Mark your Calendar for October 24, 2026!
In Episode 156 of The Perrysburg Podcast, Joy Studer and Caroline Hoffmann from Historic Perrysburg, Inc. return to the show to preview Sips & Stories. This free, family-friendly event will take place Saturday, October 24, 2026, 12-6:30 PM as part of Perrysburg’s America 250 Celebration.
Sips & Stories is part history tour, part live theater, and part citywide adventure. Two vintage-style trolleys—one red and one white—will travel around Perrysburg from noon to 4 p.m. The white trolley offers accessibility accommodations.
Local historians Gary Franks and Richard Baranowski will serve as trolley guides. Guests can listen as they share stories about Perrysburg’s historic buildings, neighborhoods, churches, landmarks, and residents. The trolleys will make a continuous loop, allowing participants to hop off, explore selected locations, and board another trolley later.
Trolley stops and points of interest are expected to include the Spafford House Museum, Fort Meigs, The 577 Foundation, the municipal building, Way Public Library, Perrysburg’s historic district, Hood Park, Riverside Park, and other locations. Some places will be official stops, while others will be discussed as the trolleys pass.
The trolleys will load on the Louisiana Avenue side of Way Public Library. The library’s address is 101 E. Indiana Ave., Perrysburg, OH 43551. A limited number of seats for each departure time may be reserved through a SignUpGenius link on Historic Perrysburg’s website. Walk-up passengers will also be welcome when space is available.
Even if you do not ride a trolley, there will be plenty to experience on foot. Historical portrayers, reenactors, and storytellers will be stationed throughout downtown Perrysburg. Visitors may encounter notable figures from the past, learn about local architecture, see vintage automobiles, and meet old-fashioned newsies distributing the Sips & Stories Gazette and event maps.
Children can collect tokens from participating historical characters. At the end of their adventure, they can take those tokens to O-Deer Diner for free ice cream.
The “sips” portion of the event will involve participating downtown restaurants. Some establishments may offer historically themed beverages, and adults can enjoy eligible drinks in DORA cups while strolling through the downtown area.
The day will conclude at 5 p.m. on the Commodore Lawn. The storytellers, historical portrayers, and reenactors will gather for a curtain call, and Ryan Wichman will offer an America 250 toast. The Bradberries will perform from 5–6:30 p.m.
Historic Perrysburg will also sell merchandise during the event, including its inaugural collector’s ornament featuring the Commodore Perry statue. The organization hopes to release a different ornament featuring an iconic piece of Perrysburg history each year for the next decade.
During this episode, Joy and Caroline also discuss:
How the original Sips & Stories walking tour inspired this expanded event Why trolleys make the experience accessible to more people The historians, storytellers, and reenactors bringing local history to life How Sips & Stories will support downtown Perrysburg businesses What families can see and do throughout the day How to reserve a trolley seat or participate without a reservation Ways to support or become involved with Historic Perrysburg, Inc. Residents can preview the white trolley from 4–6 p.m. on Monday, August 24, on the Louisiana Avenue side of Way Public Library.
I plan to attend the trolley preview (Monday, Aug 24) and Sips & Stories on Saturday, October 24. If you see me exploring downtown, please stop and introduce yourself. I enjoy meeting my audience!
Sips & Stories is organized and hosted by Historic Perrysburg, Inc. with support from community partners, including Experience Perrysburg and the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation.
Links from this episode
Historic Perrysburg Inc. website https://www.historicperrysburg.org HPInc Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064073260360 HPInc Instagram https://www.instagram.com/historicperrysburginc/ Sips & Stories October 24, 2026 https://www.historicperrysburg.org/_files/ugd/41e4be_9ee79bf24982450d8f305b2aacdabb89.pdf (link accessed August 20, 2026) The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 135 with Joy Studer and Caroline Hoffmann https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/135 The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 104 with Gary Franks https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/104 The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 23 with Richard Baranowski https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/23 The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 22 with Richard Baranowski (walking tour) https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/22 Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation https://www.perrysburgrotary.org Experience Perrysburg on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Experience-Perrysburg/61587651503054/...
