Snow, snow, no show Maple Fest

By DORIS COOK - Staff Writer
Star Beacon

Sat, May 17 2008

— CHARDON — Piles of snow and more snow with a forecast for more coming this weekend have pushed the 79th Geauga County Maple Festival ahead to April 10-13.
As festival officials viewed the Square on Chardon things didn’t look safe enough to begin setting up midway rides or tents, said Cathleen Baluch, publicity chairman.
“We did a weather forecast for 30 days out and decided to postpone the festival for two weeks. It was really a safety issue,” Baluch said. “There was lots of snow in the park and unless we trucked it out, where would we put it,” she said.
Several festival related events will go on as scheduled this week. The Maple Queen pageant is still on for 7 p.m. Thursday at Geauga Theater on the square. It is sponsored by the Chardon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.
Baluch said the festival’s Hall of Fame Producers luncheon is still set for 11:30 a.m. Friday at Mary Yoder’s Restaurant in Middlefield. Winners of the syrup and maple products contests will be announced at the luncheon.
On Saturday, the festival Golden Old Timers lunch and party will go on as scheduled at Chardon United Methodist Church. All other festival related events will be moved to the new April weekend.