The Pickle Run, formerly an annual festival held in Galion, will return this summer. It will be held in Heise Park on Saturday, July 4, and Sunday, July 5. Today, the event organizers unveiled the new Pickle Run logo designed by local artist Phil Sherman. Sherman also drew the original.
A variety of events are currently being planned, including a parade and an “Anything Goes,” competition in which teams complete a series of silly – often messy – challenges. The return of Pickle Run will complement Galion’s annual Independence Day activities, notably the fireworks show. A full event schedule will unfold in the coming months.
The Pickle Run organizers are also looking for bands that would like to perform at the event. Interested groups should leave a message on the event’s Facebook page.
The first Pickle Run was held on Labor Day weekend in 1978 as a fundraiser for the Galion Booster Club, and it continued for at least 20 years. Unlike years past, however, the new Pickle Run will be held on Fourth of July weekend and is open to any local sports team or organization looking to raise funds through an event or activity booth. The committee will send informational letters to local organizations soon.
Those interested in fundraising or helping with the event are invited to attend the planning committee’s next meeting. The date for the Pickle Run meeting has been changed to Monday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. and the location is now Community Christian Church, 6195 State Route 19, Galion.
For more information, contact Sarah Capretta at 419-777-7565 or sarahcapretta@gmail.com. You may also visit the Facebook event page, “Baseball, Fireworks and Pickle Run.”
Note: Story has been updated to reflect a meeting change.
Pickle Run is a small Galion tributary of Whetstone Creek, a part of the Olentangy River Watershed. But Pickle Run?
Don Wolfe wrote in the Aug. 30, 1988 issue of the Toledo Blade that “Pickle Run in Galion had a sweet beginning.” In the article, he wrote, “The three-day Pickle Run adopted the name from a legend of 54 years ago. Ferd Unckrich, chairman, said Galion had 10 taverns, plus a grocery store, with their rear exits near a creek.
The grocer decided to get rid of a barrel of pickles that were turning soft, so he dumped the load into the creek. Seeing this, one tavern keeper yelled, ‘Holy Toledo! You shouldn’t do that.’”
March 13 — The location of the meeting has been changed.
