A History of Valley City's Frog Jump Festival
Many people throughout the nation and the world know that Mark Twain, world famous author who wrote "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" started it all in a California gold mining era setting.
Still, the question asked many times each year as the Valley City event gets closer is,
‘How in the world did the popular frog jumping contests ever get started
in the small rural community of Valley City?’
The question carries a simple answer.
The origin of the event started during preparations for the Liverpool Township’s
sesquicentennial celebration in 1962.
Duane Naftzger, the general chairman of the event, and Andrew Neff, the historian,
were reportedly discussing the program while enjoying a double sarsaparilla at a local Liverpool oasis.
They were striving to come up with some local entertainment, especially something for the children,
to be included in the 150th anniversary program.
The idea of staging a frog jumping contest came up, and it was agreed to hold one
during the big mid-summer community celebration.
That first Valley City Frog Jump was held on July 21 and 22, 1962, at a local farm on Myrtle Hill Road.
Threshing, a pony pull, a horse pull and an entertainment group called the "Backskinners" helped celebrate the Valley City Sesquicentennial.
Some 7500 attendees were reported by the Elyria Chronicle Telegraph.
That first event in 1962 was the beginning of the current annual contests.
The event continued to be held at the farm for several years, then moved to Mack’s Lazy T Ranch,
then to downtown Valley City, and in 1969 returned to the Lazy T Ranch.
In 2001 the Jump inaugurated the new Liverpool Mill Stream Park near Valley City town center. It enjoys a bucolic view of the Rocky River and a level ground which lets all events be within view.
~~ History written by Duane Naftzger
Valley City's annual Frog Jump Festival has been held here ever since.
The next festival will be held on Sunday, August 13, 2017.
What "frog jockeys" must do is to make their frog jump as far as possible by any means possible.
The favorite method seems to be screaming, but many participants
are willing to experiment and try out different ideas.
What also makes this contest a little more bizarre is that while there is no entrance fee to participate,
competitors can hire a frog for $5, if they don’t have one of their own.
"Find it... in Medina County" is a series of 25 geocaches placed throughout the area
at various parks and other points of interest.
Those who locate at least 18 of the geocaches in the series and present their completed passport at one of our redemption sites will receive a fabulous trackable geocoin as a memento of the fun that they have had exploring the area. (Limited to the first 250-- one per caching name).
Update August 2016: We have reordered another 250 geocoins!
Caches will remain in place and coins are available to the first 500 geocachers to complete the series.
And as an added bonus, there will be an extra surprise for those that find
at least 22 geocaches in the series! (While supplies last.)
You may print your passport by clicking here: "Find it... in Medina County" passport
Redemption sites and their hours are listed on the passport.
A list of the geocaches in this series can be found here:: "Find it... in Medina County" geocaches