Holmes County Spring Festival returns, supports developmental disabilities services

Every bid at the Holmes County Spring Festival will help keep early intervention, employment assistance and family support moving for children and adults with developmental disabilities across the county. The 48th Annual Spring Benefit Auction & Festival will return May 8-9 in Holmesville as one of the county’s most practical fundraisers, sending proceeds to the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the people it serves.

The Holmes County Chamber of Commerce says the Friday event will run from 3 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., with auction items, food, entertainment, open volleyball, live music, raffle prizes and Amish craft furniture among the draws. Ohio Magazine lists the festival as free admission and notes a full weekend format, with Friday’s live music, volleyball and bake sale followed Saturday by breakfast, barbecue chicken lunch and multiple auctions. The event is sponsored by the Holmes County Association for Handicapped Citizens.

That money matters because the board’s work reaches into the day-to-day lives of local families. The Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities says it supports individuals with developmental disabilities through services such as early intervention and employment assistance. The county’s overview says the Holmes County Training Center’s mission is to maximize potential, develop independence, and educate and support individuals with special needs and their families through progressive, diverse and personalized programs in a safe, secure environment. The board’s campus is at 8001 Township Road 574 in Holmesville.

The festival’s staying power shows how deeply rooted that support system is. The event was the 46th annual Spring Festival and Auction in 2024, the 47th in 2025 and now the 48th in 2026, a run that has made it a familiar spring fixture for Holmes County families, auction regulars and volunteers. Its appeal reaches well beyond the auction table, drawing food lovers, volleyball players and anyone looking for a community event that turns attendance into direct help for neighbors who rely on disability services year-round.