Longtime Tradition Comes to an End

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – A popular, longtime fundraiser will not be taking place in 2025. 

The Community Pancake Day has been held at the Secrest Auditorium since the 1950s but building renovations along with other area construction projects and changes in supervision have led to an uncertain future for the local tradition.

“This tradition has been in Zanesville for a long time. A lot of families have grown up there,” Community Pancake Day President Russell Taylor said. “Hopefully, next year we’ll be able to return back to Secrest. All our equipment was moved out but we’ll move it back in. Our electricity is set-up in that place so we could cook and each cooker runs off of 440.” 

The specially made pancake stoves use 440 volts of electricity, which limits the event to facilities that can offer that high amount of electricity. Right now, the fairgrounds is the only place that can offer the electric but is not currently set-up to offer the dining experience that can be found at the Secrest. 

“It’s just one thing that the City of Zanesville looks forward to every year in Muskingum County and we would love to see it go back to Secrest but if not possible, we would love to have some help to move it to the fairgrounds. But the fairgrounds would have to be rewired, which is a cost that we can not eat. But if we had the charity that would pay for that cost, we would continue the pancake service,” Taylor said.

The pancake fundraiser helps support several, local nonprofits that make a significant impact throughout the community.