ASHTABULA, Ohio — It's a big year for the Our Lady of Peace Parish Festival: the major fundraiser moved up the festivities several weeks in order to bring back rides for the first time since before the pandemic.
With big rides, they're expecting big crowds, and are planning accordingly to make sure the event is safe and successful for all.
That means two secure entrances, a fenced-in festival, security personnel, security cameras and other measures.
"Obviously, with the events that just took place with the shootings in Toledo at a festival, we are enhancing and stepping up our security protocols to ensure that all festival attendees enjoy a safe and family friendly event," Michael Bartone, business operations manager for Our Lady of Peace Parish, said in an email.
For Bartone, he's excited to see the rides return.
"It's worth it to move a 128 year tradition to June to get rides and I think it was the right decision," Bartone said. "It's pretty big. It's the first big event of the summer for Ashtabula County."
Among those who know the festival best is Jean Vendetti, 93, a longtime volunteer whose job is running the lemonade stand this year.
"It's like a national holiday for us," Vendetti said.
The festival runs Thursday through Sunday, opening each evening at 5 p.m. and closing at 10 p.m.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
