With that in mind, here’s a snapshot of fun-filled events.
Old West End Festival
Toledo’s Old West End is a gentrified neighborhood made up of the city’s young up-and-coming artists, upscale professionals and folks who have lived in the area for generations.
The beautiful houses reflect Colonial, Georgian, Italian Renaissance, Dutch Colonial and Arts and Crafts styles, and one of the best ways to tour some of them is the annual Old West End Festival.
The streets are blocked off and thousands of people flock to the area to listen to music, check out various artists, sample the good food, and explore the neighborhood.
A bonus: The world-renowned Toledo Museum of Art is a short walk from the neighborhood. Two must-see exhibits — “Frank Stella: Irregular Polygons” and “The Baroque World of Fernando Botero” — will be featured at the museum at the same time as the festival.
And you won’t want to miss the King Wamba Carnival Parade, which has taken place since 1909 and is presented by the Mystic Order of Odelots (Odelot is “Toledo” spelled backwards). It’s weird and fun and features the crowning of King Wamba and Queen Sancha.
The details: June 4-5, 25 city blocks in the Old West End neighborhood (Lucas County); free (a fee for the home tour); www.toledooldwestend.com.
Lagrange Street Polish Festival
Toledo has long been known for its eastern European ethnic population, who helped build up the city in the early 20th century. For more than 100 years, there has been a base of Polish, Hungarian and German immigrants, and many of their traditions continue to this day.
The Lagrange Street Polish Festival is one of the area’s largest festivals — drawing 25,000 visitors last year.
Expect some of the finest polka bands in the country, lots of Polish food, plenty of beer and food, and even a pierogi-eating contest.
The details: July 8-10, Lagrange Street, Toledo (Lucas County); $3 to $4, free for children 8 and younger; www.polishfestival.org.
Black Swamp Arts Festival
Bowling Green’s Black Swamp Arts Festival in the late summer generally benefits from great weather, turning this college town, about 20 miles south of Toledo, into a massive art fair complemented by some of the best live music found in the Midwest.
The festival planners generally aim for eclectic national musical acts, like last year’s awesome Saturday night show that featured Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women, Los Straitjackets, and Cajun greats BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet. As of press time, the music had yet to be lined up for this year’s festival, but expect some intriguing big names and various types of music on smaller stages throughout town.
The food is awesome, the juried art exhibit is impressive and Bowling Green itself shines with its unique downtown shops and restaurants. More than 60,000 people attended last year’s festival.
The details: Sept. 9-11, downtown Bowling Green; free; (419) 354-2723; www.blackswamparts.org
Other noteworthy festivals:
Second annual Blues and Jazz Festival: June 11, featuring Janiva Magness, Tony Monaco, Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle and the Swamp Kings; Centennial Terrace, Sylvania (Lucas County). The fundraiser helps feed the hungry and homeless in Lucas, Fulton, Wood, Henry, Williams, Defiance, Sandusky and Ottawa counties; $25; www.toledofoodbank.org
Festival of the Fish: June 17-19, with a lighted boat parade, a sand castle-building contest and more; Victory Park, downtown Vermilion (Erie County); free; (440) 967-4477, vermilionohio.com
Bluffton Festival of Wheels: June 24, cruise-in, ’50s music and car judging — the event will kick off Bluffton’s weeklong sesquicentennial celebration; Main Street and College Avenue, downtown Bluffton (Allen County); free; www.blufftonlions.org
46th annual Crosby Festival of the Arts: June 25-26, fine-arts festival; Toledo Botanical Garden, Toledo (Lucas County); $8, free for children 12 and younger; (419) 536-5566, www.toledogarden.org
Great Mohican Pow-Wow: July 8-10, representatives from Native American tribes demonstrating the history and traditions of the country’s native peoples; Mohican Reservation Camp & Canoe, Loudonville (on the border of Ashland and Richland counties); call for pricing; (800) 766-CAMP, www.mohicanpowwow.com
Great Maumee River Dragon Boat Festival: July 23, authentic Chinese dragon boats race on the Maumee River; downtown Toledo; free; www.partnerstoledo.org
Flag City BalloonFest: Aug. 12-14, hot-air balloon flights, a classic car show and parades; Emory Adams Park, Findlay (Hancock County); free; (419) 422-8948, www.flagcityballoonfest.com
46th annual German-American Festival: Aug. 26-28, one of Ohio’s oldest ethnic festivals with authentic German food, beer, entertainment and a Hummel lookalike contest; Oak Shade Grove, Oregon (Lucas County); $7, free for children 12 and younger accompanied by an adult; www.gafsociety.org/fest.htm
The Milan Melon Festival: Sept. 3-5, an auto display, a parade, arts and crafts — and don’t forget the famous muskmelon ice cream and watermelon sherbet; Town Square, Milan (Erie County); free; (419) 499-3254, www.milanmelonfestival.org
About the Author