about two hours to Toledo for the sixth annual Beer and Bacon Fest on Sept. 11. It celebrates locally made craft beers from more than 20 Northwest Ohio breweries to be paired with Hungarian-inspired bacon dishes. It’s set for 4 to 9 p.m. at the Hungarian Club of Toledo, 224 Paine Ave. in East Toledo.

Find mead, cider and hard seltzer options, along with foods such as Hunky Turkey, Birmingham Hot Dogs, Bacon Rice Krispies and bacon-inspired wood-fired pizzas from food truck Pepperoni

Tony.

Also, the Glass City Mashers will offer a homebrew demonstration, creating a beer during the five-hour event. Tickets, $30 in advance, are $35 at the door. One general-admission ticket includes 10 beer samples and gate

entry for an adult 21 and older. Additional beer and food sample tickets will be sold at the event.

Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite.com (search for Toledo Beer and Bacon) or through the Toledo Beer and Bacon Facebook event page.

COURTESY OF THE YANKEE PEDDLER FESTIVAL A roving magician engages a girl from among spectators at the Yankee Peddler Festival.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF YANKEE PEDDLER FESTIVAL A variety of food, much of it cooked over an open fire, makes it unlikely folks will leave hungry from the Yankee Peddler Festival.