OOO #43: Outfits, Ohio, and Other Things I Like
People really hate my scarves, the Swiss Festival, and my favorite fall tradition
Outfits
Ohio
This past weekend, my husband and I drove up to Sugarcreek, Ohio to attend the annual Swiss Festival. The Swiss Festival is a local festival that celebrates both Swiss culture and the community of Sugarcreek, and it was lovely to see a town come together to continue a local tradition.
We absolutely loved the Swiss Festival! The highlight of the day was seeing the alphorn concert; 25 people from all over the country (including South Carolina and Nevada) came together to perform Swiss songs on these large, unique instruments. Later, the festival held a yodeling contest, which was super interesting to watch, and later a large parade marched down the town’s Main Street. Several of the attendees were from Switzerland, and one man said it was heartwarming to see so many people wearing traditional clothes from his homeland.
Sugarcreek has been dubbed “The Little Switzerland of Ohio” due to its architecture and connections to Swiss culture. Many of the buildings incorporate Swiss details in their facades; I was a big fan of the wooden balconies attached to the buildings that lined Main Street. There are several public murals near the town’s center that depict Swiss scenes, and the town’s crest includes the Swiss cross. Most notably, the town is home to the world’s largest cuckoo clock.
We ended our day visiting the Alpine Hills Museum, which mixed Swiss cultural objects with local history (including some Amish artifacts). The museum highlights important figures in the town’s history, from war heroes to musicians. My favorite artifact was a memorial clock given to the first person to live 100 years in Sugarcreek; she turned 100 about six weeks after I was born 😭. I loved how much pride the town has in itself and what its community members have accomplished.
My husband and I will definitely return to the Swiss festival in future years!
Other Things I Like
It’s now October, which means I FINALLY get to watch “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” I did not have a ton of exposure to the Peanuts growing up outside of occasionally reading the comic strips in the newspaper on the weekends, but I became totally hooked once my husband and I screened “A Charlie Brown Christmas” after we first moved in together.
My husband has a firm boundary that no Halloween decorations/celebrations come out before October 1 (in our house September is “apple fall” and October is “pumpkin fall”), so Sunday morning, I woke him up at 7am to watch The Great Pumpkin. Yes, I have it on DVD.
I love everything about the Peanuts movies. The calming music, the colors, the iconic one liners, Charlie Brown’s angst, and Snoopy’s playful antics always make me smile. While I think we all wonder why The Great Pumpkin’s B plot explores Snoopy’s WWI trauma (I read an article that described his march through France was a “spooky adventure” 🫠), the movie is a lovely reminder of childhood Halloween parties, the stories we made up as kids, and days with fewer responsibilities. It’s just the best!
That’s it! Have a great rest of your week!