The Summer Moon Fest’s annual Weiner Dog Races are always a crowd favorite.
Photo courtesy of the Wapakoneta Chamber of Commerce.
WAPAKONETA — Wapakoneta’s Summer Moon Festival began over fifty years ago as a fall festival and then changed during the 1980s into a celebration of the first moon landing, according to Jackie Martell, executive director of the Wapakoneta Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Today, it’s a joint effort between the Armstrong Air & Space Museum and the Wapakoneta Area Chamber of Commerce, where we work together to provide a festival experience to celebrate our connection to hometown hero, Neil Armstrong, and what he means to our community,” Martell said.
The festival opens Thursday, July 14th, when the downtown streets are shut down.
“The downtown festival is made possible by businesses in our community as well as community organizations that sponsor, help fund, and volunteer for the festival. It’s such a great effort by everyone to draw in upwards of 50,000 people into our small downtown area to enjoy all the activities that have been put together, and they do that through the Chamber of Commerce,” Martell said. “It’s amazing how far people come. People come in from all over the country to do the ‘Run to the Moon’ 5K and 10K race” which kicks off Saturday’s events around 7:30 a.m.
One of the biggest highlights includes live musical entertainment Thursday through Sunday. Thursday features The Shifferly Road Band. Performing Friday will be Naked Karate Girls. Saturday’s lineup includes Exploit, Another Round, as well as the T102 County Playoffs. Sunday concludes with a performance by the Lima Area Concert Band at the Wapakoneta High School Performing Arts Center.
Another major draw will be this year’s three visiting astronauts and the four Apollo 11 frogmen who retrieved Neil Armstrong’s capsule upon its return to Earth.
Many favorite contests will be returning again this year, including the Bed Races on Thursday.
“Businesses sign up in teams and they race in actual beds out on the street. It’s crazy and wild and people really enjoy it. The obstacle course they have to go through changes every year. It’s fun and entertaining to watch,” Martell said.
Friday there will be a cornhole tournament.
Then on Saturday, there will be the Weiner Dog Races, involving actual racing dachshund dogs. Bleachers are set up along the streets and weiner dogs race down the road’s two lanes to win dog treats and toys.
“They’re rockstars,” said Martell. “Some of the same families come back year after year. . .There’s so many weiner dogs. It’s so cute… It’s not a serious race … Some of the dogs know what to do, but others are there just for the applause and to have a good time.”
There also will be many family activities, including a zip line, bounce houses, carnival games for kids and a beer tent featuring craft beer, local wines, and Anheuser-Busch for adults.
The Moon Market on Saturday will be made up of over 60 vendors from around the country for a shopping extravaganza, featuring boutique clothing, home decor and arts and crafts.
“It’s a wonderful shopping experience when it’s combined with the shops and boutiques we already have in downtown Wapakoneta,” said Martell.
Overall, the event contributes greatly to the town businesses’ annual revenue.
“The festival is an opportunity to come together to put a spotlight on the businesses and how connected they are with the community and their role supporting the quality of life that Wapakoneta is known for.”
For a full schedule of all the events taking place in Wapakoneta during the Summer Moon Fest, visit the website at summermoonfestival.com/celebration/.
