146th Annual Rio Grande Bean Dinner

146^th Annual Rio Grande Bean Dinner
 
The annual bean dinner began in Rio Grande in 1870, two years after neighboring Vinton, Ohio held its first Grand Army of the Republic-sponsored celebration to honor Civil War Veterans. The beans, hardtack and coffee were to serve as the village’s one-day sacrifice of eating and drinking what the soldiers were forced to survive on during breaks in fighting. The 145th Celebration of this event is sponsored by The Rio Grande Memorial Association.