When is the 2026 festival?

August 14-16, 2026, always the second full weekend in August (yep, 2026 is weird since Aug. 1 is a Saturday :)

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Where is the festival?

Downtown Mount Vernon, Ohio (Knox County), around the Public Square, including North Main to Chestnut Street, South Main to Ohio Avenue, plus East and West Vine and East and West Gambier Streets.  The Festival Flower Show is at The Living Center, one block north of the Square, 201 North Main St.

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How do I get to Mount Vernon?

From the NORTH (Mansfield, Bellville, Fredericktown): Ohio 13 to US 36 West to downtown; NORTHEAST (Loudonville), Ohio 3 to downtown

From the WEST (Sparta, Marengo 61/I-71 interchange): Ohio 229 to US 36 West to downtown

From the SOUTH (Sunbury, Centerburg, Granville, Martinsburg, Utica): Ohio 3/36 (within the city, Harcourt Road becomes West High Street), Ohio 661 to Ohio 13, Ohio 586 to Ohio 13, or Ohio 13 directly, which becomes South Main Street, to downtown

From the EAST (Apple Valley, Coshocton, Gambier): Ohio 36 (becomes Coshocton Avenue) to downtown; Ohio 229 to downtown (reminder: 229 is closed in Gambier for ODOT construction until the fall)

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When do the streets close?

This year, streets (mentioned above) close at 3:00pm on Thursday, August 13. They will remain closed until Sunday evening, August 16.

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Where can I park?

You can park in free public lots on Gay Street, Mulberry Street, or in street parking in that area.  There is also public parking on East and West High Streets. Please pay attention to signs and reserved spots.

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What about the Saturday morning Farmer's Market?

The Mount Vernon Farmer's Market moves to the parking lot of the CA&C Depot on Saturday.

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How much does it cost to attend?

The festival is free – there is no admission charge. You will want to bring money for food and shopping as you see fit.  You can also buy preferred seating for the headliner shows Friday (Phil Dirt & The Dozers, Forever Seger) and Saturday (615 Collective plus Preston Cooper) on our website links.

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Wait...I thought the concerts were free?

The headliner shows Fri-Sat are all still free if you want to bring a bag chair/lawn chair and sit on the Public Square. But we do sell preferred seating. Please do not sit your chair inside of the preferred seating area. Some people prefer paying to sit closer to the stage and we obviously offer that (and it helps defer the cost of the concerts).

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What about alcohol sales?

Mount Vernon has a DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) policy, so you may NOT bring in alcoholic beverages from the outside. Please support our DORA partners, who sell in a designated cup and you may have it inside the festival grounds. MVPD will enforce the DORA policies.  Read more here. 

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Why are you doing a fundraising auction?

Putting on this festival costs money, as you know. Bands, street performers, stages, ice, trash, electric and water, plus professional sound crews and promotional materials make up most of our budget. We have a 100% volunteer board and community staff. We rely heavily on sponsors, your support of our food trucks and vendors and the support of our shows, through ticket sales. 

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How do I become a business sponsor or individual ‘Friend of the Festival?’

You can scan the QR code at the event, or use the DONATE button on this website, or open the PDF Sponsorship Form on the GET INVOLVED tab. Thank you!

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Do you need volunteers?

YES!  Of course – they are our lifeblood. We need Welcome Tent greeters, ice crew for vendors, shuttle drivers for handicapped and general help for setup and teardown each night.  Click GET INVOLVED and then the volunteer 2026 Google Doc.

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How do I bid for the Celebrity Pie Auction?

TBA