Bob Evans Restaurants Celebrates 51st Farm Festival October 14-16

Bob Evans Restaurants is excited to announce the full list of entertainment and events for its annual fall celebration, Farm Festival, on October 14-16. The signature event takes place at the Bob Evans Farm in Rio Grande, Ohio – the birthplace of the brand, where the original Bob Evans restaurant still stands today. Every year’s celebration coincides with the start of the fall harvest season, paying homage to the history of the brand and its commitment to the farming community. The 51st celebration will feature live musical performances from acts such as Girl Named Tom and Cooper Alan, fall-favorite foods, live demonstrations, free on-site camping, and a host of other family-friendly activities that allow guests to experience America’s Farm Fresh in the best way – down on the farm.

Farm-Fresh Food:
Bob Evans’ annual Farm Festival is no stranger to having delicious, farm fresh food. Visitors can enjoy a variety of options from local vendors throughout the festival, including fall favorites like cider slushies, apple dumplings, kettle corn, Ohio-made cheeses, sorghum grown on the Bob Evans Farm, as well as the crowd favorite Farm Festival Bean soup. Bob Evans’ famous sausage that started it all will also be available for guests to enjoy in a variety of sausage sandwiches or in the brand’s famous sausage gravy & freshly baked buttermilk biscuits. Additionally, guests can dine at the original Bob Evans Restaurant located on the property all weekend long to enjoy more farm fresh favorites for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Activities and Entertainment for the Whole Family:
For the 51st annual celebration of Farm Fest, guests can enjoy live performances from an up-and-coming country artist, an award-winning American folk trio, and more. This year’s headliners include Cooper Alan, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and up-and-coming country star, who catapulted to social media fame during the pandemic through live streams to his millions of social media followers on TikTok and Instagram. Co-headlining the event is Girl Named Tom, an American folk sibling trio from Pettisville, Ohio, who were winners of the 21st season of the groundbreaking singing competition ‘The Voice’ in 2021. Cooper Alan performs on Saturday, October 15 at 4:30 p.m., and Girl Named Tom will perform on Sunday, October 16 at 3:30 p.m.

Brand new this year, Southern Ohio Axe Throwing will have one mobile throwing booth with trained “Axeperts” to show and teach participants that anyone can throw an axe accurately. All guests must fill out a consent form before being able to throw, and a parent or guardian will need to be present for any guests under 18 who would like to participate.

Additionally, there will be live music from renowned bluegrass and gospel musicians, as well as performances from Taps in Motion Cloggers, a team of dancers who perform a form of American folk dance, lumberjack challenges and horseshoe pitching. More than 60 artisans will be in attendance throughout the weekend to showcase and sell their work, and celebratory fireworks will round out the night on Saturday with a colorful display provided by the Village of Rio Grande starting at 8:30 p.m.

Additional Details:
The Bob Evans Farm is located on State Route 588, just off U.S. Route 35. Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday & Sunday and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at the entrance gate with either cash or credit card and are $5 for adults and free for children five and under. There will be no tickets sold in advance or online for the event. The headliner entertainment is included with the price of admission.

Farm Fest will include amusement park rides for attendees of all ages. All-day ride wristbands can be purchased for $10 for adults ages 13 and up, and $5 for children ages 12 and under. Individual ride tickets can also be purchased for $1 each. A Kids’ Farmyard Fun area will feature face painting, a hay bale maze, game tent, kiddie train rides, and a corn pile.

Bob Evans welcomes families to camp on the farm for free from Tuesday, October 11 through Sunday, October 16 to enjoy all the festival activities that weekend. Spots are available on a first come, first served basis and no reservations are necessary.

For more information and to view the current entertainment schedule, visit bobevans.com/farm-festival.