It was a quiet night on a farm in the small zoned community of Valley City in Medina County, save for the sounds of crickets and the croak of bullfrogs.
"They’re taunting us, you can hear them," said resident Dave Raco. He used his flashlight to illuminate the reflective eyes of a frog peeking out of the water before tactfully dropping his makeshift net — a laundry bag, zip tied to a broom handle — into the algae-covered pond.
Raco was among a group of more than 40 residents that split up Friday night to collect frogs from their neighbors’ ponds in preparation for the biggest event of Valley City’s year: the 63rd annual Frog Jump.
It’s an event that began in 1962. Residents were looking for a way to entertain the kids in town and one was inspired by Mark Twain’s famous story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”
In the decades since, Valley City has established itself as the Frog Jump Capital of Ohio: a moniker it proudly displays on the sign when you drive into the quaint town, 20 miles south of Cleveland.
The event that brings out more than 5,000 people annually, which rivals the community’s typical population of about 5,700. The festival attracts folks from all over Ohio for food, music, activities and of course: the main event.
And Raco, one of the event organizers, will be the first to tell you: "It's not a race!"
Here's how it works: 20 participants, called jockeys, pay $5 to admit their frog into a flight. For an additional $5, they can rent one of the frogs volunteers collected Friday night.
They’ll place their frog in the middle of a parachute and hit the ground next to it to inspire it to jump three times. The jockey with the furthest distance wins their flight, and the winners of the those flights head to the championships.
Cheryl Labelle’s son caught a frog Saturday night and won his flight the next day. Like many in the area, it’s a decades-long family tradition for them.
"It's just something that we did growing up, and we wanted to do it with our kids, so we went frogging last night and here we are," Labelle said. She said she's excited for her toddler's win in his flight, "even though he has no clue what's going on."
For others like 19-year-old Samantha Finn, it was a first.
"I've heard about the frog jump for as long as I've known my best friend, and it's been my dream to catch frog and bring it here," Finn said. "They're just magnificent creatures."
Among the more than 700 participants was former Cleveland councilman, mayor, state senator and U.S. congressman Dennis Kucinich. It was his first time at the frog jump. His frog's name? Kermit.
"Real original, right?" he said with a laugh. "I'm a big fan of Mark Twain ... I just think this is terrific. And this Valley City Community Group does such a a great job here."
And while the event may seem frivolous, lifetime frog jumper Madison Brass says it encapsulates the spirit of the town.
"I always like to joke that this is my Super Bowl, because it really is. It is the American hometown event," said Brass, a 21-year-old Berea native. "It is such a very niche thing that everyone can come together and just love… it's just the epitome of Valley City."
And she knows first-hand how it can change lives — after participating as a kid, Brass is now studying to become a veterinarian that specializes in amphibians.
"There's a lot of these kids that are getting married and having kids of their own," Raco said. "It's just funny to see the progression and how many people are still coming up for the frog jump all these years later."