The weekend is highlighted by the 23rd annual YSU Summer Festival of the Arts, which takes place in Wean Park on Saturdays and Sundays.
YOUNGSTOWN – Downtown will be filled with art, culture, and music this weekend as organizers from Youngstown State University, JAC Management, the City of Youngstown, Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church host a variety of events organize.
Here’s a look at what’s happening:
Summer festival of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas
The St. Nicholas Greek Summer Festival takes place Thursday through Sunday at 220 N. Walnut St. and features music and dance, Greek food and pastries, and an exhibition of cultural memorabilia. The opening times are Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A take-away lunch menu is available Thursday and Friday. Admission is free.
YSU Summer Festival of the Arts
The 23rd annual YSU Summer Festival of the Arts takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at its new location at Wean Park, 229 E. Front St., between Market Street Bridge (Huntington Community Alley) and the Covelli Center. The opening times are on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
An artist market presents the work of more than 70 local, regional and national artists who sell original, hand-made pieces such as jewelry, paintings, sketches, sculptures, glass, wood and textiles.
Family activities include a practical art tent where children are encouraged to create a variety of works of art under the guidance of two professional art teachers.
Dozens of music, theater and dance performances are also planned on two stages in the center of the park. Groups performing on Saturday: Youngstown Community Concert Band, Larry Elefante, Conjunto Riquena, Irish Brigadiers, John Blinsky with Unc D and Thin Thicket, Opera Western Reserve, Oakland Center for the Arts Kids First Theater Initiative, Ballet Western Reserve, and Millennial Theater Co. Groups Sunday: County Mayo, JD Eicher, Willie Ross and Counter Pointe, Oakland Center for the Arts Kids First Theater Initiative, Rust Belt Theater Company, The Youngstown Playhouse Youth Valley Players, the YSU Fencing Club and Mahoning Valley Players.
Numerous art, cultural, religious and community groups will take part in the celebrations either on site with a booth or in their hometowns. On-site groups include Ballet Western Reserve, Friends of the Mahoning River, Hopewell Theater, Lit Youngstown, Mahoning Valley Historical Society, Mill Creek MetroParks, Millennial Theater Company, Oakland Center for the Arts Kids First Theater Initiative, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Simply Slavic, SMARTS-Students Motivated by the Arts, Stambaugh Auditorium, DeYor Performing Arts Center, Youngstown Symphony Society, Opera Western Reserve, The Youngstown Playhouse, St. John’s Episcopal Church, The Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley, Youngstown CityScape, YSU Campus Recreation, YSU Athletics, YSU Honors College, and YWCA Mahoning Valley.
Others attending their home locations include the Butler Institute of American Art, the McDonough Museum of Art, YWCA with the 39th annual Women Artists Show, the Art House on Elm, the Trinity United Methodist Church, the Youngstown Presbyterian Church, the St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tyler History Center and Arms Museum, OH WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology, the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor-Steel Museum, the Soap Gallery, and dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops in the downtown area.
Youngstown wine and jazz
Youngstown Wine and Jazz takes place on Saturday at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater, 201 S. Phelps St., with saxophonist Jackiem Joyner and Jazz in the Park.
Entry is at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $ 10 each ($ 25 for VIP seating) and are available online at Ticketmaster.com, at the cash desk of the Covelli Center and at the gate.
Joyner, a contemporary saxophonist, author and music producer, released his seventh album “Touch” in 2019. He toured more than 30 countries and performed with the late George Duke, Marcus Miller, Keiko Matsui, Donnie McClurkin, Angela Bofill, Najee, Kirk Whalum and Peter White, among others.
Joyner has two number 1 hits, five top 10 Billboard singles, and a number 1 debut album. He also published a science fiction novel:Zarya. “
Other events
- Inauguration of the Robinson Shuba memorial statue, 9 a.m. Saturday at Wean Park. The statue commemorates the 1946 handshake of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player, and George “Shotgun” Shuba, his white teammate from Youngstown;
- Organ crawl, 1 p.m. Sunday. The event includes brief organ performances and a historical lecture on each organ in Trinity United Methodist Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and the First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown. St. John’s will offer two church tours on Sundays at 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM, and Trinity United Methodist will offer tours on Saturdays from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and Sundays from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.
