Thousands throng Boardman Park for 39th Oktoberfestival today

By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK

news@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

Boardman Park was packed with vendors and customers for the Boardman Rotary’s 39th annual Oktoberfestival.

There were 150 vendors offering a variety of items for sale at the event Sunday. Included were fall and Christmas décor, jewelry, children’s clothing, doll clothes, soaps, and lotions. Food stands sold lemon shakes, gyros, corn dogs, and more.

Buses shuttled customers back and forth from the Heart Center on Southern Boulevard to the park, and Rotary volunteers handed out bright orange bags for customers to carry home their purchases.

Michele Neuroh and her daughter Cara Neuroh, of Boardman, attend every year.

“We like to come out for the Halloween decorations,” Michele said. “I’m a big Halloween fan.”

She decorates their lawn with fake tombstones every year, creating a cemetery.

The event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Boardman Rotary, said co-chair Josh Aikens.

Between 12,000 and 14,000 people attend every year. About $40,000 to $50,000 is raised through the event.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.