CENTERBURG — The Oldtime Farming Festival has announced Fred Wade of Centerburg will be the 2011 festival grand marshal.
Wade moved to Centerburg from Worthington in 1959 when Interstate 71 took his family’s farm. He graduated from Centerburg High School in 1962 and married his wife, Kathryn, in 1965. They have three children, Fred Jr., David and Kathy Pierson; and seven grandchildren.
Wade has farmed, or been involved in farming, all of his life. Even though he no longer operates the farm, he enjoys working for White Farms as a tractor operator.
In 1972, the Wades started making maple syrup. At their sugar camp they have, through the years, hosted school groups, church groups, Scout troops, the Heart of Ohio Tour and, for the past two years, Centerburg Joint Recreation District. They sell their syrup locally and ship syrup throughout the United States.
The Wades have provided parking space for the Oldtime Farming Festival and other activities at Centerburg Community Memorial Park for a number of years, in their field west of Foster’s Pharmacy in Centerburg. Fred Wade is also a familiar face at the Festival Contests & Games tent where he is a regular player in the euchre tournaments.
In the past, Wade has served on the Knox County Board of Health. He is an avid gardener and enjoys collecting Indian artifacts, fishing, hunting and being a grandpa.
Wade enjoys being an active member of the community and found it a great honor to be named the grand marshal of the 20th annual Oldtime Farming Festival.
He will make his first appearance as the marshal when he rides on the festival float in the USA Days Festival Parade on Saturday. The float will also appear in the Hartford Days Parade in September.
This year’s Oldtime Farming Festival Parade theme is “Twenty Years of Honoring Our Farming Past.” The town parade will be held Saturday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. The parade will start at the Church of Christ and end in Centerburg Community Memorial Park.
On Sunday, Sept. 18, at 3:30 p.m., Wade will lead off the tractor parade inside the festival grounds.
