PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to the summer for many in our area. But for people in the Port Clinton area, it's the Walleye Festival.
It was a windy but dry Monday in Port Clinton as hundreds of visitors from around Ottawa County and beyond were in town enjoying the 43rd Annual Walleye Festival.
For many people who attend every year, the festival acts as the best possible kickoff to summer.
"Ride the rides and just have fun with all my friends and just chill," attendee Dylan Bergman said.
All weekend long, visitors enjoyed 110 local vendors, food trucks, carnival rides, live music and, of course, plenty of fried walleye.
"It is a meatier fish," food vendor Rachel Steiner said. "We do have walleye and perch."
Along with eating some walleye, you can also take a picture with Wylie the Walleye, who is the titular walleye that is dropped during Port Clinton's New Year's Eve celebration.
The three-day festival is the only fundraiser for the non-profit Main Street Port Clinton.
"This is how we give back to the community and downtown for the entire year, and how we give grants out to our downtown businesses, and how we're able to function and do other events for the remainder of the year," Nicole Kochensparger, CEO of the Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce, said.
Main Street Port Clinton uses the funding to award local development grants and host community events, including Meals on Madison, a summer-long shutdown of Madison Street in downtown Port Clinton for outdoor eating areas and music performances.
"This festival generates about $3.8 million to the city and overall Ottawa County," Kochensparger said. "So it's a huge, impactful event for our community."
Main Street Port Clinton has been accepting applications for Downtown Improvement Grants, made possible with the proceeds from this festival since May 1.