Preparing for Whiskey Rebellion
Months of preparation are starting to fall into place for the Whiskey Rebellion Festival, which kicks off Thursday in downtown Washington and continues through Sunday.
A large tent was being erected Tuesday over the parking lot off of Main Street, and another tent will be erected today on Strawberry Alley for craft vendors to use.
“We put months and months of preparation into it, so now it’s just a matter of assembling everything and starting to kick it off,” said Councilman Joe Manning, one of the festival organizers.
Thursday’s events include the Farmers Market and Washington Health Systems Health Fair from 3 to 6 p.m., and a performance by the Washington Symphony Orchestra beginning at 8 p.m.
This is the first year that the festival will be extended to Sunday, which is also the same day as the 11th annual Classics on Main Street car show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
One new event will be a traditional 18th-century church service beginning at 11 a.m. at the Washington Park Fort site. Another new event that same morning will be a game of “stool ball.”
Tripp Kline, festival co-chair, said the simple game involving a bat, ball and stool was “the precursor” to modern sports like baseball and cricket.
This year, there will be a twist to the crowd favorite re-enactment dubbed “There Will be Tar,” in which a volunteer gets “tarred” with chocolate syrup and covered in feathers. Kline said the individual playing the role of the tax collector will be kept a surprise until the event begins at 5:15 p.m. Saturday.
Two potential tax collectors will be chosen, and rebels in the crowd must decide who will “suffer the fate that makes them all famous.”
Organizers are expecting between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors during the four-day festival, which includes historical re-enactments, a parade, tours and entertainment.
The festival received a $40,000 marketing grant this year from the county Tourism Promotion Agency. Manning said organizers “ramped up” their marketing efforts and advertised in areas within a two-hour drive of Washington, including Wheeling and Ohio.
Other popular events include tours of the Bradford House and LeMoyne House. For more information and a full event schedule, visit www.whiskeyrebellionfestival.com.