About Frontier Days

It started with a canoe race…

… 62 years ago. That’s right – 62 years ago – in 1962 – a small group from the organization then known as the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce (now called the Milford Miami Township Chamber of Commerce), had an idea.

Every year, they would watch 75 to 100 canoeists racing on the Little Miami River. The finish line at that time was located at the Milford bridge, where they would pull their canoes from the water and quietly return home.

The Chamber decided to celebrate these intrepid athletes. They began to bring grills and drink coolers to the riverbank to provide to the hungry and thirsty canoeists. The idea caught on, and the canoeists soon began to look for the smoke from the grill and anticipate the cold drink.

At this point, the Chamber decided this no-longer-impromptu event needed a name: and it became Frontier Days. More events were added, and the festivities were expanded to the entire weekend.

The finish line for the canoe races was later moved to the area behind the American Legion Post #450, and Frontier Days followed. Carnival rides and games became a staple of the weekend, as well as live entertainment and other events.

The canoe race was abandoned years ago, but the festival has kept on – even during COVID, we were able to pivot and provide our community with a flash-back to the vintage 1995 parade (presented online) and a unique COVID Frontier Days called “The Show Must Go On(line)!”

And this year, we celebrate those visionaries who, 60 years ago, started what is now one of Milford’s proudest traditions – Frontier Days!