Frog Jump Festival back in-person for 60th anniversary

LIVERPOOL TWP. — The Valley City Frog Jump Festival is returning to Mill Stream Park on July 25 as frogs will fly virtually no longer. This year, the event is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and to honor that milestone, Linda Garrett, director of the Valley City Community Group, said the festival is going to be bigger than ever when it comes to the games, activities and amenities during the daylong festival. "We tried to create something for every age group so that it can be an enjoyable day for everyone," Garrett said. "We've expanded some of the games and activities, I believe we're having more bounce houses this year. We have bubble ball soccer and we've expanded the kid zone. "Two years ago, we introduced a frog train so that will be coming back. That gives rides around the park. We have expanded vendor areas, music bingo and trivia with a DJ to try and involve more of the adults during the day. In the past two years, we expanded to two beer gardens because the adults don't want to leave the frog jump ring and the old beer garden used to be up up by the pavilion so we added another one so they don't have to walk so far." Garrett said one source of pride she and the group holds onto when it comes to the event is keeping food vendors local to make it truly feel like a hometown event. Perhaps more than anything, Garrett is excited to be back in-person to celebrate the festival's anniversary. Last year, the Valley City Community Group accepted 14 virtual submissions of jumps from frogs, rabbits and other animals alike, with the goal being creativity in submissions rather than specifically frog jumping. According to Danielle Baker, a member of the Liverpool Township Historical Society, the event was inspired by the 1865 story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain. Looking for a 150th anniversary celebration for Valley City, event founders Duane Naftzger, Andy Neff and Jay Reynolds planned the first Frog Jump Festival for the township, which was held in 1962 and had 132 frogs jump. In comparison, the last in-person Frog Jump Festival in 2019 set a record for the most frogs jumped in a single day with 740. The longest leaper was recorded in 1988 when a frog jumped 19 feet and one inch in three jumps. Garrett said 2010 was the fifth year in a row the festival had at least 700 frogs jump. This year, Garrett is hopeful they can break that record and are looking to jump at least 750 frogs. As the festival continued to grow in popularity, Baker said it hosted longtime Cleveland weatherman Dick Goddard in 1977. "Goddard was so inspired himself, he patterned his Woollybear Festival after the Frog Jump," Baker said. This year, Garrett said another local Cleveland meteorologist, Betsy Kling from WKYC Channel 3, will serve as a guest judge for a portion of the day. "It's her daughter's birthday so her daughters are going to be jumping frogs," Garrett said. "It kind of came about because she noted on air that she likes frogs. We contacted her and (she said yes)." Along with being the 60th anniversary, this year also marks the 21st year that it has been held at Mill Stream Park, 1200 Maple St. Baker said since its inception in 1962 and until 2001, it had been held at Lazy T Ranch on Myrtle Hill Road. While those who register for the event can bring and jump multiple of their own frogs — each competitor is allowed two frogs at $5 a frog unless there is excess space following registration — frogs are available to rent at the festival for an additional $5. Garrett said the group captures 200 to 300 frogs in the nights before the event from around the area. Once the festival is over, all of them are returned to nature. "They have special bins that they separate the frogs by size and keep them fed and watered until after the jump," Garrett said. "That's an event in itself. Sometimes they're out until 2 a.m. catching frogs." Competitors will jump frogs as part of various flights throughout the day. The winner of each flight will receive a trophy and will take part in the grand championship at the end of the day. Along with a trophy for winning the grand championship, Garrett said the group also is giving out trophies for the reserve champion (second place), longest jump and shortest jump. "We know how much the community loves this event and we're very sad that it didn't actually physically occur last year," Garrett said. "We're excited to put it on. Everybody has been diligently working to make it our best ever. I've met quite a few people … that either haven't been in a very long time or have grandchildren they can bring and they're really wanting to come because of all of the things that have been added to the event." Contact reporter Jack Kopanski at (330) 721-4063 or jkopanski@medina-gazette.com.