The Past Meets the Present at Avon Lake's Heritage Festival

Love Avon Lake? Like history? Here’s your chance to enjoy another great lakefront festival and learn a little about your hometown’s history as well.

Avon Lake Heritage Festival in , celebrates the city’s history and includes plenty of family fun with an opportunity to learn a bit about the city (admit it, you probably aren’t as well-versed in the city’s history as you’d like to be.)

The Avon Lake Heritage Festival this Friday, Aug. 10, from 4 p.m. to dusk has all the trimmings of a summer even, from face painting, bounce houses, balloon artistry and caricaturists to some great summer treats, including grilled favorites and sides, kettle corn, ice cream and cotton candy, but it will also serve up an inside look as to how founding families lived in the past.

Take a free tour of the (the yellow house in Veterans Park) and then hop on shuttle from the park (leaving every ½ hour from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m.) down Lake Road to the and experience life in the early 1830s (check out their room sizes). The latter is  considered the city’s oldest building, and enjoy a quilt show.

“There will be 15 hand quilted quilts on display at the Peter Miller House Museum,” Gerry Paine, the home’s executive director, said. “The Community Bus will shuttle visitors from the Veterans Memorial Park for tours of the Peter Miller House Museum and to view the quilt show.”

The home was recently awarded the city’s first historical marker. It earned an Ohio Historical Marker in 2010.

Festival goers can also enjoy a pictorial history of Avon Lake (presented by the Avon Lake Historic Preservation Commission), a show by Kelly's Gang Barbershop Quartet performing at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and meet “Mr. Folger” and tour the Folger Home. Tours run every half hour from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The festival, sponsored by., will also feature an antique auto and boat show,  President Abraham Lincoln (performing at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. inside the Lake House) and a Life Share Community Blood Drive.

Councilman Dan Bucci, one of the backers of the lakeside festivals, said he is looking forward to good attendance at the Heritage Festival, similar to that of the All-American BBQ and the wine festival.

"The Wine Festival was a huge success that attracted over 1,500 people from around the area," Bucci said. "We are very grateful that we've had tremendous sponsor support from the Avon Lake business community. We are already planning for next summer and look forward to continuing our mission of spotlighting Avon Lake businesses."

Food for sale includes:

• (selling grilled favorites and
• Kernels by Chrissie (kettle corn
• Avon Lake Landmark Preservation Society (ice cold drinks and ice cream)
• (iced coffees and lemonade smoothies)
• Avon Lake Girl Scouts Troop 51000(cotton candy)