On Saturday September 30th, more than 300 members of the Seneca county community enjoyed the Tiffin Pumpkin Stroll, hosted by Simply Susan’s. Those that participated walked around beautiful Downtown Tiffin, collecting pumpkin-themed treats at local businesses. Business involved included:
If you missed the Pumpkin Stroll, there’s a similar event in spring! On the Chocolate Walk, guests will collect sweet treats as they make their way through downtown Tiffin. More information will be provided closer to the event.
A new Tiffin Halloween event, the 1st Annual Downtown Trick or Treat is slated for Friday, Oct. 30 from 3:30-5 p.m. More than 60 businesses, organizations and offices all over downtown Tiffin will be opening their doors to provide candy to children. Afterward, Tom Rodgers Flowers will have cider and donuts for adult trick or treaters from 5-6 p.m.
Organizer Yolanda Gonzales got the idea from a similar event in Owensboro, KY, where she used to live. “It was a win for the community, businesses got positive exposure, kids got candy, caretakers learned more about their community and it was daylight. I found myself entering business that I would not normally go into – it was a wonderful way to meet businesses in town – also meet the people who own the businesses and people who work there,” she said. “So, I contacted Mr. Montz with the idea and he said it was a great idea – but he needed someone to coordinate it. I volunteered.”
Gonzales was greeted with excitement and enthusiastic responses from downtown businesses and hopes to make this an annual event. “The owners of Cabin Creations said they used to do this downtown – but no one else remembers. I hope this becomes a new tradition for Tiffin.”
The following organizations are scheduled to participate, as well as businesses displaying a flyer in the window during the event:
Throughout the day, walkers can visit Tiffin museums and galleries to view exhibits, take tours, create crafts and enter into drawings for door prizes. There are also 15 downtown businesses participating, with free live music, art displays and demonstrations, and tours.
The following museums and galleries are participating:
The downtown Tiffin revitalization efforts have been hard at work helping to enhance the great events that downtown Tiffin has offered in the last few years and starting some others. One of the new ones this year is expected to take place every year – the Downtown Historic Bar Tour.
Starting at the Clover Club, participants made their way through downtown Tiffin on South Washington Street, stopping at eight unique Tiffin bars. At the beginning of the tour, participants received a booklet with historical information about the bars and bar owners gave a brief history of their establishment at each stop. Kudos to tour host Seneca County Young Professionals for a great event.
Here is the complete list of bars visited on the tour:
Clover Club: Opened in 1936, the Clover Club features an antique art-deco bar, white tablecloth dining area and landscaped patio garden, not to mention 18 taps and a stock of 50 different beers.
GW’s Fine Food & Spirits: GW’s opened in May 2010 and caters to not only the bar crowd but also the after-bar crowd with food service and late hours on the weekends. This bar features two dining areas and a large patio with seating.
DP’s: Don Paull has owned DP’s since 1972, and it was one of the last ‘stag’ bars in Tiffin. DP’s has a nautical theme and a unique layout with four different levels and a patio area closed in by the building’s walls.
MST Pub and Grub: MST is made up of three separate buildings, all of which served a variety of different purposes over the last 100 years. The current bar was established in October 2009.
Reino’s Party Room (lunch): Reino’s Pizza and Pasta was established in 1950 and has always served beer and wine along with Italian food. Its current location on West Market Street was once the National Theater, among other businesses.
Bear’s Den:The Bear’s Den has been a bar or tavern since the early 1950’s. Dennis Wickert bought Izola’s Tavern in 1974, later changed the name to Bear’s Den and has been running the bar with his wife, Gwynn, since 1986. Bear’s Den often hosts live music on Saturdays.
Phat Cakes & Cafe: Phat Cakes was founded in 2009 and opened the store on Washington Street, which started out as The Sandwich Shop in the mid-1930s and was later Reino’s, in 2012. They offer a full menu, including desserts, sandwiches, wraps and salads, along with alcohol.
Viaduct Bar & Grill: The Viaduct started out as a bar in late 1800s. It has had many names since, but it has been the Viaduct since 2010. The bar often hosts live music on the weekends, and boasts a unique outdoor patio with seating and a pond.
McGowan’s Tavern: This building once housed “the largest movie theater on the West side of the river.” For many years it was an “Arcade” under several different owners before becoming McGowan’s Tavern in the mid-1960s.
Given that tomorrow is Small Business Saturday – a day and event which promotes small and local businesses, I wanted to put in a plug for all of the great locally owned businesses in and around Tiffin. Lots of great reasons why shopping locally is so important (and fun.) This list isn’t inclusive of all the great businesses we have in town – there are so many. Call ahead and/or look online to verify hours before you go. Good luck with your holiday shopping!
Big Ticket Items (15)
Ace Hardware – Christmas trees to power tools…and some of the friendliest folks around
Baumann Auto Group – Chevy, Buick, GMC…wouldn’t it be great to put a bow on one of them!
Bunky’s Bikes – great selection of Sun bicycles…everything from recumbents to tandems
Burns Electric – appliances, light fixtures, cabinets, countertops, flooring – celebrating 50 years in business
Coppus Motors – oldest Mercedes Benz dealer in US…plus Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram
Ewald Furniture – since 1900…Lane, Vaughn-Bassett, Smith Brothers, Lancer and more
Mohawk Golf & Country Club – dining, swimming, Don Ross-designed golf course…a membership might be a great gift
Phillips Electric – lots of major appliances…Kitchen-Aid, Maytag, Whirlpool
Ralph’s Joy of Living – a regional destination shopping experience…only appliance store in US with wine & beer section…gadgets galore…mid- to very high end
Heavenly Creations Gift Shop – huge Black Friday and Saturday sale on decorations, handbags and wax shack tarts (20% off)
Hoperoy’s Hallmark Shop – Tiffin’s only Hallmark store…Wendell August hand-forged metal giftware to Precious Moments and Willow Tree
King’s Glass Engraving – just passed by this store on a walk today…a lot of neat glass gifts…great place to explore
Nik-Naks & Treasures – by appointment only…never know what you might discover in this downtown Tiffin store
Primitive Cross Roads Craft Barn – handmade crafts, furniture, home decor, specialty lighting, flooring…new 2499 W. Market St. location (across from Lowe’s)
Ro Ro Design & Photography – great, unique antiques and vintage store with lots of holiday decorations to boot
Scrap Happy – scrapbook store and more…also carrying large selection of Neumeister’s candy (yum!)
One of the oldest restaurants and bars in Tiffin is the historic downtown Clover Club Tavern & Eatery, a community asset and institution that has been running continuously in the historic Dehmer building for more than 78 years.
Current owner and preservationist Sharon Gosche acquired the property and business in 1997 and received the first approval for a Facade Enhancement Program grant from the City of Tiffin. The more than $10,000 investment will involve tuck pointing, balcony restoration, roof repair, new awnings and painting with historic colors.
The Clover Club’s proposed exterior enhancement is the first one to receive a Facade Enhancement Program grant.
The building, constructed in 1893, was the original home of Dehmer & Sons cigars and then later became a soda shop. When the Clover Club was opened in 1936, it was “a place for entertainment and gathering musical scores and pictures of musicians showed that singing and laughing often were heard coming from the bar.” The establishment sold not only drinks but a variety of sandwiches, with prices ranging from 10 to 20 cents. (See 2011 article from the Advertiser-Tribune.)
The Wad! Cheeseburger
Today, the restaurant offers one of Tiffin’s largest menus, with more than 100 items, including steaks, seafood, hearty and delicious burgers, reubens, signature sandwiches, wraps, salads, sides and even breakfast (click menu on the website), all while continuing the tradition of a full-service tavern, with 12 taps and over 50 beers in stock.
Here you can see the white tablecloth dining area and the billiards on the tavern side.
Patrons can enjoy the food and drink from the antique art-deco bar, dining room or on the outdoor patio garden. It’s a very popular spot with the locals, families with kids, visitors, and college students from Heidelberg and Tiffin Universities. I especially love the $2 pint night on Tuesdays as well as the Veggie Basket, Quesadillas and Black Bean Burger. I also really like the atmosphere, like the hand-cut glass clover artwork in the window by Irish master craftsman Aidan Scully.
So, if you’re in the mood for great food, beer, or a combination thereof in a unique, historic downtown atmosphere with a lot of charm, the Clover Club Tavern & Eatery is a great option.
On Saturday September 30th, more than 300 members of the Seneca county community enjoyed the Tiffin Pumpkin Stroll, hosted by Simply Susan’s. Those that participated walked around beautiful Downtown Tiffin, collecting pumpkin-themed treats at local businesses. Business involved included:
