Building a Vibrant Community Through Dynamic Partnerships

Our recent episode features WTOL 11 Meteorologist Ryan Wichman who is also the founder of Wood County Plays.

Wood County Plays is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that designs, fundraisers, and builds fully inclusive play spaces that allow children of all abilities to play side by side. Spoiler alert: Fostoria, Ohio is earmarked as an inclusive playground site in 2025! It will be next to our new splash pad, also in City Park.


Ryan gives us some heartwarming background about the organization as well as more details about how each inclusive playground build goes from start to finish. Plus, if you're interested in getting involved, he has the deets.

The podcast can be found on Spotify, Apple and Google. Learn more and follow Shut Up & Listen: Small Town Stories on Facebook and Instagram.

Riding Around with Ron & Renee



The most recent episode has been released and highlights Ron Burns!

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Wood County Plays Announces Campaign to Bring Inclusive Play


Wood County Plays is pleased to announce a partnership with the city of Fostoria to build the city’s first inclusive playground at City Park. The over 14,000 square foot playground will feature state of the art equipment and innovative designs. A wheelchair accessible merry-go-round, sensory tunnel, adaptive zip line, and poured rubber surfacing highlighting the 100% accessible play space. Zone specific equipment for younger toddlers and older kids will keep different age groups engaged for family visits.

Ryan Wichman, president of Wood County Plays commented on the announcement, “Our team is excited to be renewing our commitment to bring inclusive playgrounds to Wood County. This is a play space for everyone and every family. For the first time in Fostoria, children of all abilities will be able to play side by side with their peers.”

It is really gratifying that Wood County Plays has chosen Fostoria for their next inclusive playground. This addition to City Park along with the Splash Pad will create a wonderful destination for families and especially children. Many thanks to all who are working to make this happen,” added Don Mennel, Fostoria Council Member.

The campaign to fund the playground will combine grant funding and community donations to fulfill the projected one-million dollar budget. The city of Fostoria has already committed $50,000 dollars toward the project. The playground will be located at the site of the former community pool and adjacent to a still-to-be built splash pad. Construction for the playground is expected to begin early in 2025 with completion during the summer. A fundraiser, Night of Play, will be held in January for members of the public to come together to support this unique community project.

Wood County Plays is a not-for-profit organization run by an all-volunteer board dedicated to building truly inclusive play spaces. Additional information and media is available at wcplays.org or via email at info@wcplays.org

You can help, learn more and secure tickets to our first fundraiser here: https://www.wcplays.org/event-details/


Upcoming Topics:

December: Stop the Bleed Training, January: Critical Care Injuries on the Upper Extremity, February: NARCAN Training, March: Mental Health Awareness for the Workplace




The 2024/2025 Midwest Sculpture Initiative Sponsorships are now open

With your help, the Fostoria Area Visitors Bureau will bring the 7th Midwest Sculpture Initiative outdoor exhibit to Fostoria in 2024/2025. Pledges are preferred by December 1, 2023. Payment is requested by March 1, 2024. Sculptures will be in place for one year, from May 2024—April/May 2025.



FOR SPONSORSHIP QUESTIONS, contact : Michele Cochran, Community Development/Tourism Jocelyn Reinhart-Scaife, Chamber Director development@fostoriachamber.com 419-435-0486 director@fostoriachamber.com 

Ohio's Total Solar Eclipse

On Monday, April 8, 2024 residents and visitors across Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. The path of totality will be greater than most eclipses and is expected to be about 124 miles wide and will stretch across 13 states. In Seneca County the center of totality will pass directly over Bloomville.

Fostoria will experience a total eclipse for 3 minutes 43.6 seconds. The eclipse will begin at 1:56 p.m. with totality at 3:11 p.m. Seneca County is expecting a huge influx of visitors to view the eclipse. County wide meetings are taking place and we will provide more information as the date nears.

In the meantime, we encourage business owners to be prepared for the influx of visitors and begin making plans to accommodate.


Learn more about the path of the 2024 eclipse:


Ohio Total Solar Eclipse

Fostoria Rotary Christmas Parade

The Christmas Season is approaching quickly and the Fostoria Rotary Club is proudly hosting the Fostoria Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 2 at 1:30 p.m. The parade will run in conjunction with the Fostoria Chamber of Commerce Holiday Sip & Shop and Santa at the Depot along with shopping at downtown businesses. Donations of any amount are appreciated. Attached is the sponsorship letter.

  • Cleveland Steel Services
  • Premier Bank
  • KemoSabes
  • Shaferly Utilities
  • Technique Roofing
  • Seagate Transportation
  • Seneca County Opportunity Center


Our members are doing GREAT things!

The Fostoria Rail Park and Fostoria Rail Preservation Society celebrated their 10th anniversary of the Fostoria Rail Park.

The Fostoria Rail Park is located at 499 S. Poplar Street and is open 24-7 for all rail fans to enjoy!

The Fostoria Rail Park stands as a testament to community engagement and tourism. Over the past decade, the park has become a cherished haven, by rail fans from all over the country.

Congrats again to all those involved in the parks success in the past decade!

H & Co Salon Celebrates 5 years!

H & Co Owner Heather Bond and her team recently celebrated their 5 year anniversary on November 1st. The Chamber held a anniversary ribbon cutting on November 15th to celebrate their accomplishments over the past 5 years.

We are thankful for the 5 years that H & Co. has put into the town of Fostoria and we'll continue to watch their success as a small business!


2024 Chamber Sponsorships Available

Thank you for your support of the Chamber. With your partnership, we have been able to deliver quality initiatives, innovative projects and cost saving programs to the business community. As we continually strive for improvement, we seek to streamline our fundraising and focus on better serving you, our members. 

As we move into 2024, we are offering the opportunity of Sponsorship Packages to our members again. Sponsorship packages help us to only approach you once per year when seeking sponsorships and allow you to finalize all your sponsorship and promotional details at one time.  


Linked is a document, which outlines all the available 2024 Sponsorship Packages. Please review and consider signing on for a sponsorship package this year. We thank you for your past support and look forward to continuing to serve your business.

Charitable University:

An educational forum for charities and their board members

Charities are critical in our communities. Board members have critical legal duties to ensure the effectiveness of those groups. Charitable University, a new learning platform developed by the Ohio Attorney General's Office, provides tools on some of the most important elements in leading a charitable organization: board governance, governmental filings, financial operations, and fundraising. The online platform is designed to help board members understand their legal obligations and learn the best practices for running their charities. Starting in 2023, nonprofits that apply for grants from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office are required to complete Charitable U. Register at charitable.ohioago.gov/Charitable-University.


Intro Video: https://youtu.be/Mvwb2eeUwhk

More Information: Charitable University Palm Card (ohioago.gov)

Is there training that your workforce needs? Let us know and remember, any course may be customized to fit your needs.

The Fall Catalog for all courses is here!

Click here for fall courses!

Things to see & do this fall right here in Fostoria...

Fostoria Area Visitor's Bureau Community Calendar


Learn how your Chamber Membership can save you $$$

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