Bob Evans Farm Festival 2019: Things to do at festival on famous farm

If you’ve never had a chance to visit the actual Bob Evans farm, this weekend is your chance.

The 49th annual Bob Evans Farm Festival is set for this weekend, Oct. 11-13, on the farm in Rio Grande in Southeast Ohio.

Nearly 30,000 visitors from 20 states are expected to attend the festival in celebration of the harvest.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Visitors can enjoy bean soup, cornbread, kettle corn, apple dumplings, apple cider and other Farm Festival fare. There will be more than 100 artisans showcasing their work for purchase and opportunities to participate in a number of fun contests.

Other highlights include: Saturday night fireworks, clogging shows, racing pigs, Team Zoom Border Collies, a Great Lakes Timber Show, chainsaw carving, axe throwing, log rolling, as well as sheep shearing, horseshoe pitching, cow milking, and horseshoeing demonstrations.

Kids entertainment also includes a hay bale maze, game tent, rides, face painting and more. Those looking to compete can try cow chip tossing, chicken scratch, corn shelling, feed sack races, team egg toss, pie eating, donut eating and stick horse races and children can test their strength at the kids' pedal tractor pull.

The Columbus Zoo will be on site with animals as well.

Country and bluegrass music will play all weekend long with bands including Special Consensus, Jason Michael Carroll, the Cleverlys and long-time festival performers The Rarely Herd. “The Voice” finalist Cody Wickline also will perform.

The nationally-touring exhibition, Honor the Service & Sacrifice of All Who Answer Our Nation's Call features life-sized portraits of 23 fallen Marines and Navy Corpsman of Lima Company, painted by acclaimed artist Anita Miller.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

The original Bob Evans Restaurant is open during the festival.

The farm was once home to Bob Evans, the company founder, and his wife Jewell for nearly 20 years. When they bought the farm in 1953, Bob and a group of eight family members and friends had been making sausage for local groceries and meat markets.

Bob and Jewel Evans raised their six children in the large, brick farmhouse known as the Homestead. The Homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1825, it served as a stagecoach stop and an inn in its early years. Today, the Homestead serves as a company museum and historical center.