Vermilion prepping for 52nd annual Woollybear Festival

VERMILION , Ohio (WJW) — Since 1972, the annual Woollybear Festival has become an enduring tradition drawing thousands to this community for what has been billed as the largest one day festival in the state of Ohio.

Preparations are already well underway for this Sunday’s 52nd event.

Sandy Coe, the Executive Director of the Vermillion Chamber of Commerce, was 2-years-old when her mother helped start the first festival along with Fox 8 dear-departed meteorologist Dick Goddard.

“The love of Mr. Goddard, they absolutely love Mr. Goddard and how he took a folklore of predicting the winter forecast with a wooly bear caterpillar to morphing it more to be kind to all animals, be kind to all four foots. People love animals, they love Mr. Goddard and he just had a heart of gold and they just want to keep his legacy going,” said Coe.

The festival starts at 9 a.m. Sunday with a woolly bear caterpillar race on the same ‘track’ as was used at the first festival in 1972.

Other familiar events include a king and queen contest in which kids can dress up like the wooly bear, a pet contest in which people also dress up their pets.

“We have seen hamsters. roosters. fish. horses, cats, dogs. we have seen it all, snakes, we have seen it all, and we welcome it all,” said Coe.

It also features one of the largest parades in Ohio with floats, marching bands and Fox 8 personalities.

The parade’s grand marshal this year will be Fox 8’s own ‘Little John’ Rinaldi.

“He’s our grand poohbah this year, he is the grand parade Marshall, we could not think of anybody better than Little John,” said Coe.

The festival also features entertainment on a main stage, including the Ace Molar band with Fox 8’s Todd Meany.

Local vendors are also preparing for the event, creating woolly bear popcorn, chocolates, and other themed favorites from throughout the years.

Brummers Chocolates is hand dipping more than a thousand caramel apples, which were sold out last year before the start of the parade.

In addition to many familiar favorites, the festival will have some new acts this year.

“I like to think of it as how we enter the fall season, it’s a great festival in town, brings thousands of people in and we get to celebrate our friend the woolly bear” said Julia Bonderer, the store’s Chocolatier.

“I think it’s just the camaraderie that we put something together and people go ‘oh my gosh how much fun is this,'” said Molly Sommer, a vermilion resident for 25 years.

The festival kicks off at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.