OBETZ, Ohio — The 37th annual Obetz Zucchinifest kicked off Friday as central Ohioans made their way to the community for all things zucchini.
The four-day, family-friendly event is expected to welcome 125,000 people over the course of the holiday weekend.
Festival attendee Ashton Evans, who has been coming to the Zucchini Festival for over 15 years, said he enjoys the sweet and savory dishes.
"You gotta take home some zucchini bread. That's always the bomb," he said. "But I like the fries. I like fries at festivals. You know there's nothing like a little bit of vinegar on them."
At the start of the festival on Saturday, a local fire department led a parade around Fortress Obetz.
"I can't wait to see my sister in the parade," said Gabriel Gantt, who attended the festival. "I'm excited because I get to spend time with my family," he said.
The 2023 food guide includes everything from zucchini gelato to deep-friend zucchini to zucchini funnel cake and Bourbon chicken hibachi with zucchini.
Schmidt's Sausage Haus is offering a zucchini cream puff, a dish you can only get at the festival.
"It's surprising. A lot of people inquire about it. A lot of people ask, you know, is it really good? Does it really taste like zucchini? But it's really got that spice flavor that you would get out of a zucchini bread or a banana bread," said a Schmidt's employee.
The festival runs through Monday.
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