YSU Summer Festival of the Arts celebrates 24th anniversary
July 7, 2022
YSU will be welcoming arts, culture, and music to downtown Youngstown as it celebrates the 24th annual Summer Festival of the Arts at Wean Park in downtown Youngstown, Ohio July 7 – 10, 2022. Organizers with events planned for the weekend include Cliffe College of Creative Arts, JAC Management, the City of Youngstown, Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
“For 24 years, the Summer Festival of the Arts has showcased the very best of the arts and culture in our community, combining artists, performers, and organizations for a rich, diverse, and vibrant weekend of events. When we gather together for a common cause, we have the perfect opportunity to publicly display all that makes the Valley unique,” festival director Lori Factor said.
The weekend will begin with the St. Nicholas Greek Summerfest July 7 – 10, 2022. The event will include music and dancing, Greek food and pastries, and a display of cultural memorabilia. Hours will be: Thursday, July 7 from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Friday and Saturday, July 8 and 9 from 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM; and Sunday, July 10 from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM. Take out lunch service is available on Thursday and Friday. Admission is free.
The 24th annual YSU Summer Festival of the Arts will be held July 9 – 10, 2022 at Wean Park in between the Market Street Bridge and the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. Saturday’s hours will be 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday’s hours will be 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
The heart of the festival will be the artists’ marketplace that showcases the work of over 70 local, regional, and national artists selling original, hand-crafted pieces such as jewelry, paintings, sketches, sculptures, glass, wood, and textiles. The artists’ work has been juried, or selected, from among all of the applicants.
Family activities will include a hands-on art tent where children are encouraged to create various pieces of artwork under the guidance of two professional art teachers.
Eight of the 6-foot tall roosters from the “Flock to the Fairgrounds” project at the Canfield Fair will also be on display during the two-day event. In addition, flags created as part of the public art project “The Wishing Flag Project” will be available for viewing.
Multiple music, theater, and dance performances are also scheduled at two stages during the festival. Groups performing on Saturday include: the Youngstown Community Concert Band, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra Quartet, Ballet Western Reserve, Caitlin Hedge and Dave Lynn, Trumbull New Theatre, Ice Cube Cricket, Opera Western Reserve, Alla Boara, the Millennial Theatre Company, Oakland Center for the Arts: Kids First Theatre Initiative, and The Franchise Band. Groups performing on Sunday include: County Mayo, Ballet Western Reserve, Oakland Center for the Arts: Kids First Theatre Initiative, Matt Jackson, The Youngstown Playhouse Youth Valley Players, Mahoning Valley Players, a Stambaugh Youth Band member, Natalie Alfera, and The Labra Brothers.
The YSU Ward Beecher Planetarium will hold five shows on Saturday, July 9. Shows will be hourly from 12:00 – 4:00 PM.
Numerous arts, culture, religious, and community groups will join the festivities either on-site in a booth or at their home locations. On-site groups include: the Stambaugh Auditorium, the DeYor Performing Arts Center, Youngstown Symphony, Opera Western Reserve, Youngstown Playhouse, Youngstown CityScape, the YSU Honors College, Lit Youngstown, St. John’s Episcopal Church, YWCA Mahoning Valley, the League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown, Citizens’ Climate Lobby - Mahoning Valley Chapter, The Columbiana Cultural Collective, The Squeaky Wheel Theatre Co., Jewish Community Center/Arts & Culture, The Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley, Unitarian Universalist Church, WYSU-FM, SMARTS, Vista AST, Hopewell Theatre, Millennial Theatre Company, Eastern Gateway Community College, Oakland Center for the Arts: Kids First Theatre Initiative, YSU Campus Recreation/Athletics, Junior League of the Mahoning Valley, Ballet Western Reserve, YSU Fashion and Interiors Department, Trumbull New Theatre, the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, and the YSU Bookstore.
Others participating at their home locations include: The Butler Institute of American Art, the McDonough Museum of Art, the YWCA 40th Annual Women Artists Show, Art House on Elm, Trinity United Methodist Church, Tyler History Center and Arms Museum, OH WOW! Science Center, Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor-Steel Museum, The SOAP Gallery, and dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops located in downtown Youngstown.
Special events coinciding with the weekend include the Youngstown Flea Saturday, July 9 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM; the Friends of the Library Book Sale at the Main Library Saturday, July 9 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; the Youngstown Music Teachers Association Student Recital Saturday, July 9 at 11:00 AM; and a patriotic sing-along sponsored by the American Guild of Organists at 1:00 PM at Trinity United Methodist Church.
“We are proud to once again partner with YSU for the 24th annual Summer Festival of the Arts. This longstanding event is a staple in our community and [is] the perfect addition to our calendar of events at Wean Park,” said executive director of JAC Management Group Jordan Ryan.
For the eleventh year, the Youngstown Wine and Jazz Concert will once again be held in conjunction with the festival Saturday, July 9 at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre. The event will feature Four80East, which is the duo of Rob DeBoer and Tony Grace. Their smooth jazz genre includes progressive rock, jazz, and gospel. Youngstown native and jazz vocalist Sharon Rae North will open the concert.