Bratwurst Festival puts 'smiles on everybody's faces'

BUCYRUS - Sixty-seven years after they wed, Harold and Annabelle Stinehelfer sat laughing with one another at the Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival.

"We go everywhere together," Annabelle said. "We're partners all the way."

The two were named grand marshals of the three parades of this year's event — their daughter, Karen Soto, drove them Thursday and Friday, then their other daughter, Linda Adams, drove them Saturday.

It was the 50th year they were in the parades, but the first year someone else escorted them.

"He had convertibles," Annabelle explained — perfect for driving the festival's queens down Sandusky Avenue.

"Then they needed a driver for the grand marshal, so I started doing that," Harold said. "And she would drive the mayor."

Of the 51 Bratwurst Festivals, the only one the Stinehelfers missed was the first. Harold was working at Timken at the time, and the company required employees to schedule their time off at least a year in advance.

"I already had plans to take the kids on vacation," Harold said.

To commemorate their year, they bought the second stein sold Saturday evening during the festival's yearly fundraiser.

"I've always bought the little ones," Annabelle said.

But the 2018 Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival needed to be remembered in an extra-special way.

More than 50,000 visitors strolled the streets of Bucyrus as the sun drifted slowly west Saturday evening. Couples held hands, feeding each other funnel cakes and bits of elephant ears. Families waited patiently for vendors to grill ears of corn and gently turn seasoned chicken thighs that sizzled against the heat of the grill.

In the distance, children screamed from atop the Ferris wheel and clutched the handles of other rides that spun them until they were dizzy.

"Hats for five dollars," a boy shouted as he walked through town. "Look, they have a pink one!"

His attention quickly moved to the magician across the street.

"I'm calling this a success," said Kevin Myers, the festival's communications director, as he surveyed the crowd.

Saturday was the first day Myers was able to shed his rain gear — he was glad the skies finally cleared to give attendees a day to remember. He savored the few moments he could spend making new friends, and catching up with those he's known his entire life.

"More importantly, I'm seeing families out here with smiles on everybody's faces," Myers said, wearing a smile of his own. "It's an amazing sense of community."

Just then, country rock group McGuffey Lane took the festival's stage for the first time in 20 years. The sun was dim from behind the horizon as purple lights shone upon the band.

"I hate to see it end," Myers said, looking into the distance. "We worked all year long for this. It's like a rock concert: you always want there to be one more song."

ztuggle@gannett.com

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Twitter: @zachtuggle