4 June Food Festivals in Ohio

Troy Strawberry Festival | June 1-2
Celebrate one of summer’s favorite fruits at this festival that has been a southwest Ohio tradition since 1977. The festival kicks off June 1 with events like the Little Miss and Mr. Strawberry Contest and all manner of foods featuring the two-day event’s star flavor. The annual summer event celebrates the strawberry heritage of the area, which was once home to the biggest patch of strawberries this side of the Mississippi River. The event also features a car show, pie-eating contest, 5K run and live music.

Whitehouse Cherry Fest | June 6-8 
Take part in a small-town tradition that spans more than four decades during the Whitehouse Cherry Fest. Locals bring their best cherry dessert recipe to the baking contest and try to take home the crown for the best sweet treat. Beyond that, the three-day festival features a parade, live music, a beer garden and a chicken barbecue hosted each year by the Whitehouse Fire Department. The Cherry Fest tradition was created to celebrate togetherness and community, an attitude which has stuck with this village located southwest of Toledo for decades.  

Pork Rind Festival | June 7-8
Livestock is a core of our state’s agricultural heritage, including the pig and its more-delicious-than-you’d-expect skin — once it’s thrown in a fryer, of course. Lima-based Rudolph’s churns out a variety of pork rind brands found on grocery store shelves, and that fact is celebrated each summer during the nearby village of Harrod’s annual Pork Rind Festival. Since 1989, the event has drawn locals and visitors alike for live music, a parade and more. Of course, the main draw is the fresh-out-of-the-fryer pork rinds.

Versailles Poultry Days | June 12-16
Darke County is known for poultry, particularly the town of Versailles’ second-weekend-in-June tradition of serving up its “world famous” barbecue chicken dinners. The village was a leading poultry producer in the 1950s, and that fact is celebrated by the thousands of half-chicken dinners sold each year during Poultry Days. (In 2023, that count topped 37,000, and they’re hoping to sell even more this year.) Grab a bite to eat and then enjoy an antique car show, parade, ultimate frisbee tournament and, naturally, a chicken-eating contest.