SHILOH — The Shiloh Fire Department raised the bar this year during the annual Firemen’s Ox Roast, despite severe weather and excessive heat.
This marked the 57th edition of the annual festival, which takes place on West Main Street in the village’s downtown.
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“It’s a very long week that many people put many hours into,” said Trevor Arnold, a volunteer for the Shiloh Fire Department.
Arnold, among several other festival volunteers, said that planning for the ox roast begins months in advance and when it concludes, it’s a little bittersweet.
One can only hope for perfect weather conditions during the two-day celebration. This year’s festival, on July 28 and 29, faced challenging weather conditions, which included severe storms and a high heat index.
“The weather did cause a bit of an effect,” Arnold said. “We just do what we have to do and bear with whatever comes our way.
“We just fought through whatever we had to and dealt with the cards that were handed to us.”
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While temperatures neared record-highs, the Shiloh Fire Department set records of its own.
This year’s beef-cooking pit was the longest-to-date, measuring 115 feet.
“We tried for a 100-foot pit, but ended up doing 115 feet just to be sure of everything,” Arnold said. “It was definitely the longest pit we’ve done.”
The decision to extend the pit paid off in the long run for the department, which received more beef than it had anticipated.
Arnold said the department received, prepared and sold 10,800 pounds of beef, 800 more pounds than expected.
Members of the Franklin Township Fire Department joined the Shiloh Fire Department Saturday to help with beef sales.
The popular festival draws village residents as well as many folks from surrounding communities. Arnold said the department is incredibly gracious for the support it receives every year.
“We do what we can throughout the year and try to give back as much as we can. They come out and support us and we really love and appreciate what everyone does for us.”
Trevor Arnold, Shiloh volunteer fireman
Funds raised for the fire department will go towards paying for trucks, tools, equipment, training personnel and the fire board, Arnold said.
“It helps out the citizens of Shiloh,” he said. “We do put a lot of the money into helping support the department so that we can help keep taxes low.”
This year’s festival included a garden tractor pull, pedal tractor pull, corn hole tournament, fireworks, live music and concluded with the annual parade down West Main Street.