YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The summer of 2020 was the worst.
Every fun gathering that we looked forward to was canceled because of the pandemic. After a long and gloomy winter, we need those warm-weather festivals and events. We look forward to them. They are our rites of passage and they were gone
But this year, they’re back.
And if absence makes the heart grow fonder, then the Mahoning Valley’s love affair with the Canfield Fair – not to mention outdoor concerts, car shows, church festivals and Scrappers games – is about to heat up.
With social distancing requirements about to expire, just about everything after June has the green light.
The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre will again welcome concertgoers; the River Rock series at the Warren Community Amphitheatre has already announced its lineup.
Those who enjoy the free concerts in city and township parks will be glad to know they are also returning.
Events that are unique to the Mahoning Valley, including the Italian festivals in Youngstown and Warren, the Salem Super Cruise, and Youngstown State University’s Summer Festival of the Arts, are all back on the schedule.
In fact, this year’s entertainment calendar is bursting at the seams. There are so many things going on in the coming months that it’s hard to keep track of them all.
That’s where AfterHoursYoungstown.com comes in. The Business Journal’s entertainment and lifestyle website keeps you abreast of the events, people and places that make summer special.
One indispensable feature on the site is The List, a day-by-day schedule of summer fun that includes hundreds of fairs, concerts, shows, sales and other events.
Laid out as a scrollable calendar, it gives readers the ability to look ahead at what is coming. Most listings include hyperlinks that provide more details and ticket information.
Give it a look. It can help you plan what just might be the best summer ever.
THE LIST: Go to AfterHoursYoungstown.com/the_list/
Pictured: A scene from the 2019 Greater Youngstown Italian Festival in downtown Youngstown. The popular street festival, which typically draws at least 20,000 people over its four days, will return in August. It was canceled last year because of the pandemic.