SkunkFest celebrates 25th year in North Ridgeville

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — For 25 years now, skunks have descended on the city one weekend in September. A smelly nuisance? Far, far from it. These skunks belonged community of dedicated, licensed owners whose educate the public on wild animal rescue, adoption and responsible ownership — and have some fun doing it. Deborah Cipriani of North Ridgeville, who runs the Skunk Haven captive-born skunk sanctuary, started SkunkFest in her backyard in 2001. It has been held in the city ever since. So it was that Saturday brought people dressed as skunks and skunks dressed as people to South Central Park. Children and some adults wearing colorful skunk tails around their waists or knit skunk caps on their heads wandered around for hours. There were skunk statues (the Warner Bros. cartoon character Pepé Le Pew dressed as a nightclub crooner, anyone?) and skunk art. SkunkFest 2026 T-shirts. Skunk hand towels. Skunk jewelry. You could sing skunk karaoke if you were brave enough. Hundreds of people visited dozens of vendors, food trucks, businesses and a few political candidates. A giant inflatable skunk greeted them all at the entrance to the event, held despite the rain, and visitors posed for photos in front of it. The dozen or more domesticated skunks that wandered the park on required leashes didn't seem to mind. Perched on their owners' shoulders or cradled in their arms, they sniffed around and put up with many friendly requests to be petted or have their photos taken. Some skunk owners rolled their skunks around in covered strollers. Skunk Haven charged $1 to pet one of its rescue skunks, with proceeds going to the rescue organization. Photos with the rescue skunk stars were $10, again benefiting Skunk Haven. Kissi Sullivan of Mize, Mississippi, drove about 900 miles — stopping for photos of buildings and the water tower in Sullivan in Ashland County, she said, because of the shared name — to help out Skunk Haven. Sullivan, who assists Skunk Haven with auctions and social media, held Jelly Bean, who is "8 or 9" years old, she said. Children brought their dollars and put them in a jar for a chance to pet Jelly Bean, who nuzzled Sullivan's face. Domesticated skunks can live 10 years or more, Sullivan said. All of the skunks at SkunkFest were de-scented, a requirement if you adopt a domesticated rescue skunk said Tara Horn of New Philadelphia, who brought Milo, age 1 1/2, with her on Saturday. Tara, who traveled to North Ridgeville with her husband Tim for the second year in a row, adopted Milo when he was 5 months old from a state-licensed breeder. He's a lavender, a more-rare coloration than black-and-white many people are used to. There are also apricot, brown, chocolate and other colors or variations on the names, skunk experts and fans explained. Tara Horn's permit from the Ohio Division of Wildlife says she can have up to four skunks, but she currently only has two: Milo and his sister, 4-month-old Lotus, who stayed back home in New Philadelphia. On a leash, Milo seemed content to ignore the humans talking about him and scratched around in the grass for bugs. He cleans himself very well, Tara Horn said, and all she really has to do to groom him is trim his long claws. Tara Horn said she was waiting to find out if Milo had made royalty and been crowned "Skunk King." For more information on skunks, if you want to adopt a domesticated skunk, pet skunk care advice and to learn how to donate to the rescue, visit SkunkHaven.net. Contact Dave O'Brien at 440-329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.