YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Tra’s Gourmet Sandwiches is expanding with a second food truck, bringing its popular festival and event menu to more locations.
The new truck will feature the same gourmet sandwiches available in the first truck, plus two new items: a chicken melt and a burger melt on jalapeño cheddar bread from Boardman’s Bread Chef bakery.
“We’re excited to expand our reach and offer our unique sandwiches to more people in the area,” said Tra’von Eley, owner of Tra’s Gourmet Sandwiches. “The new food truck allows us to continue serving at local festivals and events, while also introducing our new jalapeño cheddar melts.”
Eley said the new truck will make its debut at Columbiana Wine Festival next June.
Tra’s Gourmet Sandwiches already operates three concepts: Tra’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Tra’s Gourmet Concessions Canfield Collective and Tra’s Gourmet Concessions Poland Swim Club Collective. In addition to festival appearances, the company now offers catering services. Bookings for 2026 are open.
Butler Seeks Artists for Annual Exhibition
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Butler Institute of American Art’s Area Artist Annual exhibition will open Jan. 4 and run through Feb. 22.
Artists can enter the event, now in its 86th year, through The Butler’s website. Entry is free for members of The Butler and $40 for nonmembers who will automatically become a member. Submission deadline is Oct. 23.
The Butler’s Area Artist Annual is a juried exhibition that includes selected original artworks in all media created and submitted by artists living within a 75-mile radius of the museum. Eligible media includes oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, photography, ceramics, sculpture, drawing/illustration, mixed media, works on paper and printmaking.
This year’s juror is attorney Nils P. Johnson Jr., who is an artist and an accomplished musician and speaks fluent Russian. He belongs to several national artist organizations, including the Allied Artists of America, New York; the Connecticut Academy of Fine Art; and the Copley Society of Boston.
For information on entering, contact Lindsay DeLullo at ldelullo@butlerart.com or 330 743 1107, ext. 1107.
State Offers Website for Best Fall Color
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fall is here, and vibrant hues of red, orange and yellow are already sweeping across tree canopies throughout the state.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will be providing weekly updates on the best locations to enjoy unique activities and beautiful shades of autumn.
“Ohio has experienced a very dry and hot September, which has led to some trees that are not drought resistant to start changing early,” said David Parrott, ODNR’s fall color forester. “These species include maples and sycamores. These trees join the normal early changers, such as poison ivy and poison sumac, which have begun to show their vibrant reds.”
For the fall color forecast, expect to see varying degrees of color from now until the end of October, but Ohio may not see typical peak conditions, which are multiple tree species peaking at the same time.
“Forecasts predict north and central Ohio to see peak color around the third week of October and southern Ohio to peak the last week of October. The dry conditions may lead to sporadic fall color changes throughout the state.” Parrott said. “We’re certain there will be localized areas of spectacular colors to be found.”
For the first fall color update video, which includes the fall color forecast, head to ODNR’s YouTube channel.
Those interested in finding the most eye-catching leaves throughout the season should check out ODNR’s fall color website, the official guide to the changing colors.
Artist Who Lost Vision Shows Work at Jameson
NEW CASTLE, Pa. – The latest exhibition of art in the UPMC Jameson Hospital is a triumphant story of an artist redefining how she expresses herself after suddenly going blind.
Before Lynda McKinney Lambert’s abrupt loss of sight in 2007, she was already an established artist, educator and poet teaching full time at Geneva College. She earned degrees in painting, fibers, printmaking and poetry from Slippery Rock (1989) and West Virginia (1991) universities and completed fellowships in painting at the Vermont Studio School (1987) and the Hambidge Art Center (1988).
The condition known as Ischemic Optic Neuropathy came out of nowhere. It is defined by a painless lack of blood flow to the optic nerve.
“There was nothing anyone could do to save my sight,” she said. In retrospect, it was “a blessing” that afforded her the time and opportunity to express herself differently.
Lambert’s work is in the Hoyt Atrium at UPMC Jameson through Oct. 28. She will also be featuring a gallery walk from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 9 (World Sight Day) in the gallery space at the hospital to discuss the work and share the use of adaptive equipment with the general public. It is free and open to all.
The despair that could have followed such an abrupt change in the artist’s life was replaced by a determination to continue living and producing art. With the help of the Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh and a team of doctors, she learned to use adaptive equipment to accomplish just about anything she set her mind to.
Lambert acquired three different kinds of Closed Circuit Televisions to accomplish different tasks.
While Lambert still has trouble seeing color, her grandchildren’s devotion pulls the hues she asks to work with, no more than two colors at a time. And she relies heavily on her sense of touch to help envision the design as it unfolds. Hence the shift from painting and printmaking toward more dimensional work.
Before she lost her sight, Lambert’s position at Geneva College afforded her the opportunity to teach summer studies in Europe each year.
She collected glass and beads on each one of these trips and drew from her childhood interest in fibers to incorporate them into her work. Her mother taught her to embroider as a girl, and so her decision to turn almost entirely to encrusted beadwork as her now preferred medium was nothing new.
Ficocelli Trio to Perform at the McDonough
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Ficocelli Trio will perform in concert at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the McDonough Museum of Art.
The free concert will feature an international ensemble of accomplished musicians performing beloved works by Haydn and Dvořák.
The Ficocelli Trio brings together three exceptional artists from different continents: Venezuelan violinist Erick Ramos, Korean cellist Heewon Jeon and Canadian pianist Allison Hillier. Together, they demonstrate how music connects people across cultures.
The program will feature two masterworks of the piano trio repertoire: Haydn’s spirited Piano Trio in G major “Gypsy” (Hob.XV:25) and Dvořák’s emotionally rich Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor “Dumky,” Op. 90. The Haydn trio, with its Hungarian-influenced finale, showcases the composer’s wit and melodic genius, while Dvořák’s “Dumky” presents six movements that alternate between melancholy and exuberance, reflecting the Czech composer’s deep connection to folk traditions.
Ramos began his musical journey through Venezuela’s renowned El Sistema program and has since performed across South America and the United States. Currently pursuing studies at Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music under violinist Rachel Stegeman, Ramos has won the Dana Young Artist Concerto Competition (2022) and regularly performs with leading orchestras, including the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra and CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra.
Heewon Jeon has graced concert stages across the U.S., Europe and Asia, collaborating with orchestras including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra and Richmond Symphony Orchestra.
Hillier has been a prominent figure in northeastern Ohio’s musical community for over a decade. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music, she has performed across North America and Europe while maintaining an active teaching career. In 2019, she founded Studio Espressivo in Cleveland’s Little Italy.
The Ficocelli Trio was formed with a mission to bring the transformative power of chamber music to northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. The ensemble honors the legacy of the Ficocelli Brothers, founders of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, continuing their vision of making a positive impact on society through music and art.
The Dana School of Music at YSU is presenting the concert, which is part of the Music at Noon series.
Holiday Parade Volunteers Are Being Sought
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown CityScape is seeking volunteers to help with the Sparkle Youngstown! 2025 Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting event from 3-8 p.m. Dec. 5, downtown.
Over the years, the holiday parade has grown tremendously. With so many people participating and 15 marching bands, CityScape is in need of support to keep the event running smoothly. CityScape is relying on the generosity of volunteers to help spread joy to the community and make this year’s parade a night to remember.
Volunteers will assist with the parade lineup and staging participants. They will also help manage the flow of spectators along the parade route and ensure the safety of attendees.
Interested individuals can learn more and sign up to volunteer at YoungstownCityScape.org or by calling 330 742 4040.
Pictured at top: Tra’von Eley, owner of Tra’s Gourmet Sandwiches.