Mt. Eaton Days brings back favorite events and local flavor
On Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, Mt. Eaton Days will return to the village located in the southeast tip of Wayne County.
Mike Plant
Maybe not the biggest local event going on in the area over the summer, Mt. Eaton Days can certainly boast being among the most consistent. For going on four decades, the two-day fiesta will draw people to Southeastern Wayne County for a little bit of everything.
The Village of Mt. Eaton had a population of 171, according to the 2020 census. Look for as many as 10 times that number, maybe more if the weather cooperates, making its way toward the oldest village in Wayne County on Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, when the latest edition of Mt. Eaton Days will take place.
“It’s pretty much the same as last year,” said Dave Hershberger, owner at Precision Power Equipment, of what people can expect from the two-day event that involves many of Mt. Eaton’s merchants, among others.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s more a case of not tinkering where tinkering isn’t necessary. Hershberger said things went smoothly last year, and he expects more of the same this time around.
Among the Mt. Eaton Days happenings will be a vendor show at the Town Hall, discounts from most area merchants, benefit breakfast sandwiches on Friday morning, a benefit auction on Saturday, a chicken barbecue on Saturday and a volleyball tournament, also on Saturday.
The weekend get-together also will feature garage sales throughout the area, most of them going on throughout the weekend. Last year more than 40 homes were part of the oversized neighborhood sale. Maps to the sales will be available at various locations throughout the area.
The vendor show is in its second year, judged a success in its 2024 debut. That and the auction are two crowd-pleasers and are expected to draw good crowds.
“It was a really good turnout last year,” John Miller of Mt. Eaton Hardware said. “It was held at the community building at the New Leaf Center. Someone else has the building this year, so we moved it to the Town Hall, and it should do well there too.”
Drawings for upward of 30 prizes also will take place. Customers can get a ticket per merchant by visiting various participating businesses and can accumulate additional tickets for every additional $25 spent at each merchant.
Nobody needs to be on hand to collect on a winning ticket. Prizes will include both goods and gift cards/certificates from the local merchants.
“These are all donated by the merchants,” Hershberger said.
The Saturday events were among the most popular a year ago. This year should bring more of the same.
“There’s a pretty good crowd for the Saturday auction and the chicken barbecue,” Hershberger said.
The barbecue will take place at the Beacon Hill School, former site of Mt. Eaton Elementary School.
Much like the case at other similar gatherings and events, the people putting on Mt. Eaton Days don’t get much of a look at how things are going. If you’re one of the merchants involved, you’re sticking to the shop and making sure customers are taken care of.
If you’re someone involved in one of the events over the two days, you’re not likely to stray far from that, and likewise, those having the garage sales need to stay close there.
Miller called Mt. Eaton Days a highlight for the area but stopped short of calling it the biggest event of the year for the village.
“The fireman’s festival is more the highlight of the year,” he said. “But for the merchants? Yeah, Mt. Eaton Days is probably the highlight. Our sales are not just good for one or two days, though. We do good business all year long, but it refreshes people to shop at your place during (the Mt. Eaton Days weekend).”
There were more than 30 vendors on hand last year for the vendor sale. This year that number will certainly be approached if not exceeded. Miller proceeded to rattle off the names of nearly two dozen vendors and said he expected several more to take part.
One name from that list is one people have come to expect to make an appearance. That would be Lerch’s Donuts, well known for its presence at this and similar events. The familiar truck will serve its famous goodies both days.
Mt. Eaton is located 8 miles south of Dalton, about 8 miles southeast of Apple Creek and 15 miles southeast of Massillon in the southeastern corner of Wayne County. It’s within a short drive of Stark, Holmes and Tuscarawas counties. State Routes 94 and 241 and U.S. Route 250 intersect in the village.
