The Galion Oktoberfest, planned for Sept. 24-26, has been canceled.
City officials are helping to make sure the festival returns in 2027, Galion Mayor Brian Saterfield said.
“The committee that organized the Galion Oktoberfest over the past several years will no longer handle those duties,” Saterfield said. “My office has met with two different entities over the past week and a half, offering to take on the task of organizing the event.”
Replacing the festival’s board could take some time.
“After having conversation with and researching both parties, I made the decision that the best course of action is to cancel the 2026 Oktoberfest and work towards a bigger and better Oktoberfest in 2027 and beyond,” Saterfield said.
Board members for the Galion Oktoberfest announced on social media July 8 that they voted as a group “to step down from organizing Galion’s festivals.”
The same people also organized the Galion Pickle Run Festival, a Fourth of July event canceled this summer for “the safety and well-being of our volunteers.”
That group has organized both events since 2019, according to Travis Wolford, who was director of the board that resigned this summer.
He declined to provide the names of fellow board members
“I will leave them out,” Wolford said. “They’re sick of the drama, as am I.”
He said the festival often operates in a financial deficit.
“The reality is that our board has operated with very little volunteer support,” Wolford said. “Year after year, the same handful of people carried nearly all of the responsibility. While many enjoyed the festivals, very few made them happen.”
Nobody from that group is expected to return for future events.
“We sincerely hope Galion’s festivals continue,” Wolford said. “We also hope the next group of organizers is given the support, funding, volunteers and cooperation that were too often missing during our time.”
Contact Zach Tuggle at 419-564-3508. Follow him on X at @zachtuggle.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Galion Oktoberfest canceled; festival directors resign all city events
Reporting by Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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By Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
