Where can you walk through a French-Indian-era encampment, visit a pioneer village, and listen to the beating drums of a pow-wow? You can do it all at Carroll County’s fall festivals.
Come and Celebrate Autumn’s Arrival with Carroll County’s Fall Festivals
In East Central Ohio, Carroll County has a rich agricultural history, rolling hills, and quaint villages for visitors to explore. When the temperatures start to cool, residents and visitors get a glimpse of the past during the Great Trail Festival, Algonquin Mill Fall Festival, and the Atwood Area Fall Festival.
Great Trail Festival
The 43rd annual Great Trail Festival is held two weekends, August 24-25 and August 31, September 1-2, at the festival grounds, 6331 Canton Road, Malvern. The festival is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, with a flag raising held at 11 am near the rendezvous encampment. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for youth (10-18), and free for children younger than 10. Parking is free.
Visitors will find new treasures as they explore the Storybook Craft Village and tap their toes as musicians play folk music on the stage. Throughout the day, the Akron & District Pipe Band performs as they slowly stroll through the festival grounds.
As visitors walk the grounds, they will see re-enactors camping at the Rendezvous de la Grande Trace. They welcome questions about their campsites and purchases of the items lining their blankets. The re-enactors hold a battle reenactment daily at 1 pm.
For those who enjoy a challenge, the festival holds the State of Ohio Tomahawk Throwing Championship at 1 pm on Monday, September 2. For details about this year’s event, see www.greattrailfestival.com.
Atwood Area Fall Festival
The 42nd annual Atwood Area Fall Festival’s tagline is “Something for Everyone.” Nothing truer could be said about this festival, including a mountain-men encampment, crafts, a car show, and a pow-wow. This year’s festival will be held Friday-Sunday, October 4-6, at Atwood Lake Park, 9500 Lakeview Road NE, Mineral City.
It is open from 10 am to 9 pm Friday and Saturday and 10 am to 5 pm Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children younger than 11. On Friday, admission is $3 for those 60-plus and veterans. A three-day pass is $10 per person.
Check out the antique cars on Sunday, October 6, from 10 am to 4 pm. Visitors are invited to walk through the encampment, attend the Three Sisters Inter-Tribal Pow-Wow, and enjoy various music and entertainment. For more information, see www.atwoodfallfest.org.
Carrol County’s Oldest Fall Festival takes place at Algonquin Mill
Celebrating its 53rd year, the Algonquin Mill Fall Festival features demonstrations of a sawmill and flour mill, which still operates and grinds flours sold during the festival. This year, it will be held Friday-Sunday, October 11-13, at 234 Autumn Road SW, Carrollton, four miles south of Carrollton on state Route 332. Admission remains $10 per vehicle. Exhibits are open from 9 am to 5 pm daily.
Preparations for the festival start months before. Volunteers meet at the mill complex weekly to get everything ready, including spending a day shredding cabbage for its famous sauerkraut. Fermented on-site, the nearly 9,000 pounds of sauerkraut is put in pint and quart containers to be sold during the festival. The lines are long, and the sauerkraut often sells out before Sunday afternoon.
Those attending can enjoy exploring the farmhouse, the one-room schoolhouse, or the mills, as well as take-home cookies, fresh bread, and more. On Friday, area school choirs perform, while area musicians perform on Saturday and Sunday. For details about the Algonquin Mill Festival, see the website https://google.com/view/carrollcountyhistoricalsociety/mill-festival.
In addition to bringing history to life, Carroll County’s fall festivals have the backdrop of fall leaves and windy roads. Carroll County has something for everyone. For more information about Carroll County and its festivals, see www.carrollcountyohio.com.
