ANDOVER – The future of the Pymatuning Lake Festival is in limbo, with the festival quite possibly not taking place this year unless a new organizer steps in – and fast.
The Pymatuning Area Chamber of Commerce puts on the festival each year, but Chamber President Lara Reibold has said she will not be chairing the festival this year, leaving a big hole in the organization of the festival, as she does much of the work in finding sponsors, working with the Pymatuning State Park, finding entertainers and much more.
Held in early August every year by the Pymatuning Area Chamber of Commerce, the Pymatuning Lake Festival celebrated its 41st year in 2025.
Ahead of last year’s festival, with the number of volunteers declining to help put on the festival, Reibold indicated she could no longer run the festival on her own, so its future was up in the air unless more people were willing to step up.
A group of community leaders and stakeholders got together to help put the festival together, but while the committee did bring in some more sponsors, the number of volunteers to help throughout the whole year, not just festival weekend, did not grow, other than a person who took over organizing the crafters.
Reibold said that since the 37th annual festival, she has said she would get the Lake Festival through its 40th, but more people needed to step up as volunteers in order for her to continue as chair.
Now, she is stepping away as chair.
“I will guide somebody if somebody wants to step up, but it really needs a few committees. It’s too much for one person,” Reibold said.
She said the weekend itself is not the issue when it comes to volunteers.
It’s the lead up to the festival, which takes nearly a year to plan.
“It’s a whole lot for one person to plan. Ideally there needs to be somebody to handle sponsors, food vendors, fireworks, entertainment, crafters, kids’ activities, with the chair doing things like the insurance and security and safety and just making sure everything’s happening as it needs to, and garbage and gate workers,” Reibold said.
She said if someone else steps in to chair, the festival may still be able to take place, but the person would need to step in fast.
“December is usually when I sign contracts for stage, fireworks, sound, etc. In January is when the vendor applications go out. February is when I start booking entertainment, so it is behind,” Reibold said.
If the new chair is a Chamber member, the Chamber has a Lake Fest account.
If another person or organization outside of the Chamber steps up to take over the festival, Reibold said they can give them start-up money, but they will need to build it like the chamber did and find their own sponsorships.
“They’re going to have to raise their money and build their fund on their own,” Reibold said.
Reibold is also willing to guide the new person. She said she has a lengthy document detailing all the steps and information she has used for past festivals that she can pass on as well.
While people can do things differently, Reibold’s information can help the person get started.
“This time of year, there’s a lot that’s going on,” Reibold said.
While she will not be chairing the Lake Festival this year, Reibold said the Chamber is discussing bringing back a Fall Festival the first Saturday in October.
For the Lake Festival to return, time is of the essence. Reibold said someone would need to step in immediately.
“It takes a solid 10 months to put on,” Reibold said. “It breaks my heart. It truly breaks my heart that it might not happen.”
If interested in taking on a leadership role, people may reach out to Lara Reibold at dlreibold@outlook.com or 440-645-4657.
