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The Vermilion Chamber of Commerce, partnering with FOX 8 Cleveland, is pleased to announce that the 2022 Woollybear Festival will be held Sunday, October 2nd, 2022 in Vermilion, OH. This year’s event marks 50 years and the second without beloved Fox 8 Meteorologist Dick Goddard, who’s passion for helping animals was the driving force behind the event. “Although Fox 8 meteorologist Dick Goddard gained his angel wings in August 2020” Director Sandra Coe commented, “He would want us to move forward with his legacy, the Annual Woollybear Festival. The festival originated in the small hamlet of Birmingham, OH, just south of Vermilion, where it began as a PTA fundraiser in 1973. The first Woollybear Festival attendance was 200 strong, and within five years, it grew to 10,000. In 1981, due to its popularity and growth, it moved to Vermilion, where it has been celebrated since. The festival now boasts an attendance of more than 100,000 people, the State of Ohio's largest one-day festival. “The fact that we are celebrating the 50th annual Woollybear Festival is incredible to think about.  We’re overjoyed that we have an opportunity to celebrate Mr. Goddard’s life, his passion for animals, and his passion for the community alongside Fox 8, our sponsorship partners, and the great city of Vermilion.”