Festival of the Fish

The city of Vermilion marks its 175th anniversary this year and they're celebrating with fishy pride. The Festival of the Fish is one of the region’s largest fests honoring Lake Erie culture; and it does it with parades, races, contests, food, and live entertainment. Today’s fun begins at 12:30 p.m. with a pet parade lead by venerable weatherman Dick Goddard. In the evening, get ready for a “honest-to-goodness street dance to live music,” says spokeswoman Sandy Grisel. Saturday kicks off with a 5K run and one-mile walk, while nature engineers — and teams of clamoring kids armed with buckets — take part in the sand castle contest at Main Street Beach. There’s also a crazy craft race and a lighted boat parade. And on Sunday, the annual 12:30 p.m. Father’s Day parade honors dads; a firefighters water fight follows. “In the past, people have thought of this festival as a sort of family reunion. But I want to invite people from all over to come,” says Grisel. “Vermilion is just such an awesome fishing town and this year's festival is going to be awesome, too.” A schedule is on the website. It’s free.