The Update | Canfield Fair Attendance; Playhouse Auditions
CANFIELD, Ohio – With a stretch of mostly hot and dry weather, the 2023 Canfield Fair recorded a large increase in attendance over the previous year.
The six-day event, which ended Monday, saw a total of 275,080 people come through the gates. That compares with 245,140 in 2022, according to Timm Schreiber, board member in charge of admissions.
The Canfield Fair – the largest county fair in the state – marked its 177th iteration this year.
Playhouse Sets Auditions for ‘Cinderella’
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Auditions for the Youngstown Playhouse’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 25 and 27 at the Playhouse.
The director is seeking actors age 18 and older. Specific character breakdowns are available on the Playhouse’s website. Children age 8 and up are also needed to play townspeople.
Auditionees will be asked to read from the script and should prepare to sing 16 bars of a song of their choosing with a backing track. An accompanist will also be provided.
The creative team is under the direction of Emma Wason and includes Tyler Stouffer (music director), Caitlyn N. Santiago (stage manager), Tom Hitmar (scenic designer), Leslie Brown (lighting designer) and Connie Cassidy (costumer).
Rehearsals will tentatively begin in early October. Technical rehearsals will take place the week of Nov. 27, and performances will take place Dec. 1-10.
For information, go to youngstownplayhouse.org/audition.
Bingo & Bling Fundraiser
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Gateways to Better Living will present a Bingo & Bling fundraiser at the Maronite Center, 1555 Meridian Road, at 6 p.m. Sept. 27.
The event will include a basket raffle, wine and bling (designer accessories) raffle, Louie Vuitton raffle, 50/50 raffle and a cash bar.
Proceeds will benefit the agency’s programs to assist people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Tickets are $40; a table of eight is $320, which includes two bottles of wine. Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, include 12 games of bingo (three cards per game), bingo dauber and snacks.
To purchase a ticket, call or text Kristie Murphy at 330 565 9411, or go to the Gateways to Better Living office, 6000 Mahoning Ave., Suite 234. For more information, go to gatewaystbl.com.
Monday Night Writers Meetings
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Monday Night Writers group will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at Leana’s Books and More, 4317 Kirk Road. Area writers, both published and unpublished, are invited to attend.
Led by professional writer Nancy Christie, author of “Reinventing Rita” and five other books, the meeting offers an opportunity for members to get group feedback on works-in-progress.
The last two meetings of the year will take place Oct. 16 and Nov. 20, also at Leana’s Books. There will be no meeting in December. For information, email Christie at [email protected].
Exhibit to Open at Cornelius-Rogers Studios
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – An exhibition titled “Black Noise White Gaze, Paintings by James Shawn Crum” will open Saturday, Sept. 9, with a 6 p.m. reception at Coy Cornelius and Judy Rogers Studios, 1931 Belmont Ave.
The exhibition will run through Sept. 31. Contact the gallery at 330 518 2153 to schedule a private appointment.
The exhibition is a collection of paintings by the artist that addresses the current socio-political climate and explores topics such as Black cultural and activist history, race, class, sexuality and social inequality.
James Shawn Crum is an artist who lives in Youngstown. Previously a resident of San Diego, New Orleans, Columbus and Brooklyn, the artist examines contemporary issues through his creative process and from the perspective of a gay, Black male.
Oktoberfest on the Square Tickets on Sale
WARREN, Ohio – Oktoberfest on the Square will take place Saturday, Sept. 16, at Courthouse Square.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door (children under 12 admitted free). Tickets include German fare and two drink tickets. Hours are 4 to 6 p.m.
The event will include grape stomping, children’s activities, a traditional tapping of a keg and music by the Youngstown Saxon Brass Band. There will be at least 12 varieties of beer.
For information or to purchase tickets, call 330 394 4653, or visit the Facebook event page for information on how to purchase tickets online.
This event is a fundraiser for the Trumbull County Historical Society.
Art Workshops at the JCC
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Paul and Yetta Gluck School of Visual Arts at the Jewish Community Center of Youngstown, 505 Gypsy Lane, is offering two art workshops in September.
String Art & Cider, for age 16 and older, will take place Sept. 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Participants will discover the mesmerizing world of string art while sipping cider. Beginner and experienced artists alike are invited to create geometric designs and intricate patterns by strategically placing strings on wooden boards. Registration is required by Sept. 6.
A polymer clay jewelry workshop will take place Sept. 26. Attendees age 10 to 13 will meet at 5:15 p.m., and age 14 and older at 7 p.m. Participants will learn to sculpt, shape and design unique jewelry pieces using versatile polymer clay. Participants will create two pairs of earrings and a matching pendant. Registration is required by Sept. 21.
The cost for each workshop is $25 for JCC members and $30 for nonmembers. Visit jccyoungstown.org/visualarts to register.
Cedar Point Celebrating Its Fries
SANDUSKY, Ohio – Cedar Point is celebrating its famous midway munchie with the return of Happy Friar’s Fresh-Cut Fries Fest on Sept. 9 and 10.
Cedar Point’s original fresh-cut fries have been a popular item for 75 years. This event celebrates the tradition with four new recipes served at the park’s Happy Friar location near the Gemini roller coaster and Hot Potato near the Raptor roller coaster.
For information on Happy Friar’s Fresh-Cut Fries Fest, go to cedarpoint.com/events.
Exhibitions Open at McDonough Museum
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The John J. McDonough Museum of Art at Youngstown State University will open its fall season with four exhibitions. Shona Macdonald’s “Flash of Light Illumines a Dark Landscape” and the #notwhite collective’s “#notwhite collective” will be on display today through Nov. 4.
Betsy Stirratt’s “Embedded Histories” is on view through Oct. 20.
A reception for all artists will take place Friday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m., with a gallery talk by Macdonald at 5:30 pm.
From Oct. 23-Nov. 4, the museum will feature the Short Shorts Festival, highlighting the work of Ilena Finocchi, Illya Mousavijad and Michael Schmidt, with a viewing party at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
Admission to the museum is free. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Retired Boardman Firefighter to Speak
BOARDMAN, Ohio – Retired Boardman firefighter Jim Dorman will discuss his new book on the history of Boardman firefighting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, in the Stambaugh Room at Boardman Park’s Lariccia Family Community Center, 375 Boardman-Poland Road.
Dorman joined the Boardman Fire Department in 1968 and retired in 2011. He served as a volunteer, firefighter, captain, assistant chief and as fire chief.
His 700-page book, “Signal 55,” traces the fire department’s 100-year history, from 1923 to 2023.
The event is sponsored by the Boardman Historical Society. A question-and-answer period will follow Dorman’s presentation. For information, contact Dona Hammond at 330 726 0651.
Pictured at top: The 2023 Canfield Fair’s attendance outpaced the previous year.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
