Correspondent photo / Karla Dines
Ken Lotzgesell of Orwell, left, and Joe Scirocco of Mesopotamia use 10-foot shovels to add hot coals around the spits at the 51st annual Mesopotamia Volunteer Firemen’s Ox Roast on Friday. The event will continue over the weekend, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The event, which features live entertainment and more than 160 antique, flea market and food vendors, attracts 25,000 to 30,000 visitors each day.

Thousands of visitors were already walking among the many vendor booths by 10 a.m. Friday. Thousands of items were on display, from hatchets, tools and knives with carved handles to Sesame Street cookie jars, antique chairs, vintage toys, honey and cameras.

The free event will continue 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Parking is available at the fire station.

The Bloomfield-Mespo cheerleaders are hosting a pancake breakfast at the Town Hall each morning from 7 to 11 a.m.

A total of 5,800 pounds of beef will be roasted during the three-day event. The top round shoulder of beef was ordered from Mahan Packing of Bristolville..

White apron-clad volunteer David Miller of Chardon was waiting to check the temperature of the smallest of the many roasts, which were turning on two giant spits. A total of 1,200 pounds of meat is roasted at a time.

The volunteers arrived at 7 a.m. to begin the roasting process. After the first batch is finished cooking, a second batch of 1,200 pounds of meat is placed on the spits, for a total of 2,400 pounds of beef for the day’s crowd. There was a very long line leading to the famous meal at the function — a roast beef sandwich, fries and a beverage.

“We roast the meat for about six to eight hours. The smallest roasts take less time, so we start checking the temperature of those first and we know to hit the larger ones harder. We take them off when they reach about 140 degrees,” Miller said.

Meanwhile, volunteers Joe Scirocco of Mesopotamia and Ken Lotzgesell of Orwell used 10-foot-long shovels to add hot coals to the edges of the roasting beef.

“You don’t want to put the hot coals directly under the meat because you don’t want flames,” Miller said.

Miller’s wife, Marie, grew up in a house near the ox roast and was there for the first ox roast.

“My father-in-law was one of the people who started the ox roasts, so I married into it. The first one took place by the gazebo. My wife grew up in that house on the other side of the Kettle Korn. I have been doing this for about 31 years,” he said.

“For the first roast, they dug a hole, put hot coals in the bottom of the hole, put sheets of tin on top of the coals, put the cow in the hole, covered it with dirt and let it roast,” Miller said.

Cheryl and Rob Knowlton of Champion were at the event early Friday. They said it was a tradition to go to the ox roast and they have been going to the event for many years.

“We used to ride our bicycles here from Champion, but then we couldn’t buy anything. Today we are here to look around at stuff and get a sandwich,” Rob Knowlton said.

Jake Hornyak of Burghill displayed many of his stone carvings and wood carvings in the handles of knives in his vendor booth, “Hill Top Knapping.” He said he learned the art from a friend who does even more intricate carvings, which were also on sale.

“My hobby kind of went wild,” Hornyak said.

Tyler Miller of the Mesopotamia Volunteer Fire Department said, “The money used from this fundraiser is used for everything from equipment to training.”