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Moss On The Rock - July 2026
PIB Hosts Boom at the Bay July 4th
The Fourth of July at Put-in-Bay will celebrate with Boom at the Bay, featuring fireworks over Lake Erie at 10 p.m. Fireworks will be visible from downtown or near Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial.
Bash on the Bay Heads to Norwalk
Put-in-Bay’s Bash on the Bay will be moving to a new venue, Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk, OH and will be known simply as “The Bash.” Organizers say The Bash will feature 22 bands, camping, food trucks and vendors. The line up is expected to be announced in the fall.
World’s Largest Rubber Duck Returns
“The world is her bathtub” and World’s Largest Rubber Duck lands again on Put-in-Bay for a free family fun event 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 10, 11 & 12, 2026. Put-in-Bay, a vacation island in Lake Erie, welcomes “Mama Duck,” an inflatable rubber duck that stands 61 feet high, 64 feet wide and 74 feet long. This sunshine-colored photogenic duck will also be accompanied by two of her new 10-feet-tall fledgling ducklings. Mama Duck and her brood will nest on a public viewing area at the corner of Langram and Meechen Roads, across from the Put-in-Bay Airport. Along with the ducks, there will be: food, family fun, “dunk a duck” games for children under 9, Mama Duck memorabilia and apparel, a special edition “Don’t Give Up the Ship” America 250 duck souvenir, plus ample free parking and room for photo opportunities. The “World’s Largest Rubber Duck” is a fundraiser for The Perry Group and monies raised will go toward its ongoing support of the National Park Service’s Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial interpretive mission. This event also launches the countdown to the Declaration 250 Celebration from July 31 to August 2 at Put-in-Bay. The Perry Group and Miller Ferries are the Mama Duck event sponsors. For more event and island information, see theperrygroup.org, millerferry.com, visitputinbay.com, thebigduck.us and lakeerieheritage.org.
2026 putinbayohio.com’s Best Places To Stay!
- Island Club Rentals (islandclub.com) – 216-898-9951
- Commodore Resort (commodoreresort.com) – 419-285-3101
- Bird’s Nest Resort (birdsnestresort.com) – 419-285-6119
- Put-in-Bay Condos (putinbaycondos.com) 216-898-1105
- Victory Station Hotel (putinbayvictorystation.com) 419-285-0120
Relieving The Pain Of Paid Parking
The Village of Put-in-Bay recently approved a new seasonal parking permit program for commercial golf cart rental companies operating on the island.
Under the new program, rental companies can purchase seasonal permits for $150 per golf cart. The permits allow participating golf carts to park in Village paid parking spaces without the need to scan a QR code or pay hourly parking fees.
Village officials say the program is intended to simplify parking for visitors and streamline operations for rental businesses by reducing the need for individual parking transactions throughout the season.
The permits are available immediately. Rental companies interested in participating should contact the Village Fiscal Office for registration information.
The Village says the new permit option is designed to improve the visitor experience while providing a more efficient parking solution for commercial rental operators. Among the companies offering the “no-need-to-pay-for-parking” for their cart rentals are Ashley’s Island House and Bodee’s Bungalow.
Cabents Look Great!
The newly rebuilt cabents (cabin tents) at South Bass Island State Park sure look great. They recently got some much-needed love and upgrades. Among the work were roofs along with new siding and doors, remodeling the units’ bathrooms, replacing mattresses, and most importantly installing HVAC units in them. These upgrades allow the park to save the units, as their old roofs and siding allowed water intrusion. These updates will also allow for them to be rented earlier in the year and later in the season. And lastly, officials want to change the name of them from “Cabents” (uniquely named from the state for their cabin-like walls/floor and tent-like roof… cabin + tent = cabent) to “Cabins,” as there will no longer be a fabric roof.
Hi-Tech at St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s is on YouTube! St. Paul’s is uploading all its Facebook live videos and is looking into how and if to livestream to both Facebook and Youtube at the same time. We will need at least 50 subscribers in order to livestream directly. Check them out here: www.youtube.com/@StPaulsPut-in-Bay/.
Thank You From Capt. David Bianchi
I’d like to share a note of thanks to everyone who stopped by the Cafe at the Goat for my Retirement Party. Unfortunately the storm and the party had the exact same timing, but maybe a squall was the right ending. I also want to thank Caroline and her crew for the great job they did. It was outstanding. sAs I look forward to retirement I also look back on my 45 years at MBL. I am proud of the role I played in the modernization and expansion of the boat line and the construction of all 5 of their current vessels. As a captain for over 40 years I safely transported thousands of passengers and vehicles to and from the island. I am even prouder of my much less visible work on facilities infrastructure, vessel maintenance and repair and Coast Guard regulatory compliance to ensure we provided the safest most dependable ferry service found anywhere.
There were many memorable trips carrying just about anything in all kinds of weather but the ones that truly touched me were the many times I gave babies their first ride home to join their island families and the trips when I gave fellow islanders their last ride home to be laid to rest. Finally, thank you to my beloved Debbie and to the Market family (3.5 generations) for their understanding, compassion, generosity and respect over the years. I’ll see you around.
– David Bianchi
Thank You
Thank you all for supporting the island artist painted paddle fundraiser. In total we collected $4900 for the LEINWC (Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center) and PIB Village Police Dept. K-9 Fund. By now, those who were high bidders should have their beautiful paddles. Please contact Brian Cultice if you are off island and need to make arrangements to get your paddle. Also a huge thank you to all the artists who dedicated their time to make the amazing pieces of art!
Purple Martin Banding 2026
Come visit the Purple Martin Banding Tuesday, July 7th, at 9 a.m. at the Scheeff East Point Preserve to get a close up look at the purple martins while the young are banded. Tom Bartlett, Luke Donahue from the Richland County Park District, and Paula Ziebarth of the Lake Erie IsIands Conservancy will be there! Come on out! The group will move to band at the Duff Homestead as well immediately after. If you are interested in helping as a volunteer that day, give Paula a call or text at (614) 323-7566
Taxi Pick Up On Delaware Ave.
Police Chief Mike Dillon reached out to the PIB Village Council this past month with an idea that makes a lot of sense. Currently, taxis cannot pick up fares on Delaware Ave., Put-in-Bay’s main drag. Dillon suggested that taxis be allowed to pick up people on Delaware Ave. around the hours that the bars close. This gets people off the streets faster, plus reduces the chances of disturbances. Members of Village Council took to the idea immediately, and passed the changes to implement the new policy that lets taxis pick up fares on Delaware Ave. between midnight and 4 a.m.
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Traveling
PIB School science teacher Missi Kowalski took her two sons on their annual summer trip and went up in the St. Louis Arch in Missouri, spelunked in Meramec Caverns and jumped rocks at Elephant Rocks State Park. They then spent several days in Louisiana.
Rick & Sondra Martins from East Point’s Lakeview Allotment were in. Norway. Scott, Caroline, Liesl and Cal Jackson and Jeff and Kendra Koehler were in Portugal and on the island of Medeira the last part of June. Pete and Monica Beane headed to see their daughter and family in the Czech Republic.
Become An Island Museum Member
Become a member of the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society (LEIHS) and help preserve island history. We hope that you will join us on our continued journey toward a Museum experience everyone can enjoy, including our members, volunteers, community and visitors. You can sign up online at leihs.org. Click Join LEIHS on the main menu. There’s also a downloadable form you can print to mail or drop off at the museum with your payment. The Board of the LEIHS updated the Membership Tiers in early 2026. We added a free membership for Put-in-Bay School students, plus Family, Benefactor, Supporter, Patron and Life memberships.
Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast
The 2026 Algal Bloom forecast for Lake Erie was released on Thursday, June 25th, during a media briefing hosted by Ohio Sea Grant and The Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory. NOAA NCCOS and partners forecast the cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (HAB) in western Lake Erie this summer to have a severity of 3.5, with a potential range of 3-4.5, which is similar to 2024, but higher than 2025. The forecast bloom severity is likely a moderate bloom. At their peak, moderate blooms tend to impact about a third of the western basin and are likely to have some patches of noticeable scum. The bloom varies in size and location due to wind. It is expected that a bloom will start in July, and a bloom peak in August that likely continues into September.
Summer Food Service Program
The Family Advocacy Center’s Summer Food Service Program is providing free meals to all children ages 1–18, with no income requirements. Families can choose grab-and-go meal pick-up or home-delivered meal bags. The organization is also seeking volunteers to help pack and deliver meals throughout the summer.
Put-in-Bay Distribution – Free meal distribution is held Wednesdays from 3 to 4 p.m. at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, 620 Catawba Ave. The program runs through August 26. A parent or guardian must complete a simple registration form for each child. Registration closes 24 hours before each distribution. For more information, visit https://www.ocfamilyadvocacy.org/summer-lunch-2026 or call (419) 301-0225. Each child receives a grab-and-go bag containing 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and a gallon of milk.
The previous piece is published in this month’s Put-in-Bay Gazette. The Gazette has been producing incredible independent Put-in-Bay island news for over 40 years. If you have any interest at all in what is happening on South Bass Island, we urge you strongly to subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette. One-year online subscriptions are only $15, and print subscriptions are available as well. To subscribe please visit the Put-in-Bay Gazette subscription form. This piece of Put-in-Bay journalism has been provided to putinbayohio.com courtesy of the Put-in-Bay Gazette, Put-in-Bay’s only local newspaper. Visit their website putinbay.news for more information and to subscribe!