Fostoria Market Square Park Green Space: Ownership, Rental Rules, and the Guitar 🎸Festival Location Debate

Fostoria, Ohio — Recent conversations about the 2026 Fostoria Guitar Festival location have spotlighted the Fostoria’s Market Square Park green space and the city’s event rental process. But it’s not as complicated as FCAC is making it out to be according to a person familiar with Market Square

The green space — commonly called Market Square Park — has long hosted community gatherings, including past years of the popular Guitar Fest organized by the Fostoria Community Arts Council (FCAC). For the 2025 festival, however, organizers shifted the event to the Wainwright Amphitheater at Foundation Park.

The downtown green space consists of six parcels with different owners, creating a fragmented ownership structure:

• The Community Improvement Corporation owns five of the six parcels facing Main Street, plus a connecting strip of land between those properties and next to a small central sliver.

• The Aurand family owns the stage land, the parking lot behind the stage, and the white block building that houses restrooms.

• Local property owner Nick Schumaker holds a small sliver of land in the middle.

This multi-owner setup has made collective use of the entire green space more complex than many residents previously assumed.

According to allegations shared by the Fostoria Community Arts Council, they claim the 2024 use of the green space was ultimately illegal. The group handling the rental at that time did not legally own all six parcels and did not represent every owner. Once this came to light, the arrangement changed. (This is just an excuse in my opinion, keep reading about the city process)

FCAC claims there is currently no legal way to rent all six parcels as a collective. They emphasize that organizations must protect themselves from potential legal issues and severe financial penalties. The council has described the concerns as procedural and legal rather than personal, asking what options remain for groups when collective rental of the lots is not possible. All of these claims seem to be debunked based on the City of Fostoria’s process to rent Market Square.

A person familiar with market Square, speaking from familiarity with the properties, has offered a different framing.

They note that anyone can submit an event application or request to the City of Fostoria to use the green space and/or stage, accompanied by the required deposit and fee.

Because of the multiple landowners, the city created a formal event application process.

The current fee to use the stage is $700, which includes a $200 refundable deposit (returned provided the stage and restrooms are left undamaged) the remaining $500 helps cover continuous maintenance, repairs, landscaping (often impacted after events), and electric costs. The fee was previously $300.

An eyewitness reports that Guitar Fest organizer Don Hanson demanded free use of the stage for 2025 after the FCAC had paid for prior years. The eyewitness suggested a collaborative approach instead: working with the business owners on a sponsorship model similar to arrangements other local organizations have made, like acknowledging property interests on social media posts in lieu of a direct rental fee.

They describes the Aurand family as consistent supporters of downtown Fostoria who have contributed to its development and expresses frustration that they are being cast as obstacles rather than partners.

The City of Fostoria now offers an online Event Permit Application to make requesting use of public spaces and facilities more straightforward. Organizers are encouraged to contact the city directly for the most current requirements, fees, insurance needs, and availability.

The debate illustrates the practical challenges of hosting large events on privately held or multi-owned downtown parcels versus using city-managed facilities like Foundation Park. Both the FCAC and those familiar with the Market Square properties appear to want successful, well-attended community events — they simply differ on the best path forward.

So what are your thoughts?

Is FCAC just making excuses?