LOWELLVILLE, Ohio – The Mount Carmel Italian Festival opens today in Lowellville and will run through Saturday.

Now in its 130th year, the festival will take place at the Mount Carmel Society festival grounds, 102 Washington St., from 6-11 p.m. each evening. Admission is free.

The festival features live entertainment, authentic Italian food, games and morra and bocce tournaments.

A highlight of the festival, the traditional Baby Doll Dance, will take place at 10 p.m. today, 10:30 p.m. Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday. In the dance, a baby doll mannequin with a person inside “dances” while fireworks are set off from its arms.

A sensory-friendly experience for individuals with special needs will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, during which guests can enjoy the festival at their own pace.

For information, go to MTCarmelFestival.org. 

Bus Tours of Trumbull County Townships 

WARREN, Ohio – The Trumbull County Historical Society will sponsor a Township Squares bus tour on Friday and Saturday, July 18-19.

The two-hour tour will explore the county’s townships – each shaped like a square and having its own story and character.

The tour will start at the Trumbull County Visitors Bureau, 328 Mahoning Ave. NW, and will make guided stops at several townships.

Tickets are $50 per person, and reservations are required. Go to TrumbullCountyHistory.org, call 330 394 4563 or email info@trumbullcountyhistory.org.

Participants will discover:

  • The New England roots of the township squares established in Trumbull County’s early days.
  • Historic civic buildings – village halls, courthouses, post offices – that still serve as community keystones.
  • Anecdotes about the communities that grew around these central hubs, from pioneer settlements to bustling local centers.

The tour offers an accessible, engaging way to connect with Trumbull County’s civic and architectural heritage and is ideal for history lovers, photography fans, local explorers and families wanting to learn more about the hidden commercial and social cores of the townships.

Space is limited, and spots are expected to fill quickly.  

Valley Partners Announces Golf Outing

CAMPBELL, Ohio – Valley Partners will have its annual golf outing Sept. 26 at Knoll Run Golf Course. 

Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m., with a 9 a.m. start. The ticket includes green fees and cart, skins and one mulligan per golfer, breakfast and lunch at the turn, a full dinner at 3 p.m. and on-course games (excluding raffles and Texas Roadhouse activities).

This year, the event will include several hole-in-one prizes, including a $10,000 travel certificate, a charcoal smoker, a UHD smart TV, a Bushnell rangefinder and Garmin GPS golf watch, sponsored by Kim Urig, owner of Love Our World Travel. 

To learn more about entry fees and sponsorship opportunities, click HERE. All entry fees must be paid prior to the event. 

To register, become a sponsor or learn more, call Valley Partners at 330 759 3668.

Method 8 to Screen its New Movie at Event

BOARDMAN, Ohio – Method 8’s annual movie premier, dinner and fashion show will take place Aug. 9 at Holiday Inn, 7410 South Ave. 

Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Method 8 has been serving the Mahoning Valley for more than 18 years as an independent performing arts outlet that makes small budget film projects.

All productions can be viewed at Method8Inc.com. This year’s film is “Radio & Podcast Adventures,” written and directed by Brian K. West. It is a one-hour comedy about a group of radio and podcast enthusiasts who enter a podcast competition with the goal of winning money to invest back into their business.

It looks at the challenge that ordinary people face when trying to achieve the American Dream.

The cast includes West, Chris Franklin, Marvin Reese, Kewon Conner, Wynston Andrews and Joyce Jones.

Tickets are $30, which includes food, a fashion show by Linda Jennings and Lynn McElroy, live music by Jeff Green and the Jazz in the Park All-Stars, a raffle and a screening of the movie. 

For information, go to Method8Inc.com or text 234 855 7540. Tickets will also be available at the door for $35.  

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The work of local artist Carol Ann Hart is on display in the Thomases Family Endowment of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation Art Gallery, 505 Gypsy Lane, through Sept. 14. 

A reception for “A Quilting Journey” will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. July 21.

“I have always been an artist,” Hart said. “From crayons and pencils to papier mâché and clay, to oils, photography, yarn and beads, I have always been creating beauty.”

She sewed clothing as a teenager and as a mother of two daughters. A quilt sampler class in 1983 would lead to her love of textiles and design.

“I believe quilting has always been my destiny, and now it is my passion,” she said.

Hart earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Ohio University and a master’s degree in library and information science from Kent State University. During a teaching career that spanned over 35 years, she used art in her English and special education classrooms. Now retired, she remains active in local and state teaching organizations, two quilting guilds and the American Sewing Guild. She also enjoys volunteer work.

Pictured at top: The Baby Doll Dance at the Mount Carmel Italian Festival in Lowellville.