The Winchester Homecoming Festival is set to take place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday August 22, 23, and 24. (Photo by Ryan Applegate)
By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
The Village of Winchester is preparing for one of its most beloved traditions as the 2025 Winchester Homecoming Festival returns August 22, 23, and 24. For three days the town will come alive with history, contests, games, music, and family fun, carrying forward a celebration that has been uniting the community for generations. Residents and visitors alike can look forward to a wide variety of events that highlight both Winchester’s small-town charm and its rich history.
The festivities begin Friday evening with the annual Queen Contest at 6 p.m., followed by music from the Poplar Ridge Bluegrass Band at 6:45 and The Sundown Band at 8. Inflatables and games will run from 6 – 9 p.m., offering fun for children with $5 wristbands, while Garden Tractor Pulling adds excitement with weigh-ins starting at 5 p.m. and the pull beginning at 7. Friday also marks the start of the community yard sale, which will continue Saturday morning at 8.
Saturday is traditionally the busiest day of the festival and this year’s schedule is no exception. The Tractor Tug Pull on State Route 136 begins at 10 a.m., following weigh-ins earlier that morning, with trophies and cash prizes on the line. Events throughout the day include a whiffle ball tournament at 9 a.m., the Baby and Toddler Contest at 10 a.m., and a quilt show and military photo display at Winchester United Methodist Church from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The NMMTPA Mini Tractor Pull runs along North Main Street from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., while an antique tractor and implement show will take place later in the evening.
Entertainment fills the afternoon and evening, beginning with Noreen’s School of Dance at 2 p.m., the Liberty Cornet Band celebrating its 125th year at 3, and local favorite Randy Pollard with guest Tony Holt at 4. At 5 p.m. visitors can enjoy the Duck Dump raffle, which offers a $400 prize, or catch the 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The culinary contest auction takes place at 6, where homemade cakes, pies, candy, and more will be sold to benefit the festival, with winning bakers taking home a share of the proceeds. At 6:30, Adams County singer-songwriter Chris Crothers performs, leading into a double feature at 8 p.m. as the Rebel Sound Club takes the stage with a high-energy set and the Historic Ghost Ride departs for its tour of Winchester Cemetery. That ride, starting from the corner of South and West Streets, will bring to life the stories of townspeople such as the Archer family, James Cross and Jane Miller, Civil War veteran James Thompson, and others whose histories remain woven into the fabric of Winchester. The evening closes with a Split the Pot drawing at 9 p.m.
Sunday brings a more reflective conclusion to the weekend, starting with church services at Wesley Chapel CCCU at 11 a.m. At noon, The Watchmen gospel group will perform, followed by the acoustic husband-and-wife duo Honey Hush at 1:30. The highlight of the afternoon is the parade, stepping off at 3 p.m. with lineup beginning at 1:30. This year’s Grand Marshals are members of the Cameron-Ellis American Legion Post 242, an organization founded in 1919 and named for Earl Cameron and Lewis Ellis, both lost in World War I. The post has played a vital role in community life for more than a century and continues to honor the service of local veterans. The festival concludes with the raffle drawing at 4 p.m., where tickets sold at two for a dollar will give participants one last chance to win.
Special highlights this year include an Elvis tribute by Bryce Thompson, a 20-year-old firefighter and winner of Maysville’s Got Talent, performing Saturday at 1 p.m. The Liberty Cornet Band will also return to commemorate its 125th year with a concert on Saturday afternoon. Throughout the weekend, visitors can bid in a silent auction on a James D. Werline artist proof, “Queen City Treasures,” which will be displayed at the headquarters booth with bidding closing Sunday at 3.
From contests and music to parades and historical tributes, the Winchester Homecoming Festival offers something for everyone. It is an event where tradition meets entertainment, neighbors reconnect, and visitors are welcomed into the heart of a community that cherishes its past while celebrating the present. Organizers encourage all to mark their calendars for August 22 through 24 and take part in this year’s festivities in downtown Winchester, Ohio.
