This year the Memorial Day Parade in Mount Vernon was themed "Our Guardians of Freedom and Liberry; May They Rest in Peace".  The parade traveled on East High Street from Catherine Street to the Public Square in Mount Vernon where they had a special heart felt ceremony.  One of the the highlights this year was a wagon filled with 17 World War II Veterans and many of them were wearing their original uniforms and waving flags.  Every Memorial Day Parade is truly an emotional experience and if you missed seeing it in person we have included a short one minute video below.

This is part of our ongoing series titled "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio.  To view all of the previous featured articles be sure to visit 365 Thing To Do in Knox County Ohio.     

Mount Vernon Ohio Farmers Market.  Every Saturday morning from May through October, you can join neighbors and friends at the Mount Vernon Farmers Market to do a little shopping for fresh fruits, vegetables and some specialty products.  The Mount Vernon Farm Market is located on the Public Square which is at the intersection of Main Street and High Street.   Dozens of local farmers and vendors line the sidewalks of the Public Square offering their goods from 9 a.m. to noon.  In the early weeks of the Farmers Market you can look forward to asparagus, bedding, plants, flowers and spring salad greens.  As early as mid May you might find hydroponic tomatoes grow in Sparta - just 13 miles from the square.  These tomatoes taste AMAZING and they are typically better than anything you can buy in a local grocery store during this time of year.  

There are a few rules for the farmers and vendors who setup shop for the day at the Mount Vernon Farmers Market.  Everything must be grown or produced within 25 miles of the Mount Vernon Public Square and no resellers are allowed.  Local fruit such as strawberries, raspberries and of course, apples can be found as they are in season.  The Farm Market is not all about fruits and veggies because you can also find local honey, maple syrup, grass-fed cheese, jellies and fresh based breaks, pies and cinnamon rolls.  Just writing this article and thinking about all the great fresh food at the Mount Vernon Ohio Farm Market is making me hungry.

The 2011 season for the Farmers Market began on May 7th.  Something interesting is that vendors are prohibited from selling before the courthouse bell chimes at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings.  Bring the entire family - even your four-legged kids - and taste what Knox County Ohio has to offer.  

This community feature article on the Mount Vernon Ohio Farmers Market is part of our ongoing series titled "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio" by Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty.  If you would like to view all of our previous features articles be sure to visit 365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio.

One of the primary goals of preparing your home to sell is having the buyer experience an emotional connection with your home.  You want the buyer to see themselves living in your home.  Most of us live in our homes entirely differently than when we are trying to sell our homes.  The challenge for many of us is that we simply have too much stuff inside our homes which can be very distracting to a buyer which can create a negative experience.  

Decluttering your home is a critical step to creating a positive showing presentation.  I once read "When in doubt, throw it out, sell it, store it or give it away!".  This is great advice and it applies perfectly to preparing your home to sell.  When you start decluttering your home it's best to start with a plan and decide where you will be relocating the items you are removing.  If you are keeping certain items it is always best to utilize some sort of storage system such as moving boxes or plastic storage tubs.  If you are removing seasonal clothing from your bedroom and hall closets you may want to consider utilizing one of the newly designed sleek low profile tubs because they can be tucked under a bed or stacked and organized very easily.

Take a walk through your home and pay careful attention to how your furniture is arranged in each of your rooms.  Watch for furniture that protrudes into doorways, openings, arches and traffic areas that connect adjoining rooms.  Many times we see a piece of furniture that is so big that it sticks out and is in the way and it is better to remove this furniture before photographing the home and certainly before showing it.  One of the services we offer our clients is a consumer video DVD titled "Preparing Your Home To Sell".  This 16 minute video offers some creative tips on how to make your home really shine above other competing homes.  If you are interested in selling your Knox County Ohio home I would be happy to loan you a copy of this DVD because it will give you some cost effective ideas that will help you concentrate on the areas that will help you set your house apart from the competition.  Remember that over 80% of the buyers in the market are making their decision of which homes they want to see and buy based on what they see during their home search while viewing viewing online home photos and the real estate virtual tours.  

If you are interested in meeting with us and discussing how we can help you get your home sold give us a call at (740) 397-7800 or feel free to email us at Samsells@sammiller.com.  We also offer an online electronic listing request form called "I want to list my home". 

MOUNT VERNON OHIO FIRST FRIDAY.  If you enjoy free live music, good food, shopping, fun and family entertainment you should attend one of the First Friday events in Downtown Mount Vernon, Ohio.  First Friday is sponsored by the Heritage Centre Association and is supported by many local area businesses.  First Friday events begin in May and run through October with festivities beginning at 6:00 p.m. and running until 9:00 p.m.  Someone once asked me what First Friday stands for and it is a fairly valid question.  First Friday is the designated event dates that occurs on the very First Friday in May, June, July, August, September and October.

First Friday has a little something for everyone.  Live musical entertainment, a cruise-in car show, art galleries, restaurants, food vendors, retail sales vendors with lots of shopping, tours of the Woodward Opera House from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. plus most of the downtown businesses stay open later and they welcome you to stop and look around.  I clearly remember attending my First Friday event and I couldn't believe everything that was happening in Downtown Mount Vernon because there was so much to experience.  At previous events they have had some special amenities and attractions for children including a live animal petting zoo, balloon sculptures made just for kids and the huge inflatable bounce house is always a big hit with the kids.  Many small towns across America have watched their downtowns fade away yet our Mount Vernon Downtown is experiencing MAJOR growth with the addition of several college expansions.

 This First Friday Mount Vernon Ohio  community feature article is part of our  "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio"  series by REALTOR Sam Miller of  REMAX Stars Realty.  If you would like  to view more Knox County Ohio feature  articles be sure to visit all of our previous  365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio feature articles.

Our friends at I-CONN Video created a montage video for our Chamber of Commerce which highlights many of our community attractions, activities and industries that are located within Knox County Ohio.  This video is a perfect fit for our ongoing 365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio series.  This video takes you on a fast paced tour and includes video footage of concerts, Kenyon College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, The Knox County Fair, Dan Emmett Dixie Days, The Kokosing Gap Trail Bike and Walking Path, high school sporting events, Mount Vernon Hiawatha Water Park and Swimming Pools, The Apple Valley Lake, Foundation Park and more.  After you watch this 4 minute video you will quickly see why I love helping people buy and sell real estate here in Knox County Ohio.  I am not aware of another similar sized Ohio community that offers more amenities and fun things to do than Knox County Ohio.  

I hope you enjoy the video and I would love to have you add a comment below and share your favorite community amenity.  I would also love for you to comment below and share with us a community amenity that you would love for us to highlight in an upcoming feature article.365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio series is brought to you by Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty and is part of knoxcountyohio.com

Our real estate sign van has an all new look thanks to Rod Zolman of Sharx Design.  Rod has been a personal friend and a real estate client of ours for years and Rod does amazing work.  Rod and I really wanted to capture the look and feel of our new knoxcountyohio.com website and at the same time help promote and drive additional traffic to knoxcountyohio.com.  We couldn't be happier with the finished product.  

Tonight was the first night that our sign van hit the road and the reactions from other drivers was pretty spectacular.  One of our goals with the new truck was to create a traveling warehouse of real estate signs, directional signs, specialty sign riders, brochure boxes, real estate marketing supplies and tools that we use and loan out to our clients and customers.  Repurposing our van is going to save our team so much time and enhance our day to day efficiency. 

If you haven't checked out our knoxcountyohio.com Real Estate website you will be pleasantly surprised at all the new home search functions we built into it.  You can now search and view homes by community, by specific price ranges, by specific school districts, you can search and view homes with large lots and acreage and dozens of other customized searches.  

Here are some sample links:

New Listings in Knox County

• Apple Valley Lake Homes For Sale
• Fredericktown Ohio Homes For Sale
• Mount Vernon Ohio Homes For Sale
• Mount Vernon Ohio Condos For Sale

• Homes with Large Lots and Acreage
• Knox County Homes for $100,000 and less
• Knox County Homes for $100,000 to $150,000
• Knox County Homes for $150,000 to $200,000
• Knox County Homes for $200,000 to $300,000
• Knox County home for $300,000 and higher
• Homes For Sale in Twin Oak School District
• Homes For Sale in Columbia School District
• Homes For Sale in Dan Emmett School District
• Homes For Sale in East School District
• Homes For Sale in Pleasant Street School District
• Homes For Sale in Wiggins Street School District
• Homes For Sale in Centerburg School District
• Homes For Sale in Danville School District
• Homes For Sale in Fredericktown School District
• Homes For Sale in Howard School District

Mount Vernon Ohio features many amazing public parks and Foundation Park is one of our newest additions within our community.  Foundation Park is a serious hot spot for those who enjoy fishing, fun and natural beauty.  The park was once the home of Goodwin Sand and Gravel and as young kids my brother and I used to fish and catch turtles there.  One of my favorite childhood memories was watching our cousin Joe McQueen catch the biggest catfish I had ever seen.  Foundation Park has gone through a remarkable transformation and the lakes are well stocked with fish.  Each time I visit Foundation Park I always keep a watchful eye out hoping that I might see a turtle or two.    

Special Event:  The Knox County Fish and Game Association's Annual Fishing Derby at Foundation Park.  This special event is for children ages 1-16 and is this coming Saturday May 7th, 2011 from 9:30 a.m. to 2.p.m.  This is a FREE fishing weekend.  Bring your children and enjoy.  There will be prizes awarded for the biggest fish, the smallest fish and quantity of fish caught.  FREE refreshments for children.  Limited equipment will be available and bait provided.   If you have never visited Foundation Park this weekend could be the perfect opportunity for a little fun.  

This Mount Vernon Ohio community highlight is part of our "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio" series.  We are continually adding new Knox County Ohio community amenities including hundreds of area attractions, unique restaurants, entertainment, health and fitness locations, car shows, festivals and more.  If you have the inside track on an upcoming community event that you would like to see featured in our 365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio be sure to reach out to us and we will do our best to help spread the message.

The 7th Annual SONFEST Festival will be held at The Mount Vernon Nazarene University on September 17th.  SONFEST is an annual outdoor Christian Music Festival.  This year's lineup will feature Family Force Five, 10th Avenue North, Leeland, Britt Nicole, House of Heros, Sent By Ravens, Write This Down, Brent Reed, The Great Transparency, and Wolves At The Gate.  The estimated attendance of this event is over 7,000 people.

Attending a music festival of this size is an amazing experience and there really isn't anything else like it annually that is held in or around Knox County.  The SONFEST is a large scale event and the pricing is very very affordable at only $15.00 per person.  The diverse lineup of talent appeals to the musical tastes of most youth and college students.  

The video below below was used to promote the 2010 SONFEST Festival and I will be sure to post their upcoming video here once it becomes available.  Here is the Mount Vernon Nazarene University's website link which will be featuring additional details about the 2011 music festival.  http://www.mvnu.edu/sonfest.  This highlight is part of our 365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio series.

Knox County Memorial Theatre is an impressive facility that serves our Knox County Community.  The theatre has recently benefitted from a sizable renovation with new seating and other significant upgrades.  The Memorial Theatre is utilized on a regular basis for community concerts, The Ohio Junior Miss Program, various school programs, Tavasci singing programs and summer musicals such as Disney's Beauty and the Beast and J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan.

When you first step into the Memorial Theatre you will enter a gorgeous marble parlor.  The parlor opens to the main level theatre and also features a large staircase that takes you to the large balcony.  The theatre seating is all new and nice and comfortable with cushioned chairs.  There really isn't a bad seat in the entire Memorial Theatre regardless if you are seated on the main level or in the upper balcony.  If you are looking for a great point of view for capturing the perfect photo or video footage you are sure to benefit from the elevated views available from the upper balcony especially near the front railing which overlooks the stage.  The Memorial Theatre offers an attractive range of events throughout the year featuring something for everyone.    

This community feature is part of our ongoing series titled "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio".  Each day we highlight a local Knox County amenity such as one of our unique parks, colleges, restaurants, historical landmarks, dinner theatre events, plays, concerts, community festivals, car shows, auto racing, sporting events and lots of other fun area attractions.  If you are interested in information about Knox County Ohio and the cities and villages here be sure to check out knoxcountyohio.com