Waynesville looking forward to busy 52nd Sauerkraut Festival

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Credit: Tom Gilliam

“Fantastic” is how this weekend’s 52nd annual Ohio Sauerkraut Festival is shaping up, according to a local leader.

Kelly Miller, executive director of the Waynesville Area Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the annual Sauerkraut Festival, noted that the village of less than 4,000 residents usually swells to nearly 400,000 for the annual event.

Miller called the event fantastic because, “it’s a collective group of community members who come together as a common group with a sense of community and engagement for the common good.”

The festival is this weekend and will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. It’s located on the entire length of Waynesville’s Main Street. Admission is free and parking is available at Waynesville High School, with a shuttle service to the festival.

Miller said the festival started as a merchants’ sidewalk sale, and one of them suggested a sauerkraut meal at the local fire station.

She said the community is “really excited to get the show on the road.”

The two-day event is a top-rated event with an eclectic mix of arts and crafts, from ceramics and woodworking, to metals and textiles, and anything in between from artisans all over the country, Miller said. It also features continuous entertainment throughout the weekend.

More than 30 nonprofit food booths and civic groups from the community will be serving over 11,000 pounds of Frank’s Kraut each year, so everyone can experience their favorite sauerkraut foods, try some new treats, or visit one of the non-sauerkraut food vendors for those who don’t love kraut.

The Ohio Sauerkraut Festival is a showcase for Waynesville’s shopping and dining businesses, helping them connect with visitors who might return throughout the year.

The weather forecast calls for sunny skies both days of the festival, with high temperatures around 60 on Saturday and 65 Sunday.

Ohio Sauerkraut Festival Fast Facts

- Saturday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

- Sunday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

- Free admission, no tickets needed

- Over 11,000 pounds of Franks Sauerkraut ordered

- 30 specialty food booths operated by the area’s nonprofit organizations

- Over 400 juried arts and crafts booths, and craft vendors from over 25 states

- Ranked #29 in Sunshine Artist Premier Art and Craft Show Magazine, Best 200 Craft Shows in the United States

- Continuous free entertainment on the Central Stage at North and Main Streets

- Shuttle bus service available from Waynesville High School parking lot

- Estimated attendance for 2022 – 450,000

- For more information, call 513-897-8855 ext. 2 or access www.sauerkrautfestival.com

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