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Q?
Festival Info: Where’s the Arts & Crafts for kids?
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A.
We have some pretty cool activities for your kids. Our arts & crafts is located within our Kid's Fair. Check out our festival map for more details!
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Festival Info: Where’s the Car & Bike Show?
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A.
The Old Hilliardfest Car & Bike Show was discontinued in 2017 and was replaced with our Touch-a-Truck event.!
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Festival Info: Can I bring my dog, or other pet?
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A.
Old Hilliardfest is a family friendly festival, this includes the pets in your family. However, please be advised that our festival sees thousands of festivalgoers per hour. If your pet is not good around people, he/she might be happier if they stayed home. Furthermore, if a pet poses a safety concern or otherwise poses a problem, Old Hilliardfest reserves the right to ask that you remove your pet from festival grounds.
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Festival Info: Where is the Sunflower Show located?
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A.
Our Sunflower Show was discontinued in 2018.
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Festival Info: Where can I find a bathroom?
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We will have bathrooms located all throughout the festival. You can find them at the parking lots, at the end of every festival street, within the Kid's Fair, and so on. Check out our festival map for more details!
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Festival Info: Where can I find some great food?
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A.
There are plenty of food choices at Old Hilliardfest. Our food vendors will be located on Norwich Street, West of Main Street. Check out our festival map for more details!
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Festival Info: Do you have a place for me to nurse or change my baby?
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A.
We have two nursing/changing tents available for public use. They will be located near Station Park. Check out our festival map for more details!
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Festival Info: I would like a beer, where can I purchase one?
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A.
Old Hilliardfest has an approved Ohio Division of Liquor Control F permit that allows us to sell beer at the festival and for you to consume our beer within festival boundaries. We have two beer concessions, one located near Main Street and Center Street, as well as one located near Main Street and Norwich Street. Check out our festival map for more details! It is imperative that you consume your beverage within festival boundaries, the Hilliard Division of Police will be very strict about that, and you will be charged if caught. Additionally, and we hate to really harp on this, but consuming alcohol within festival grounds that was purchased from a local establishment or brought on your own is strictly prohibited, and you will be charged if caught. By all means, we encourage you to patronize the local bars and restaurants, but for the love of Pete, please do not bring their drinks off their property, and especially into the festival. Thanks for your cooperation!
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Festival Info: Where will the Information Booth be this year?
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A.
The information booth will be located near Station Park. Check out our festival map for more details!
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Q?
Festival Info: When will the next Old Hilliardfest Art & Street Fair festivals be?
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A.
Old Hilliardfest always takes place on the second Saturday of September. Always has, always will.
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Festival Info: What will be at the festival this year?
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We have lots of stuff this year! There are three different music stages: the Americana Main Stage, the Community Stage, and the Kid's Fair Stage. We have awesome Street Fair, Art, and Food Vendors. We have arts and crafts, games, rides, and inflatables. And lots of other fun things to check out!
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Festival Info: What happens if there’s bad weather?
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If it rains, the show must go on! We didn't go through all this planning for nothing. If it rains, vendors will still setup, musicians will still warm up, and the staff of Old Hilliardfest will cross their fingers that the rain will clear up quickly. If the weather is more inclement than just some liquid sunshine, then the festival will be cancelled. Unfortunately, in the event that the festival is cancelled, we will not be able to reschedule it, we'll just have to wait another whole year to try again. Check out the local weather!
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Navigation: I just want to drive through Old Hilliard, but the streets are closed!
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A.
We understand that shutting down a main road through the center of a town can be frustrating to someone who just wants to get home from work, or to take their kids to athletic practice, or to go to the grocery store. Please keep in mind that this event takes place just once a year. We'd love to see you and the family at the festival, consider joining us. But if you really are in a hurry, check out our Festival Map for details on how to navigate past the festival.
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Navigation: I am a business in Old Hilliard, will the festival affect me?
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The short answer is yes. But that's not necessarily a negative thing. Yes, your customers will likely have a more difficult time getting to your business during the festival. We suggest that you share our Festival Map with your customers prior to their visit to help alleviate any confusion and frustration. Heck, they might even want to make a day out of it and visit the festival too; this turns a potentially negative experience into a positive experience. Furthermore, there's no way that 10,000 festival attendees will walk past your business throughout the day and not a single person notice you. Several Old Hilliard business owners have told us that Old Hilliardfest is the busiest day of the year for them! A number of businesses have reported that, not only does foot traffic to their business increase during the festival, but that they have received repeat customers who discovered them while attending the festival. One of our goals is to help bring attention to the businesses in Old Hilliard. This is why we encourage Old Hilliard businesses to participate in the festival as much as possible. Contact Us for more info!
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Parking: Can I park on the street in Old Hilliard?
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Generally, no. Most of Old Hilliard is consumed by the festival. Even if a street is not being used specifically as a part of the festival grounds, it is likely being used as a traffic detour or emergency access route for the police and fire departments. Temporary no parking signage will be posted along many streets within Old Hilliard the week prior to the festival and will be enforced by the Hilliard Police Department. Please don't risk being towed. If you're a resident, please make sure you're parked on your private property. If you're a business, please make sure you're employees and customers park on your private property. If you're a festival vendor or attendee, please make sure you park in the respective designated parking areas. Thanks for your cooperation!
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Parking: Is there designated handicapped parking for the Old Hilliardfest Art & Street Fair?
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The parking lot behind First Responders Park and the portion of city parking lot nearest the Makoy Center driveway entrance. Please check out our Festival Map for further details on parking.
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Parking: Where is there public parking for the Old Hilliardfest Art & Street Fair?
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There's plenty of free public parking for the festival. There is street parking (where posted city signs don't otherwise prohibit), at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, in a grass lot at the intersection of Madison Street & Wayne Street, and more. Please check out our Festival Map for further details on parking.
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Vendors: When can I start loading in all of my stuff?
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Vendors may begin loading in at 7am the day of the festival and must be completed by 9am. Unless otherwise authorized in writing from Old Hilliardfest, there are absolutely no exceptions to this timeline. Vendors who arrive too early or too late may be turned away by festival staff and offered no refund. Vendors will receive additional instructions via email the week prior to the festival.
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Vendors: I am a vendor, where do I park?
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There is plenty of parking. The question is, how far is it from your vendor space. We have designated vendor parking areas that require your vendor parking pass be displayed in your window. However, those parking areas are limited and are first-come-first-serve. There should be enough for all the vendors, but depending on who tries to park in which lot, a given lot could become full and you may need to try a different lot. In any event, each parking area is about as far away from the festival grounds as the next. To locate a vendor parking lot, please take a look at our Festival Map.
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About OHF: Is Old Hilliardfest non-profit?
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The festival is hosted by the Hilliard Civic Association, which is a non-profit organization with 501(C)(3) tax status and does not receive any financial backing from the City of Hilliard. The organization is staffed completely with unpaid volunteers and operates only on the revenue generated by vendor booth fees and generous in-kind and cash donations from various local businesses, organizations, and individuals.
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About OHF: Who’s putting on this awesome festival?
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The short answer is, the Hilliard Civic Association. However, visit our partner page to find out more about all the amazing partners we have. Also, check out our Executive Board page to find out more about the volunteer staffed Executive Board that organizes all of this.
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About OHF: Does this shindig cost anything?
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Well, of course it does. Well, for us, but not for you. We spend thousands and thousands of dollars to organize this festival and we receive thousands and thousands in financial and in-kind support from local partnering businesses to help us bear the cost of doing so. However, for you, admission is free! We don't charge a penny for you to attend. Zip, zero, zilch, nada. Come have fun, it's on us!
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About OHF: How long has this thing been going on?
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Well, this is a complicated answer. The Hilliard Civic Association has hosted the event since 2001 when the organization was created. Prior to that, the festival was organized by several different organizations/individuals over the years. However, to the best of our knowledge, the festival has roots back to 1985. Its origins may be hazy, but one thing's for sure, it's definitely grown since then! Check out all the things Old Hilliardfest has to offer.
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5k Info: What is the Run to Remember 5k race route?
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The race route will leave Heritage Middle School, follow the Rail Trail, and return to Station Park in Old Hilliard. For more information, check out our Run to Remember page.
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5k Info: Where will the Run to Remember 5k finish line be?
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The Run to Remember 5K finish line will be located at Station Park, near Main Street and Center Street. The race will end about 10am for most racers. For more information, check out our Run to Remember page.
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5k Info: How do I get to the Run to Remember 5k?
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For more information, check out our Run to Remember page.
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5k Info: Who is organizing the Run to Remember 5k?
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The Run to Remember 5k is an event organized by Hilliard Rotary and presented in conjunction with and cooperation of Old Hilliardfest.
