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Island Diary July 2026
Wed., July 1st – It’s hot. People say Put-in-Bay is a bit cooler than the mainland. If you return midday to the Put-in-Bay from the mainland the temperature actually goes up as the ferry pulls out into the lake. Bill and Lisa Kehoe enjoy boating to Kelleys Island with Michele Heineman.
Thu., July 2nd – It’s hot again. At one point the thermometer in our island car hits 98 degrees, but the high reading for the weather station at the South Bass Island Lighthouse only hits a high of 90.9 degrees for the day. Fred Cerny dresses as Uncle Sam up fpr the Village Council Meeting. A few fireworks can be heard going off after dark.
Fri., July 3rd – A sudden wind storm at 7 p.m. sends people scurrying from the outside bars. More fireworks can be heard at night.
Sat., July 4th – The temperature is perfect for fireworks over the harbor with it great finale. On this date in 1882, the Middle Bass Chapel in Willam Rehberg’s 2nd Addition on Middle Bass Island was dedicated. Four days later on July 8th, the first church service was held.
Sun., July 5th – There’s rain in the morning, but it turns into a nice day. A Sunday car parade ends the 3-day holiday weekend. Rain starts again just before midnight.
Mon., July 6th – Islanders awake to the news about Kelleys Island getting 17 inches of rain. Volunteers are folding Regatta shirts at teh yacht club. A big curved glass curio cabin is moved into the Resale/Thrift shop with the help of Matt Fuchs, Barry Koehler, Roger Parker and Jeff Koehler.
Tue., July 7th – Workers are leveling and cleaning the memorial brick at the museum entrance. The PIBYC Auxiliary holds their annual meeting at their weekly luncheon.
Wed., July 8th – The pollen count is mixed: Tree – 0, Grass – Moderate & Weed – High. Amy Huston is at Yacht Club talking to a group of water producers about water on the islands. Bill Slough and Henry Felkey are taking down the display board by the entrance at the Museum.
Thu., July 9th – The OWLS (Old Women’s Literary Society) toured the Underground Railroad exhibit at the Sandusky Maritime. Some of the weekend’s Jeep Fest participants are spotted on the island,
Fri., July 10th – There’s an unusual rain front from the northeast, but it’s over and gone by the time most of the Jeep Festers start arriving on the island. The world’s largest rubber duck springs a leak. The Perry Group cocktail party still takes place there, but the duck is flat on the ground. The two 10-foot-tall ducklings are inflated for the event. The Put-in-Bay Community Swim / Sail Awards Ceremony takes place at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. JF Walleyes on Middle Bass fires up their brand-new Wood Fired Pizza during Happy Hour!
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Sat., July 11th – The world’s largest rubber duck is up and running on Todd Blumensaadt’s corner lot by the airport. The Jeep Fest is quite the success again with 225 Jeeps. The Dawn Light, formerly Count Wm Rehberg’s yacht LeRoy Brooks, returns to Middle Bass for a fundraiser for the museum. Among the Chouffe Fest beers at the Goat is a delicious cherry-flavored one. The Middle Bass Music Fest draws a nice crowd in the afternoon. Rainfall so far this July on Middle Bass is 6.93 inches. That’s 507% higher than the 30-year average for this time of the month. On this date in 1892, the first trolley ran between downtown and the Hotel Victory the fare was 10 cents. The average hourly wage for workers in manufacturing was 16 cents per hour.
Sun., July 12th – The iconic Goodyear blimp flies over the island and people are busy getting photos of the largest rubber duck in the world with the blimp in the sky overhead.
Mon., July 13th – Robin Burris Cadez reports spotting saw two big bucks, at least 8 pointers, on North Bass. Junior Bayweek begins with over 60 boats being launched in 23 minutes. The record is 16 minutes.
Tue., July 14th – It’s another 90-degree day on the Islands and visitation is a bit slow. The bit of haze in the sky is reportedly smoke from wildfires way up north in Canada. The Nature Camp kids learn about milkweed at the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center in the morning.
Wed., July 15th – It’s 8 a.m. There are no carts parked on Delaware Ave. The Miller Lite delivery man is making deliveries. A young worker is dusting the cobwebs that accumulated overnight off the rental carts at the BayShore Resort. Another is watering the flowers at Margaritas on the Rock. Lake Disposal is already busy picking up trash. Financial Planner Deborah Parker at Put-in-Bay Senior Center in the morning to talk about long-term care services and available options. The Words & Wine Book Club meets at the Duff Homestead. Adults are invited to discuss books and share recommendations in a relaxed setting. The I-LYA Junior Bayweek sailors enjoy their wrap up banquet at the Niagara Event Center. The Jet Express stops at Middle Bass Island to take The Dockers softball team and a full boat of fans to Kelleys Island for a game!
Thu., July 16th – Canadian wildfire smoke is so thick it obscures any view of Middle Bass from Put-in-Bay. The air quality index is reportedly over a hazardous 800 level at Put-in-Bay by early afternoon. Barb Cooper jokes that her husband Tom just laid out some meat on the back deck to smoke. Due to visibility, the last race for the Junior Bayweek racers is cancelled. Awards are handed out before lunch and they are on their way home. Sara Booker has her pop up gallery at Crew’s Nest. Stone Lab’s webinar is about Research on Toxins from Harmful Aglal Blooms.
Fri., July 17th – The air quality is better today. You can see Middle Bass from Put-in-Bay, but just for the safety of the Stone Lab staff and guests, the Put-in-Bay Science Days and South Bass Island Lighthouse Tours on Friday, July 17th and Saturday, July 18th are cancelled due to the poor air quality.
Sat., July 18th – In the wee hours of the new day, a boat runs aground on Starve Island. One man is killed, one injured and one uninjured. The PIBPOA (Put-in-Bay Property Owners Association) hosts PIB Village Mayor Judy Berry, PIB Township Trustee Chris Cooper, and PIB Village Police Chief Mike Dillon at its monthly meeting at the Senior Center. About the same time the PIBPOA meets on PIB, the Middle Bass Island Historical Society is meeting on the General Store Patio on Middle Bass. It’s Reds, Whites & Brews night at the yacht club. You can sip and savor four wines and three beers, enjoy musical entertainment by Gwen D’Amico, and find out who the club/s grand prize winner of the Rolling Raffle is. Up on Pelee Island, some events have been cancelled due to air quality issues.
Sun., July 19th – The American Patriot cruise ship is spotted in the early hours of the morning off the coast of Middle Bass. A bit of the smoke haze is back, but nowhere near what it was on the previous Thursday and Friday.
Mon., July 20th – The wildfire smoke obscures Pelee Island, but is still not as bad as those couple of days the week before. The boat that ran aground on Starve Island is still there as the sun goes down.
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Tue., July 21st – A nice rain squall comes through the islands during the breakfast hour. The waves are spraying over the boat that ran aground on Starve Island a few nights ago. PIBYC welcomes the I-LYA Power Regatta boaters. OE Meyers conducts a burn off at its the Propane tank facility on Put-in-Bay road near Thompson in the morning in preparation for the tank to be replaced. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office closes Put-in-Bay Road from Thompson Road to 300 yards past the propane tanks during this time. No one is permitted to pass the tank during this time. There’s a sushi party for the staff at the Goat.
Wed., July 22nd – It’s a beautiful clear day with a nice mild temperature. OE Meyer removes a propane tank at OSU in the Peach Point area. Nothing flammable is released. The normal Wednesday night Euchre game at the yacht club is moved to Tipper’s for the evening. There’s a block party at the Eric Engel residence on Airport Rd. Did someone mention Jagermeister shots? The normal Wednesday night Euchre game at the yacht club is moved to Tipper’s for the evening.
Thu., July 23rd – In line for the 6:30 a.m. ferry to PIB is a big white truck from the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Crime Scene Unit. A fatal shooting at Mr. Ed’s around midnight brings it to the island. A 21-year old Michigan man is indicted for murder later in the day. Over on Middle Bass by the General Store a group of kids is selling lemonade in the afternoon to support Isaiah 117 House Lucas Co OH, a group changing the way foster care begins one cup at a time.
Fri., July 24th – There’s a 94th birthday party for Zoe Titchener at her home on Toledo Ave. Rick Martin from Lakeview Allotment is spotted wearing an old “Supper Club” T-shirt from 1989. If you don’t remember the Supper Club, ask Scott Jackson at the Goat about what that was all about. A large group of island residents, employee and business owners gather at Mr. Ed’s in the late afternoon to show their support in light of what happened there the day before. Stone Lab’s Summer Seminar tackles the conservation of Ohio’s rare and endangered fish species. Gordie Barr is the speaker at the Middle Bass Town Hall and shares his artifacts and memories from places and life on the island for the “Desserts and Discussion” event.
Sat., July 25th – You can’t take the Christmas out of Christmas in July. People are seen in Santa suits, the Crew’s Nest has a big blow up Santa, and there’s another one seen on a boat docked by the Boardwalk. John and Patricia Fisher host their FishStock 2026 party at their home on Lavender Lane. Their entertainment is Deuce n’ a Quarter, a great blues band from Columbus. There is a boat string lighting contest at the Crew’s Nest with a $150 credit in the club prize for the winner. There is also Christmas cookie decorating at the Crew’s Nest’s Kid Nest during cocktail hour. The Resale/Thrift Shop has its best day ever. Up on Pelee Island, there’s a Christmas in July fundraiser silent auction at the Royal Canadian Legion.
Sun., July 26th – There are a few beautiful old Model T’s from an off island “T” club in the antique car parade in the afternoon. Liesl Jackson celebrates her 10th birthday with lunch at the Keys with her mom Caroline, brother Cal, their guest Julia Haslauer from Austria, and her great uncle and aunt Don and Mary Kay Lawson from Avon Lake. She later has a party at the Jackson home followed by a sleep over. The bagpipers play and march from the yacht club to the Commodore’s Memorial. Mack McCann celebrates his 90th birthday with a party with family and island friends at Ice House at the Put-in-Bay Winery. There’s an hot dog and lobster mascot race between the first and second softball games. Fans cheer them on as they race across the ball field and Onion claims first prize.
Mon., July 27th – It’s a toasty and humid day at the Bay. The Amphicars ride over on the Miller ferry, but splash into the lake at Put-in-Bay’s downtown launch ramp. Toledo’s TV Channel 13 is on hand to cover the event. Some of the Amphicars make the voyage to Middle Bass. Miller Ferry runs a special trip from its downtown dock to Middle Bass for the softball game between the House and Middle Bass teams.
Tue., July 28th – It is announced that Night Ranger will replace Asia as the band during the Declaration 250 concert on July 31st. Asia frontman John Payne had a medical emergency and was forced to back out. Gwena Market Smith finishes her mural for the Ohio State and BGSU marching bands at Miller’s downtown dock.
Wed., July 29th – There’s a town hall meeting in the morning to discuss the tragic event that took place on July 23rd and how the businesses will deal with security moving forward. Dave Zavagno from the Lake Erie Heritage Foundation informs the crowd that Night Ranger will not play the concert on Friday evening, but rather Bohemian Rhapsody, a Queen tribute band will take the stage. It’s the last night of regular season softball games. The Crew’s Nest closes early for an employee appreciation dinner.
Thu., July 30th – The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society hosts an appetizer “potluck” at the museum in the late afternoon for its members and those interested in joining the historical society.
Fri., July 31st – The Inter-Lake Yachting Association sail regatta begins as the island begins its three-day celebration of Declaration 250th Celebration. Bob Gatewood and Calabash open the weekend concert series for the event, followed by Queen tribute band Bohemian Rhapsody. Rainfall in the Bass Islands area for the month is three times normal for July. On this date in 1931, a formal dedication ceremony was held at Perry’s Monument on Put-in-Bay. The NBC radio network carried the ceremony live.