JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Lions Club held its annual Fall Festival, formerly known as the Bean Festival, last weekend.

The festival occurs every year on the third weekend in September. Small businesses, local organizations, and food vendors gathered at the four-way intersection of Old U.S. 35 and State Route 72 for hours of food, music, games, and raffles.

All the proceeds go toward the Lion’s Club’s other events throughout the year.

“Our goal is to bring the community together,” President John Crosswhite said.

This year was special because it felt like the traditional pre-COVID event.

“This is the first year in a while where we have been able to shut down the intersection here, and that was actually quite the risk,” said member Michelle Surgenor. “Without all of our sponsors we would have had nothing.”

Several other townships support and provide resources to the Fall Festival and participate in the parade through town including Silvercreek, Cedarville, Jasper, and Jefferson townships.

The opening ceremony took place at 5 p.m. with the crowning of the queen and her court. An auction and bingo games followed, where just under $7,000 was raised. The rest of the evening community members enjoyed live music until 10 p.m. with country singer Sean Poole.

Day two featured the Silvercreek-hosted pancake breakfast and the Jamestown Cancer annual walk through town and raffle. A car show took place where trophies made by seniors at the Greene County Care Center were given to the winners.

Among the activities for visitors to enjoy, community members were most excited by the return of the Ham and Blanket Wheel. This event made its grand return after four years, and in honor of Eddie Brill, a former member of the Lions Club who invented the game more than 50 years ago. The beloved tradition of the Fall Festival commenced at 7 p.m. Participants pay $1 to pick a paddle with five random numbers from 1 to 120. The announcer spins the wheel and reads the number to the audience. The winner chooses whether they want a blanket or a ham.

“My late wife used to stand here and try to win hams for us and our kids for the holidays,” said Bob Frost, a Silvercreek Township trustee. “It would have been cheaper for us to walk down to the grocery store and buy them, but the money goes to a good cause.”

The fall festival concluded with the Lion Club raffle at 10 p.m. where people who bought tickets throughout the day could enter to win various cash prizes.

In future years, the Lions Club hopes to return to the original glory of the Fall Festival, with more carnival games and events.

“COVID put hurt in a lot of places,” Surgenor said. “We lost a lot of members because of it and it was hard to bounce back, we couldn’t do as much. But in the last couple of years we have been steadily growing and receiving support, now we are back and hoping to continue that growth.”