Author Stephen King once wrote, “Sooner or later, everything old is new again.” And for this weekend’s West Liberty Labor Day Festival, bringing back a few old favorites promises to create some fun new memories for attendees.
The festival, which the West Liberty Lions Club started as a softball tournament and home show for local businesses in 1965, has grown over the years until it’s now one of the largest in Ohio. But in the almost 60 years since it began, it’s lost some of its events, including that softball tournament.
Well, according to Lions Club member and festival organizer Jake Vitt, they’re bringing back several of those traditions. From the Cox Pulling Garden Tractor Pull at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, to the full day of family fun on Monday, Sept. 2, the weekend promises something for everyone.
Besides the mini-tractor pull Friday night—a well-received activity that was suspended for a couple years—they’re also restarting the co-ed softball tournament at 3 p.m. Saturday.
“This was a big part of the history of the festival years ago, but it fizzled out,” Vitt said. “We were able to get a group together and get that going again.”
Two of the weekend’s events, however, will pay tribute to members of the community.
The first will be the dedication of the Jim Godwin Memorial Tractor Pull Track on Sunday, Sept. 1, at 1 p.m.
Godwin, who passed away earlier this year, was a longstanding Lions Club member. “The festival was a big part of his life and he was a big advocate for it,” Vitt explained.
The Lions are also hosting the first Liberty Spirit 5K run at 9 a.m. on Monday. The race will honor Joe Rose, who succumbed to ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) this year. All proceeds will go to ALS funding.
Other highlights of the weekend:
FRIDAY:
4-8 p.m. – Classic car cruise-in
9:30 p.m. – High school late-night party after the football game
SATURDAY:
10:30 a.m. – Parade
1 p.m. – Kiddie tractor pull
ALL AFTERNOON/EVENING, starting at 2:30 p.m. – Country Legends Concert Series
SUNDAY:
10 a.m. – Antique tractor pull
10:30 a.m. – Co-ed softball championship game
7 p.m. – Cochren & Co. with Natalie Layne concert in the park
Monday is Family Day, includes a DJ dance party, glitter tattoos, performance dogs, face painting, inflatables, a kids scavenger hunt, balloon twisting, a magic show and a caricature artist.
With over 20 food vendors scheduled to show up, people will have plenty of food options. In addition, there will be free shuttle service all weekend from the town’s church parking lots out to Lions Park and back.
For the full schedule, visit westlibertylions.org/labor-day-festival.
