TIRO – Festival favorites and first-time events will highlight the annual Tiro-Auburn Firefighters’ Festival.
Dubbed a “family-friendly” event, this year’s festival will take place Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24, at the firehouse downtown. Proceeds will benefit the Tiro-Auburn Volunteer Fire Department.
“We’re just trying to make it real family-friendly, have families come out and enjoy it,” said Taylor Gwirtz, a member of the fire department’s Ladies Auxiliary. “The focus is on bringing families out.”
Live entertainment, children’s activities, and plenty of food will be on tap, including popular pork sandwiches on Friday and beef sandwiches on Saturday. The meat is cooked outdoors and then shredded by the firefighters themselves.
The ladies, meanwhile, will be in the kitchen cooking and serving their famous chicken noodle soup, homemade potato salad, and coleslaw. An assortment of fresh baked pies will again be provided by Katering Kountry Style in Bucyrus.
A dunk tank on Saturday is making its festival debut, Gwirtz said. Also new to this year’s festival is a kids’ meal for just $3. The meals will include a hotdog, potato chips, applesauce or pudding, and juice.
Lawn mower train rides will also be available for children both days, she said, along with a full slate of activities on Saturday – bounce houses, face painting, games, and “Touch a Truck” from 2 to 4 p.m.
Two popular bands will return for evening performances starting at 8 p.m. “One Foot in the Grave” will take the stage on Friday, and the “Luke Rietschlin Band” will perform Saturday. Beer gardens will also be open for adults.
A craft show will run from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday and on Saturday from noon until dusk. Gun raffle tickets at $10 each are being sold, with the drawing for seven prizes Saturday night, Gwirtz said. The winner does not need to be present.
The firefighters’ festival, a town mainstay since 1973, will mark its 50th anniversary next year after being forced to cancel in 2020 due to COVID, she said.
“This year will be bigger and better, especially for family-friendly activities. We’re just hoping for good weather and a fun, safe time for everybody.”