  Special Attractions
The Little Brown Jug
Perhaps Delaware is most famous for The Little Brown Jug, an internationally famous harness race which is part of the Triple Crown of harness racing.
Each September, local and out-of-town racing fans gather at the Delaware County Fairgrounds for five days of Grand Circuit harness racing. The half-mile track at Delaware has been labeled the fastest half-mile track in the world. The Little Brown Jug race, begun in 1946, caps off the week of harness racing, and has a purse in excess of $500,000. With a record crowd of 56,210 in 1997, it has the largest attendance of any harness race in the world, and total purses of $1.8 million. On-track and off-track paramutuel betting is, for some fans, what harness racing is all about.
The Delaware County Fair, at which the Little Brown Jug is raced, makes for a full week of family fun. To start off the week, there is an All Horse Parade which has literally hundreds of horses, riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Fair Week brings big name entertainers to the Delaware County Fairgrounds in addition to the usual fare of rides and exhibits. Social events, such as a Mayor's Breakfast on behalf of the Little Brown Jug's annual honoree, surround the events.
Other Festivals
Another September event is the Hot Air Balloon Festival. A multitude of balloon pilots gather at the Delaware County Fairgrounds during an afternoon celebration. The crowd watches as the balloons are inflated and then launch into the late afternoon sky. Upon their return to the ground, the balloons are returned to the Delaware County Fairgrounds where they are reinflated and backlit for an evening party. Musical entertainment and food vendors are also present at the event.
Every May, both local and out-of-town artists gather in vendor booths set up along the main downtown streets for the annual Arts Festival. The streets are closed to through traffic for the event, and arts and crafts are available for sale. Musical and other entertainment is provided, as well as food and beverages.
In June, a Cycling Classic is held on the streets of downtown Delaware. The Cycling Classic is a bicycle race sponsored by Breakaway Cycling and Fitness and The Delaware County Bank. Again some of the streets are closed to through traffic, and bicyclists race along the downtown streets. The event is supported by entertainment and food vensors as well.
A Fourth of July Celebration in Delaware is kicked off with a concert in Phillips Glen on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus by the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra ("COSO"), a string orchestra made up of talented local musicians. In addition to playing traditional favorites as John Philip Sousa marches, COSO performs two pieces each year which are crowd favorites. In "Salute to the Armed Forces", COSO plays the theme songs to all branches of the service while veterans of each branch stand to be honored. The concert concludes with a performance of the "1812 Overture" accompanied by cannon fire from the top of buildings on the OSU campus. The COSO concert is followed with a fireworks display nearby.
The Fourth of July celebration in Ostrander, Ohio is famous for its home made ice cream and apple pie accompanied by square dancing and a softball game, and concluded with the village's own fireworks display. Many of the other villages in Delaware County also have their own Fourth of July celebrations.
Other fairs and festivals in Delaware County include the spring and summer ox roasts in Sunbury, the corn and apple butter festivals in Ashley, and holiday festivities and festivals in Powell.
Other Attractions
Perkins Observatory, located just south of Delaware along Route 23, was constructed in the late 1800's, and, with a 69 inch mirror, was the largest astronomical observatory in the nation at the time it was built. The mirror was later shipped to Flagstaff, Arizona, and replaced with a 32 inch mirror. Perkins Observatory offers many educational lectures, lessons in stargazing, and a library complete with astronomical computer programs. A very entertaining tour gives highlights of the construction and operation of the observatory, as well as the story concerning the removal of the original mirror. Incidentally, the original mirror was no longer being used, and has now been returned to Perkins where it is on permanent exhibit.
The Olentangy Indian Caverns are another highlight of Delaware County. Located off of Home Road, the caverns are a servies of limestone caves which were once utilized for shelter by the Wyandot Indians.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, one of the most famous zoos in the nation, is located on the southern edge of Delaware County. The zoo gained its notoriety through its former director, Jack Hanna, who made -- and still makes -- frequent appearances on television shows with such personalities as Jay Leno and David Letterman. The zoo has expanded in recent years to include many wonderful exhibits.
Located next door to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is Wyandot Lake, a water amusement park. The park is filled with thrilling rides and entertainment, all of which are designed to beat the summer heat by getting visitors as wet as possible.
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