Family Engagement Day Seeking Involvement From Local Businesses and Organizations

KENTON, Ohio — The OSU Extension, Hardin County staff are looking forward to once again organizing a FREE Family Engagement event that will be partially funded by the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at the Hardin County Fairgrounds, 14134 Letson Ave, Kenton, OH 43326 from 1-4 p.m.

This will be a “farmer’s market” style event.  Please bring your own tables and chairs and a pop-up tent for your space. Spaces will be set-up in a first come, first served basis.  They are not limiting your space and area.  The fairgrounds will be able to hold all interested.

They will also have some amazing door prizes. Each child/youth in attendance (birth to HS senior) will be given a raffle ticket to place in the bucket of the prize they would like to win and drawings will begin at 3:30 p.m.

Food will be grab and go healthy snacks and not a meal since the time is 1-4 p.m.  (i.e. pre-packaged pretzels, granola bars, fruit snacks, applesauce, etc.)

They would love to have your organization, your business, or your student organization be part of this family engagement event. 

Here are some suggestions of ways to be involved:

Set up a table at the event to promote your organization:

• Provide a family engagement activity
• Suggested games/activities: lawn games, petting zoo, face painting, balloon art, magician, school mascots, scavenger hunt, chalk drawing, flower planting, snow cones, popcorn, etc.
• Bringing agriculture activities or animals for hands-on learning
• petting zoo, tractors, planting flowers, etc.
• Have small groups of choir or band students perform and provide entertainment
• Providing a door prize that promotes family engagement
• Sponsoring an activity (like the inflatables) or a raffle prize with a monetary donation
• Donations can be made payable to Ohio State University Extension, Hardin County, 1021 West Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton, OH with OCTF family engagement on the memo line
• Please include what you would like to sponsor with your funds (food, activity, raffle prize, etc)
• Organizing a family fitness activity during the event (for example, how many laps around the fairgrounds equal one mile—give a small prize when that is completed)
• Local emergency responders (fire trucks, police cars, etc.)
• Health screenings and health information
• Local libraries/Dolly Parton Imagination Library sign-up for programs and offer story time
• Summer Foods sign-ups
• And whatever you might think would promote your organization/business for families

Please let them know how you’d like to be involved by completing this survey no later than March 15: go.osu.edu/octf26

This will allow them to include your organization on the flyer and any promotional materials.

 For any questions, contact Jami Dellifield, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator by calling 419-674-2297 or emailing dellifield.2@osu.edu