The Village Pump
The Village Pump
September 2023
SPONSORED BY SV ACTS, INC. SPRING VALLEY TOWNSHIP, OHIO
October 2023
SPONSORED BY SV ACTS, INC. SPRING VALLEY TOWNSHIP, OHIO
October 2023
The Spring Valley Community Library will be taking pre-paid t-shirt/sweatshirt/tote bag orders during the BOOK SALE@ the Potato Festival this coming weekend.
2024 calendars are now in! Come by Tues or Thurs during library hours to pick up your order(s).
46th Annual
Spring Valley Potato Festival
Schedule of Events
"VALLEY VIBES"
SATURDAY OCT 7TH
*George Barrett
Concrete House Museum
Open 10a-4p
(on Main St)*
**SV Library Book Sale
Open 9a-6p
(corner of Walnut & Vine St)**
7-7:45a - Tater Trot Registration
at Bledsoe Park
(Pre-registration available at www.SpringValleyOhioActs.com)
8a - Beginning of Tater Trot 5K Race
9a - Festival Vendors Open!
9:30a - Tater Trot Winners Announced
10a - Baking Contest in the Town Hall (Pre-registration at the Post Office or Library or Call 937-862-4538)
11a - Kids’ Games begin on Main Street
1p - Kiddie Tractor Pull on Main Street
The following Acts/Events will be on the stage at Bledsoe Park:
12-2p - Toadstool Shadow (psych-folk trio, fun for all ages)
2:15-3:15p - Alice Wagoner &
Jenna King (indie acoustic duo)
3:30-4p - Kids Lip Sync Battle Review (village contestant winners)
4-4:30p - Citizen of the Year (award ceremony for this year’s recipient)
4:30-4:45p - Royalty Introduction (village contestant winners)
5-6:45p - Adam Elfers Music Experience (world fusion, songs for wild spirits)
7-9p - John Welton Solo (audience interactive story teller, uplifting and danceable music)
9p - Festival Vendors Close
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8TH
*George Barrett Concrete House Museum
Open 11a-4p (on Main St)*
**SV Library Book Sale
Open 11a-5p
corner of Walnut & Vine St)**
9a - Festival Vendors Open!
2p - Mashed Potato Tug-o-War (Pre-registration available at www.SpringValleyOhioActs.com/takes place next to bike path across from The Old Woolen Mill, follow bike path from Main St)
The following Acts/Events will be on the stage at Bledsoe Park:
9:30a - Spring Valley Global Methodist Church Service and Choir
11:45a - Singing of National Anthem by Renee Ponder
12-1p - Pet Parade Sponsored by Francis Kennel (registration at 11:45a at Bledsoe Park)
1:15-3:15p - Kadie Meadows
3:30-5:30p - Out of Order (old & new rock w/a touch of country)
6p - End of Festival
The Village Pump
The Village Pump
September 2023
SPONSORED BY SV ACTS, INC. SPRING VALLEY TOWNSHIP, OHIO
September 2023
SPONSORED BY SV ACTS, INC. SPRING VALLEY TOWNSHIP, OHIO
Important Dates:
Spring Valley Fire Dept. 3rd Annual Ice Cream Social
2547 U.S. 42 South
September 9th 1-4 p.m.
We also have a First Aid Station at the Potato Festival
Contact: Capt. Brandon Earwood 513-509-9063 for more details
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Country Cupboard – Food Pantry [Spring Valley Cares]
September 16th (3rd Saturday of each month)
10 a.m. - Noon
@ SVGMC 937-862-7691
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Spring Valley Community Library Book Sale
October 7 – 8
8:30 am – 6 pm
1 E. Walnut Street
Spring Valley Community Library Hours
Tues. And Thurs. 10:30 – 5 p.m.
Sat. 11 am – 1 pm
springvalleyohiolibrary@gmail.com
Kris Bonecutter 937-862-4538
· Book Sale News: We are now accepting books to be donated for our annual fundraiser. You can drop off during library hours or leave at the back door of library building anytime. All procees of our book sale help to keep the library open to service our community.
· Community calendars will be in Potato Festival weekend!
If you would like to be placed on the Spring Valley Village Pump newsletter email list, you can send your email address to springvalleyohiolibrary@gmail.com
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Spring Valley Potato Festival Baking Contest
Do you have a potato recipe that was your mother’s or grandmother’s? Can you put a new twist on a recipe that you already have using potatoes? You can enter the 46th Annual Potato Festival Baking Contest! All recipes must contain some kind of potato: instant, sweet, etc.
Categories:
Cakes or baked desserts
Pies
Cookies
Breads, yeast or non-yeast
Rolls, regular or sweet
WIN CASH PRIZES!!! GRAND PRIZE OVERALL $50
FIRST PLACE $20 IN EACH CATEGARY
RUNNER UP $10 IN EACH CATEGORY
NOTE: TO BE FAIR. IF ONLY 1 ITEM IS ENTERED IN CATEGORY, IT WILL BE PLACED IN NEXT CLOSEST CATEGORY OF LIKE ITEM
TURN IN BAKED GOODS AT SPRING VALLEY TOWN HALL ON Thursday OCT.5TH @ 10 A.M.
ENTRY FORMS AVAILABLE AT SPRING VALLEY COMMUNITY LIBRARY OR AT THE POST OFFICE. MAIL FORMS TO P.O. BOX 218 SPRING VALLEY OR CALL 937-862-4538 TUES. OR THURS 10:30 – 5
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46th Annual Potato Festival News
2023 Potato Festival: From Jon Keck, Festival Chair
Greetings From Spring Valley ACTS!
As the 46th Potato Festival (wow!) draws near we realized it is time to send out a volunteer request.
This year, I thought that going a bit more in depth about the inner workings of the festival might highlight the man power required to make it happen, giving our citizen’s a better chance to see where they can help our community and get involved. As you can see below, we are really short volunteers in a lot of places, so please consider helping.
Working with vendors; securing their spaces and coordinating their needs for the weekend, along with organizing contracts for festival necessities; porta-potties, trash receptacles, security (to name a few) has been where much of my time as chairman has been dedicated. Overseeing the multiple facets of the festival and helping where I can, is my biggest responsibility.
It is with that being said that I, VERY thankfully and blessedly, admit I am not a team of one. ACTS has amazing members who are working tirelessly to make this festival and everything that we do great.
***The Tater Trot, Volunteers needed 25, only 5 signed up to date
Lora Staughler has been building up our 5K race for several years now, making it a great success. For a couple of hours on Saturday morning of the race, Lora and her group of volunteers are stationed at Walton Park, busy signing in all of the participants and placing themselves along the route to assist and/or be part of the excitement. Volunteering with Lora has a variety of options; from dressing like a zombie or ghoul and giving participants a little “encouragement” to move faster or handing out water and keeping them safe and on course as they navigate their way through town, up to the finish line and the awards ceremony.
If you would like to help Lora with the Tater Trot 5K, please text me (Jon Keck) at 937-470-4865with your name and “Tater Trot Volunteer” in the message.
***Potato Soup Kitchen, Volunteers needed 16, only 4 signed up to date
In the kitchen of the Methodist Church, we find Marsha and Pat Keliher. This husband-and-wife duo are tasked with overseeing the potato soup operation. Your time volunteering with Marsha and Pat would be spent cooking the soup, making sure is it properly prepared for festival-goers! This Potato Festival staple, while seemingly simple, is a vital part of ACTS, as it is one of the main contributors to the funding of our organization.
If you would like to help Marsha and Pat in the soup kitchen, please text me (Jon Keck) at 937-470-4865 with your name and “Soup Kitchen Volunteer” in the message.
***Potato Soup Booth, Volunteers needed 24, only 7 signed up to date
As the soup leaves the kitchen, we follow it to the soup booth where Robyn and Dan Witherell, another of our husband-and-wife duo’s, run the show. As part of a three-person team working in the booth you’ll serve up that famous Spring Valley Potato Soup. Dan is our resident soup handler, bringing it over from the kitchen and assisting in filling the roasters for serving, while Robyn is making certain that the booth has the supplies needed for our guests and operations.
If you would like to help Dan and Robyn in the soup booth, please text me (Jon Keck) at 937-470-4865 with your name and “Soup Booth Volunteer” in the message.
***Potato Candy, Volunteers needed making never enough, at festival need 14, only 4 signed up to date
Carla Smith is our Potato Candy captain, starting her endeavors well in advance of festival weekend. Carla’s team begins by making the candy in the Methodist Church kitchen, getting together a couple of times per week, weeks before the festival to make the ever-loved and always sold-out Spring Valley Potato Candy. Making the candy is just one part of the venture though and if using a rolling pin doesn’t sound like fun to you there’s always another option:
Come to the festival and help sell our delectable dessert! Sitting at the booth you’ll interact with our guests, sending them home with joy in their hearts and potato candy in their stomachs.
If you would like to help Carla with Potato Candy, please text me (Jon Keck) at 937-470-4865with your name and “Potato Candy Volunteer” in the message.
***Mums, Volunteers needed 18, only 3 signed up to date
Mums are a relatively newer addition to our fundraising efforts but have quickly become invaluable to our success. Rich Demko leads the charge here. With a three-person team you’ll be managing the cash and flowers, assisting the guests in their acquisition of these fall favorites.
If you would like to help Rich with the Mums, please text me (Jon Keck) at 937-470-4865 with your name and “Mum Volunteer” in the message.
***Beer Garden, volunteers needed 18, only 4 signed up to date
Sue Bennett has been working hard to make this a great place for our guests to have a place to enjoy an adult beverage and watch some of the festival’s activities. Serving beverages and managing money are the main tasks at this location. Working at this station does require volunteers be of legal drinking age.
If you would like to help Sue with the Beer Garden, please text me (Jon Keck) at 937-470-4865with your name and “Beer Garden Volunteer” in the message.
***Trash, Volunteers needed as many as possible, only 2 signed up to date
The best was saved for last! While it may not inherently sound like the most fun, trash duty is great for those who want to see the whole festival and enjoy light physical activity. Food vendors are often grateful to those helping them on trash duty and may even give a nice bonus. Mick Macomber has so kindly volunteered to help me with managing this part of festival duties. This is always one of the hardest areas to maintain volunteers and any amount of time you can dedicate to helping here would be so greatly appreciated.
If you would like to help Mick with the Trash, please text me (Jon Keck) at 937-470-4865 with your name and “Trash Volunteer” in the message.
This is not a comprehensive list of all that we have going on at the festival but merely the areas that we need the most help. ACTS mission with the Spring Valley Potato Festival is to support and build our community, we hope that you will be part of that mission.
Volunteer shifts are two - three hours in duration but arrangements may be made if scheduling accommodations are needed. If you need more information, please reach out to me at 937-470-4865
OCTOBER 2023
46th Annual Spring Valley Potato Festival Schedule
Oct. 6 Friday (Community Night)
Theme “Valley Vibes”
King and Queen Contest check-in 5:45 p.m.
Contest starts 6:00 p.m.
Jr. King and Queen check-in 6:15 p.m.
Contest starts 7:00 p.m.
Prince/Princess check-in 6:45 p.m.
Contest starts 7:00 p.m.
Potato Putt Putt 7:30 p.m.
Mashed Potato Eating sign-in 7:30
start 8:00 p.m.
Puttin on the Hits sign-up 6:30 p.m.
Start 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 Saturday
Baking Contest (Town Hall) 10:00 a.m.
Kids Games (Main Street) 11:00 a.m.
Puttin on the Hits (Replay) 3:30 p.m. Stage
Citizen of the Year (Stage) 4:00 p.m.
Barrett Museum Open Saturday 10-4
Sunday 11-4
Oct. 8 Sunday
Spring Valley Global Methodist Church - Bledsoe Park 9:30 a.m.
National Anthem Festival Opening – Renee Ponder 11:45 a.m.
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Country Cupboard – Food Pantry [Spring Valley Cares]
October 21st
10 a.m. - Noon
@ SVUMC
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Spring Valley ACTS Appreciation Dinner
Sunday October 22, 2023
5 p.m.
Spring Valley Global Methodist Church
For your volunteer efforts we have an appreciation dinner, this year it will be held on October 22. ACTS provides the meats and place settings and asks that those coming bring a covered dish or a dessert. It is a great time to mingle with fellow volunteers and neighbors. ACTS has its annual meeting at the dinner followed by door prizes, raffles and maybe some live entertainment.
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October 31st
Spring Valley Halloween Trick or Treat
6-7:30 p.m.
Halloweenie Roast 8 p.m. Bledsoe Park