Ohio Sauerkraut Festival 2021 in downtown Waynesville

Back in the early 1970s, when Waynesville residents randomly decided to add a sauerkraut dinner to a sidewalk sale, a curious hybrid was born.

Fifty years later, this festival now combines a plethora of sauerkraut-related food items with hundreds of craftspeople and attracts over 350,000 people annually. This year, the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival will take place on Saturday, Oct. 9 and Sunday, Oct. 10.

If you’re a fan of sauerkraut or crafts or both, here’s what you can expect to find at the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival.

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SAUERKRAUT IN WHAT?!

It shouldn’t be surprising that a sauerkraut-oriented festival would produce some odd concoctions:

- Sauerkraut pizza: Sauerkraut layered over cheese, mixed with sausages and onions

- German sundaes: Mashed potato with sauerkraut, cheese, sour cream

Naturally, there are more conventional kraut items as well such as:

- Pork, kraut and mashed potatoes

- Sauerkraut balls: Sauerkraut and mashed potatoes in a deep-fried crust

- Sauerkraut doughnuts

- Sauerkraut fudge

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

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COMFORT FOOD

Assuming you’re a fan of crafts but not kraut, or are just a general festival connoisseur, there are plenty of non-kraut items to munch on, too, including:

- Brats, Polish sausage

- Pork chop sandwiches

- Funnel cakes

- Soft pretzels

ARTS AND CRAFTS FOR 2021

There will be diverse craftspeople selling their wares in many categories. They are:

- Candles and potpourri

- Clothing accessories

- Country crafts/primitives

- Florals/wreaths/baskets

- Glass/ceramics/porcelain

- Holiday crafts

- Jewelry

- Leather

- Lotions/soaps/spa products

- Metalwork

- Pet accessories

- Photography/artists/frames

- Pottery

- Pre-packaged take home food/crafts

- Scrapbooking/paper

- Stitch/knitting/needle embroidery

- Toys

- Wood crafts

There is also a miscellaneous category, which includes such items as cornhole games and bags, wall clocks, handcrafted guitar picks, sports items and ornaments, sand art for kids, friendship trees, universal cup handles, and more.

LIVE MUSIC

The full live entertainment lineup includes:

Saturday:

- 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Street Wise Band

- 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.: Opening ceremonies

- Noon to 1:30 p.m.: Joey Said No

- 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: TimeStamp

- 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Bourbon Road Band

- 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Barely Able

Sunday:

- 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: United Methodist Church Service

- 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Wild Rice Music Revue