The 60th annual Ox Roast Fair will run this weekend in Mantua, featuring tractor and truck pulls, music, carnival rides and Ox Roast beef.
The parish festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday and continues Saturday and Sunday at St. Joseph Parish, 11045 St. Joseph Blvd. in Mantua.
What will the fair be serving up?
The fair started in 1964 to help pay for the new school, and now supports the educational and sacramental ministries of the parish.
Up to 3,500 pounds of sirloin roast is prepared in brick-lined pits, which are heated for several days with a constantly burning fire. The beef is prepared, wrapped in unbleached muslin and netting, and placed in the fiery coals, covered and cooked for several hours until done. The slow-cooked beef is served in sandwiches, dinners and "sundaes" that include mashed potatoes.
The event also includes music on two stages and fireworks on Friday.
What's the schedule
The event opens at 6 p.m. Friday with a eucharistic procession, dinners, antique tractor pulls and Jim Bob & George Karaoke on the small stage. At 7 p.m., 42 South, a country band, will perform on the main stage.
On Saturday, the Run of the Ox steps off at 8 a.m., followed by garden tractor pulls at 9:30 a.m.
The midway opens at 1 p.m., and a variety of entertainment is planned for the day, including Jungle Bob's Educational Zoo, Out of Eden, Ohio Crossroads, Alex Bevan, Jim Bob & George Karaoke and Tracer. There will be a tractor and semi pull at 5 p.m., and a kiddie tractor pull at 5:30 p.m. A midnight mass also is planned for festival staff and fairgoers.
On Sunday, the midway opens at noon. Performers include Truss, Jim Bob & George Karaoke, Tyrone's Blues Sinsation and Disco Inferno. Other events include a frog jumping contest, a Four Wheel Drive Pick-Up Pull, and a Blessing of the Bikes. The fair closes at 10 p.m.
Admission is free and parking is $5 per vehicle. On Sunday, parking is $1 off with a non-perishable food donation to the Crestwood Coalition for Community Care .
No pets are permitted on the parish grounds.
Reporter Diane Smith, who once enjoyed a pretty tasty Ox Roast Sundae, can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ox Roast Fair kicks off Friday in Mantua
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