Return to Twinsburg

By LEE WARD / THE INDEPENDENT

ASHLAND September 04, 2008 10:33 am

— Even before they were toddling, Jessica and Sarah Hanshaw, twins from Ashland, were dressed alike by their mother, packed into the car and wisked away to Twinsburg, Ohio, to celebrate their sisterhood and their being twins.
This year, the now 20-year-old students at Ashland Technical and Community College again attended the Twins Day Twins Festival, the first one they were old enough to remember. This time, their parents and younger brother and sister went, too.
The daughters of Charlie and Sandy Hanshaw said they haven’t dressed alike since they were about 12 or 13, but for the festival, they did. And they weren’t the only ones.
“Everybody was dressed alike and there were a lot of crazy costumes,” Sarah said, adding the festival attracted twins of all ages, all in the mood for fun.
They agree the nearly six-hour trip was worth the time: they both had a lot of fun and plan to go back next year with other sets of twins from the area.
“It was kind of like being a celebrity because everybody wanted to take a picture,” Jessica said.
Both said they took advantage of making a little extra cash while there: twins had the opportunity to take surveys for researchers studying twins and they were paid for their time.
“You can tell who was there before,” Sarah said, adding those who attend year after year greet one another with enthusiasm. The sisters met a set of twins who had attended the festival every year for the last 30 years.
There were plenty of souvenirs to be had, too.
“There were people with buttons and T-shirts. One set of twins had T-shirts on that said ‘Thing One’ and ‘Thing Two,’” Jessica said.
Mrs. Hanshaw read about the twins’ festival years ago.
“We were her first and I guess she was excited about it,” Sarah said.
The Hanshaw twins have much in common.
Both work at the Phoenix Theater selling tickets, which is convenient because they share a car — and gasoline money. Jessica is studying nursing and Sarah is studying radiography. They both enjoy spending time with friends when they have some free time.
But they aren’t identical and they have their differences.
They agree most people are able to tell them apart once they get to know them, but they look enough alike that when they’re working together at the movie theater, customers notice and ask if they’re related.
Sarah said they also enjoy different pastimes. She has been into running when she has time and her sister loves to shop.
“She likes to wear the clothes I buy,” Jessica added. They wear the same size in clothing and shoes.
Sharing clothes doesn’t seem to be a problem; the benefits of being a twin seem to outweigh any drawbacks as far as the Hanshaws are concerned. “I always have a friend there,” Sarah said. “There’s always somebody to do something with.”
Next year’s Twins Day Twins Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, is scheduled for Aug. 7 through 9, 2009. The Twins Days Festival is open to all multiples — identical, fraternal, young and old, twins, triplets, quads — and their families. For more information, call (330) 425-3652 or visit twinsdays.org.
LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.

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