Walleye Festival will reopen

PORT CLINTON — They're on the hook to host the Walleye Festival this weekend. And that's likely the way organizers prefer it. The festival usually occurs every Memorial Day weekend. But record floods and a nearly constant downpour forced the festival to postpone. The event will reopen today at 5 p.m. and run through the weekend in downtown Port Clinton. "It's extremely vital," said Brittani Bacon, operations manager for Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce, in reference to the festival. "The Walleye Festival is actually the biggest moneymaker for downtown Port Clinton." After the 2020 cancelation due to COVID-19, this year's postponement, rather than another cancelation, is seen as crucial for a community coming out of a pandemic. "An economic impact study revealed that the Walleye Festival, on average, brings about $3.8 million to Ottawa County each year," said Nicole Kochensparger, president of the Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce. "We are proud of the fact that this festival not only creates such an impact on our local economy but is also the main funding source for Main Street Port Clinton and allows us to award improvement grants to business and building owners each year, host many events downtown and keep our downtown looking great all year long."The new festival dates come with some entertainment changes. The new entertainment list can be found online with Main Street Port Clinton and the Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce.