Put-in-Bay popular events to return in 2024

Jessica Denton
·4 min read

SOUTH BASS ISLAND – We might be in the midst of winter, but planning is already underway for events and festivities at Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island for 2024.

Swashbuckling Pyrates will return to South Bass Island for the 16th Annual Put-In-Bay Pyrate Festival, taking place on June 28 to 30, 2024. Put-In-Bay will be filled with activities in its busy 2024 season.
Swashbuckling Pyrates will return to South Bass Island for the 16th Annual Put-In-Bay Pyrate Festival, taking place on June 28 to 30, 2024. Put-In-Bay will be filled with activities in its busy 2024 season.

The Put-In-Bay Tourism Bureau released a calendar of all the happenings in the village and around the island, with the return of Jeeps and Broncos, a blessing of the fleet, multiple festivals, a second annual Pride Day, a “monumental” eclipse and more, all taking place from early April until the end of October.

Wendy Chambers, executive director of the Put-In-Bay Tourism Bureau, said there is something for everyone this year on the tiny 4-mile island in western Lake Erie.

Total Eclipse kicks off season on April 8

It all kicks off on April 8, the total solar eclipse, with a "monumental" watch party happening on the lawn of Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial.

According to NASA, a solar eclipse occurs when, as the moon orbits Earth, the moon moves between the sun and Earth. When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun from reaching Earth.

This rare celestial phenomenon will appear across North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada this year.

Members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on South Bass Island usually sell out of their famous “strawberry shorcakes” during Founders Day celebrations, taking place this year on June 15.
Members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on South Bass Island usually sell out of their famous “strawberry shorcakes” during Founders Day celebrations, taking place this year on June 15.

The northwest Ohio area will be in the path of totality, and the sky will darken midday, creating a dusk-like ambiance. This extraordinary event will not be visible again in America until 2045.

“There will be food establishments, lodging and more open on the eighth,” Chambers said of the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Opportunities to take ferry rides on the Jet Express and Miller Boat Line are also available, which can be found on their websites and the Ohio Shores and Islands website.

The Put-In-Bay Pride Day will return for its second year during a busy 2024 season, bringing a color run, a drag queen parade, and more to tiny South Bass Island.
The Put-In-Bay Pride Day will return for its second year during a busy 2024 season, bringing a color run, a drag queen parade, and more to tiny South Bass Island.

Many island events will return

There were two new events in 2023 and several that were reorganized, Chambers said. Organizers plan on keeping the same schedule with a few additions for 2024.

Pride Day! will return for its second year on June 10, using the same format as 2023, which committee members were happy with, she said.

There will be a 5K Color Run, a Drag Queen parade, as well as adult-only activities like a Drag Show at the Round House bar in the evening.

“Big Day at the Bay” will feature games, activities out on the street, the Put-In-Bay Fire Department’s annual clam bake and more on Sept. 21, 2024
“Big Day at the Bay” will feature games, activities out on the street, the Put-In-Bay Fire Department’s annual clam bake and more on Sept. 21, 2024

Founder's Day to note 50th anniversary

The 50th annual Founders Day will take place in DiRivera Park on June 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event honors the founder of Put-In-Bay, Jose DeRivera.

“We took it back to how it was in the past,” Chambers said of last year’s event. “There will be kids' activities, games and we will have great vendors, both from the community and the surrounding area.”

The Pooch Parade also draws a crowd, she added.

Featured on Founders Day are the Strawberry “Shorcakes” which are part of a fundraiser for St. Paul’s on the island.

“It’s one of the most popular aspects,” Chambers said.

Pyrate Festival returns in June

Also returning on June 28-30 will be the 16thannual Put-In-Bay Pyrate Festival, which Chambers said is a wonderful, family-friendly event. Plenty of pyrates will fill DeRivera Park, delighting landlubbers.

In addition to all those events, there will be Jeeps (July 11 to 14) and Broncos (Sept. 6 to 8) invading the island, and plenty of parades.

The Bash on the Bay concert will feature country superstars Jelly Roll and Hardy on Aug. 21 and 22. There will be an Island Hops and Wine Festival on Sept. 28, Oktoberfest on Oct. 12 and13 and more to entertain visitors.

“We would like people to think of Put-In-Bay as an everyday getaway island,” Chambers said. “We encourage folks to visit on weekdays, like families and empty nesters.”

Chambers said to complete the experience, visitors are encouraged to stay in the lodging on the island, take in the historical sites and sample the great food and drinks on South Bass Island.

“We’re a 4-mile island with an international monument and two state parks,” she said. “There’s a lot of history, a lot to see and do here.”

For a full list of and more information about the events happening in Put-In-Bay, visit the tourism bureau’s website at www.visitputinbay.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: South Bass Island to welcome tourists beginning with Total Eclipse in April