The cheese making industry thrived, and Ohio became the leading producer of Swiss cheese in the nation. The Ohio Swiss Cheese Association was established in 1918, and standards were created to help insure consistent quality. For some reason the booming industry began to decline after World War II, and by 1950 profits were seriously dropping. At the same time the state began looking for ways to promote tourism. Working together, the idea of a Swiss Festival was conceived to both promote tourism and to celebrate all things Swiss, especially cheese.
The first Swiss Festival was held on October 2nd and 3rd, 1953. It included a big parade, Swiss entertainment, and a “Miss Ohio Swiss Cheese” contest. 30,000 people crammed the streets of Sugarcreek, consuming 6,200 pounds of cheese, 1,500 pounds of hamburger, and 300 pounds of hot dogs. Not only did the festival succeed in boosting cheese sales, but it put Sugarcreek on the map as “The Little Switzerland of Ohio.”
For two weeks prior to the festival many of the residents of Sugarcreek don traditional Swiss costumes to promote their festival. The leaders of our rally comply and also wear these costumes during the rally. Festival activities now include Swiss cheese judging in a competition among the several cheese factories, the crowning of a “Little Swiss Miss,” polka dancing, yodeling competition, a huge parade, a midway, wine tasting, alphorn demonstrations, stone tossing competition (called steinstossen), a 5K run, an antique car parade, continuing band music, and the crowning of the Ohio Swiss Festival Queen.
Included in our rally fee is the cost of chartered buses that go and come all day Friday and Saturday from rally site in Winklepleck Park to downtown Sugarcreek and the festival site.
Source for most of the above: “The Official 2008 Program Guide of The Ohio Swiss Festival” published by The Budget, Sugarcreek’s community newspaper.
We boarded the bus about 12:30pm for the ride to town. The Maidens IV were performing on the band stand. Then came the parade of children all decked out in their Swiss costumes.
September 27, 2008 - This was the day of the grand Swiss Festival parade on Sugarcreek's Main Street. We took the shuttle again and arrived on Main Street in time for a yodeling competition and demonstration of the alphorn.
Actually, there were four alphorns - an unusual musical instrument, over 12 feet long. They were once used in the Swiss Alps as a communication tool. The sound wasn't great, but certainly unusual.
Then came the grand parade. People lined the street ten deep in most places. The curbs were lined with individual blankets - the device for reserving space. We found a place on a retaining wall where we could sit and stand with a good view of the bands and floats passing by.
