Ask a longtime Kirtland resident what's happening on September 12 and you'll usually get a fast, confident answer. If they've got kids or grandkids, they'll say the Village Peddler Festival is back at the Farmpark. If they follow events at SNPJ Farm, they'll tell you it's Sausage Festival day there. Both answers are right. The festivals offer different activities on the same day.
Residents can plan around browsing, live music, or time outdoors.
Two Festivals, One Date
The Village Peddler Festival takes over Lake Metroparks Farmpark at 8800 Euclid-Chardon Road on September 12 and 13, running 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. This is its 42nd year, and the organizers describe it as a shopping event first: more than 150 artists selling handmade furniture, decor, and accessories, spread across the Farmpark's grounds, with food trucks doing the concessions instead of the park's usual dining options. Pets aren't allowed on festival grounds, which is a change from a typical Farmpark visit and catches a few dog owners off guard every year.
A few miles away, SNPJ Farm offers a different way to spend the day. September 12 is the Polka Hall of Fame Sausage Festival, with music and dancing scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. The farm's calendar all summer has leaned on live polka bands, cabbage rolls, and gate admission handled the old way, in person, at the door. It's a smaller, more insular scene than the Farmpark crowd, built around a community that's been gathering at SNPJ for generations rather than a festival that draws day-trippers from across Northeast Ohio.
The two festivals share a date, though each promotion focuses on its own event. The Village Peddler Festival's marketing doesn't mention SNPJ, and SNPJ's schedule doesn't mention the Farmpark.
The Quiet Third Option
For residents who'd rather skip both crowds, Kirtland has a genuine escape valve, and it sits closer to the action than most people realize. Chapin Forest Reservation and Penitentiary Glen Reservation are both a short drive from the Farmpark, and on a festival Saturday they tend to stay far less crowded than either event.
Chapin Forest, off Chillicothe Road, covers 390 acres and six miles of trail, including the Quarry, Turkey, and Lucky Stone loops that thread through a mature stand of beech, maple, and hemlock. The park's overlook looks out over an old quarry, the same one locals point to as the source of stone used in the Kirtland Temple, which gives the hike a bit of local history most first-time visitors miss entirely.
Penitentiary Glen, a few minutes north on Kirtland-Chardon Road, offers more trail variety in a smaller footprint: the paved Glen Meadow Loop runs a flat 0.55 miles for anyone who wants an easy walk, while the Kirtland Connector Trail covers 1.5 miles of harder terrain that eventually links up near Kirtland City Hall. The park's Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center houses birds of prey and other animals that can't be returned to the wild, and it stays open on a normal schedule regardless of what's happening at the Farmpark or SNPJ that weekend.
Neither reservation requires tickets, gate fees, or advance planning. For a resident looking for another way to spend a September Saturday, these reservations offer an outdoor option.
What Each Option Offers
The three options aren't interchangeable, and the differences matter more than they look on paper.
- Village Peddler Festival rewards people who like browsing and don't mind a crowd. Expect a full parking lot by midmorning, food truck lines, and a shopping pace rather than a wandering one. Leave the dog at home.
- SNPJ Sausage Festival offers live music and a slower rhythm than a craft festival. It runs on cash. It's less about browsing and more about staying put.
- Chapin Forest and Penitentiary Glen reward people who want the day without the crowd math. No lines, no admission, just trail choice based on how much climbing you're in the mood for.
Each option offers a different way to spend the day. Knowing all three exist gives residents more choices for a September Saturday in Kirtland.
Dining Nearby
Kirtland's dining scene offers several options for a meal after a festival or a day outdoors.
Casa Rosa Cucina, the Italian restaurant Frank and Mimi Wagner opened in 2021 inside a converted house on Chillicothe Road, turns old living rooms into dining rooms and a former garage into the kitchen. It's become a go-to for a sit-down dinner after a long day outside, known locally for handmade pasta and a menu built around veal and seafood. A few minutes away, Biga Wood Fired Pizzeria fires Naples-style pies at temperatures over 900 degrees, a faster option for families coming off a festival afternoon who want something on the table quickly. Kirtland Creamery, a family-owned ice cream shop with a covered patio and a newer playground, tends to catch the overflow from both events once the weather cools into evening. Sausalito Kirtland, the second location of a restaurant family with roots going back more than 30 years in downtown Cleveland, rounds out the options for anyone looking for a slower dinner with a curated wine list.
These spots offer dining options after a day at the Farmpark, SNPJ Farm, or nearby trails.
If you've lived in Kirtland long enough to have a favorite among the Village Peddler Festival, the SNPJ Sausage Festival, Chapin Forest, and Penitentiary Glen, it may be worth trying another this year. Each offers a different way to spend a September Saturday.
If you're weighing a move to Kirtland or want a neighbor's read on how a specific street or block actually lives day to day, Beth Kitchen knows this town from more than one angle. Let's Connect.
