Possumfest Concludes With Strong Attendance, Minimal Incidents, And One ‘Unplanned Procession’
Village Describes the 2025 Festival as “Structurally Sound and Spiritually Surprising”
HOBART, OHIO – Possum Fest wrapped up Sunday night after four days of food, crafts, music, swirling activity, and what officials labeled an “unapproved but ultimately harmless procession” that briefly relocated the front half of the parade to the wrong street.
Attendance surpassed expectations, with vendors reporting strong sales of funnel cakes, fried biscuit ribbons, and this year’s signature drink: Possumberry Blast, which the Department of Health classified as “technically consumable.”
The annual First Feast reenactment drew large crowds, though the possums used in the symbolic basket were unexpectedly mobile this year. The reenactment proceeded with only minor deviation from script.
PAL-TV’s live coverage experienced intermittent outages due to a passing flock of pigeons, but commentators improvised with a 14-minute discussion on “the cultural role of possum paws in American pageantry.”
Village Hall praised the event as a success:
“Possum Fest maintains its position as Hobart’s most cherished celebration and highest producer of sticky surfaces.”
Among notable incidents:
- The balloon for the Feast of Hobart float expanded faster than expected, brushing the clocktower twice.
- The Suck-It-Up beverage machine operated at 125 percent capacity until volunteers intervened.
- One visitor attempted to purchase a commemorative horse, unaware the horse belonged to the mounted patrol.
- A Roaming Historian from GVU spent the entire weekend explaining that the First Feast “probably did not happen that way,” but was thanked for their service.
Next year’s Possum Fest dates will be announced once the Village’s clean-up crews complete their “post-Festival sinkhole audit.”
Best PossumFest in years. Except for the part where the marching band followed that stray dog instead of the parade route.
They thought it was the new mascot, Dale.
AND THEY WERE WRONG.
Whoever set off fireworks before sunrise owes me a NEW set of curtains. I will not elaborate.
Lorraine, that was the sunrise ceremony. It’s in the program.
I don’t buy programs!
If anyone found a pink raffle jar near the funnel cake stand, please return it. It had tickets AND my FitBit in it.
Nadine, why would your Fitbit be in the raffle jar??
I was counting steps AND tickets.
I found the unplanned procession deeply spiritual. We should consider making it annual.
It was ten teenagers and a shopping cart, Alma.
All rituals begin humbly.
THE PROCESSION WAS A SIGN THE
POSSUM CHOSE A PATH
AND WE FOLLOWED
It was a kid in a possum suit Hollis
Utilities would like to clarify that the outage at 8:14pm was unrelated to the PossumFest stage, despite rumors.
was it the possum
I told you to STOP doing this.
I’m proud of our town. Minimal incidents is a blessing.
I fixed SIX teeth on Saturday night, Birdie.
That is still minimal by Hobart standards.
Did anyone else notice the Parade Map did NOT match the actual route?? Page 3 of the booklet shows a pattern that
DON’T START WITH THE PATTERNS AGAIN
The possum went COUNTERCLOCKWISE. That MEANS something.
The procession went RIGHT BY MY MAILBOX and knocked my Christmas flag sideways. AGAIN.
Brenda….maybe don’t mount it like that?
It has a SENTIMENTAL angle.
Whoever ran off with my funnel cake tongs, bring them back. They’re engraved.
Why would you engrave tongs??
Because people KEEP STEALING THEM.
Our coverage of PossumFest was temporarily interrupted by a raccoon on Camera 2. We apologize for any confusion during the parade broadcast.
THE RACCOON WAS A MESSENGER
Hollis please stop calling the hotline.
For the record, and on sorta behalf of the HVFD: the smoke near the Possum Arena was from the fryer, not the fireworks. Stop asking.
what about that BOOM tho
That was a trash can lid.
WHO THREW IT
It wasn’t “unplanned” we PLANNED it on TikTok
Please do not plan future parades without permits.
ok but do u like the possum chant
No.
REMEMBER THE POSSUM WALKS FIRST
Whoever drove the golf cart with the bubble machine owes me compensation. My chicken-on-a-stick was ruined. RUINED.
Gordo that was part of the children’s entertainment.
What child needs bubbles moving at 40 mph!
PLEASE STOP PUTTING MY RAFFLE TICKETS IN THE POSSUM COSTUME’S POCKETS THAT IS NOT A COLLECTION POINT.
it is now lol
I just want to say I’m proud of everyone who picked up trash afterward. Hobart shines brightest when we care for each other.
Someone STOLE the entire bucket of Possumberry Blast concentrate. You don’t just TAKE that. That’s a controlled substance in the Low Counties.
wasn’t me but if u know who it was tell me
That sounds like something the guilty would say, Cabbage.
Please stop cracking your jaw on caramel possum apples and then coming to me “as an emergency.” They are not caramel, they are concrete.
Marsha, they are delicious though.
They are WEAPONS, Sheila.
Okay WHO put their kid on the fire truck during the procession without asking us? You can’t just climb it. It’s not a jungle gym.
well MAYBE if you had the ladder down like the kids want
It’s a FIRE ENGINE, not a carnival ride. Plus, we only have ONE right now.
THE PROCESSION TOOK ME WHERE I NEEDED TO GO.. THE REST OF YOU ARE COWARDS
Benny, you walked into a bush.
THE BUSH HAD ENERGY
My husband says the PossumFest T-shirt booth was “price gouging.” He bought two.
That sounds correct.
I don’t care what the Herald says, there were DEFINITELY more incidents. My cousin sprained his dignity falling off the hay ride.
HOW DO YOU SPRAIN DIGNITY
you had to be there
The turkey leg I bought had FOUR JOINTS. That’s not normal. Someone explain.
That’s fine. Anatomically unusual. But fine.
I’m not reassured.