The Update | YSU Marching Band Event; Theaters to Offer $4 Movies on Sunday
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State University’s Marching Pride will host “Meet the Marching Pride” on Friday, August 25, at 4 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium. The event is free and open to the public.
The Marching Pride will perform music from its pregame and halftime shows, along with the YSU Fight Song. Members of the Penguinettes and Color Guard will also perform their routines, and the feature twirler and members of the drumline will attend.
Parking is available for a nominal fee in the M-81 surface parking lot across from the Watson and Tressel Training Site, accessible from Service Road. The west stands will be available for patron viewing.
More information is available on the Marching Pride’s website or by calling the Office of Community Engagement and Events at 330 941 2307.
Valley Theaters to Participate in National Cinema Day
NEW YORK (AP) – Still haven’t seen “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer”? On Sunday, Aug. 27, you’ll be able to catch up for $4 per ticket in movie theaters nationwide.
That’s when the second annual National Cinema Day will be held. For one day, all movies – in all formats and at all showtimes – will be $4 at participating theaters. More than 3,000 theaters are participating, which accounts for most of the cinemas in the United States. Included are the Regal, Cinemark and Golden Star Cinema chains, which dominate the Mahoning and Shenango valleys.
It’s the second straight year theaters are trotting out the one-day event at the tail end of summer. Last year’s inaugural National Cinema Day, put on by the Cinema Foundation, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Association of Theater Owners, was judged an enormous success. An estimated 8.1 million moviegoers bought $3 tickets on Saturday, Sept. 3. The average movie ticket in 2022, according to NATO, cost $10.53.
The discount gimmick turned into the highest attended day of the year for theaters. A normally quiet time instead saw cinemas crowded with moviegoers – and theaters sold plenty of popcorn. This year, the day is moving up slightly on the calendar, shifting from Saturday to Sunday, and costs $1 more.
But thanks to remarkably sustained interest in “Barbie,” as well as in “Oppenheimer,” the August box office has been booming. The summer box office is up to $3.8 billion in ticket sales through Sunday, according to data firm Comscore – about 16.6% ahead of 2022 at the same point.
While last year’s Cinema Day had fairly paltry offerings (“Top Gun: Maverick” was the top draw, more than two months after it opened), this year’s will feature “Barbie” in its fifth week. Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking film has made $1.28 billion worldwide. There’s also Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” ($717.8 million globally), the second week of the DC Comics film “Blue Beetle” and new releases “Gran Turismo,” “Golda,” “Bottoms” and “Retribution.”
The event is also a way for studios to sell audiences on their fall lineups. A sneak peek of anticipated autumn releases will play before each screening.
Holocaust Exhibit at McKinley Memorial Museum
NILES, Ohio – The National McKinley Birthplace Memorial Museum’s new exhibit, “Remembering the Holocaust,” features artifacts and two free-standing exhibits, including two short videos about Holocaust survivors William Vegh and Henry Kinast, on loan from the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation.
Jesse McClain, Holocaust educational specialist with the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation, and Rochelle Miller, daughter of William Vegh, will share their extensive knowledge and experiences during a free presentation on Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the museum.
Space is limited. RSVP is required by contacting Belinda Weiss, museum director, at 330 652 4273. The museum is at 40 N. Main St.
Documentary on Ringling Circus Relaunch
KENT, Ohio – A new documentary, “Ringling, Akron & The ‘Blue Heaven’ Circuit,” will premiere on PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1) on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m. Written and produced by local independent producer and veteran journalist Fred Endres, it tells the story of Akron’s role in the relaunch of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus following a deadly fire in 1944.
The production finds Ringling Bros. in the aftermath of the worst fire in circus history, one that killed 167 people and injured hundreds more. The circus had lost its big top and much of its equipment. Where would it go to restart the 1944 tour? How would it perform without its massive, 19-ton canvas tent? Ringling officials needed to make decisions quickly.
“This is the fascinating story of how and why Ringling picked Akron to restart the season,” Endres said.
Murray Powers, an editor at the Akron Beacon Journal – and a huge circus fan – had nicknamed the new tour “The Blue Heaven Circuit.” That initial stand in Akron was for six shows over three days in August 1944, barely a month after the fire. It did not go particularly well, according to Endres.
“It was not the most successful appearance Ringling ever had,” he said, “but it was really important for the circus to get back on the road to start paying off the hundreds of fire claims.”
Students and staff from Kent State University and the University of Akron participated in the production. Veteran television broadcaster John Butte narrates the program.
Downtown Dining Experience in Salem
SALEM, Ohio – Salem Area Chamber of Commerce will present the Downtown Dining Experience on Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Guests can taste food from 13 downtown dining establishments. Tickets are $45, with each buyer entered in a contest to win a diamond necklace from Troll’s Jewelry. To purchase, go to the Salem Chamber office, 210 E. State St., downtown.
Participating restaurants include Affordable Catering in Troll’s Jewelry, Back Home Market and Café in Kast Iron Soda Works, BB Rooners, Coaches Burger Bar, Ezio’s Italian Restaurant, Heggy’s Jalisco in Salem Chamber, Kast Iron Soda Works, Oasis Indoor Golf and Sports Bar in Keller Williams, Raymond’s Ice Cream Parlor, Ricky’s English Pub, Romeo’s Pizza in Coaches and Troll’s Jewelry.
This is a DORA-approved event.
Talent Competition in Borough Park
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – A local talent competition, “New Wilmington’s Got Talent,” will take place Friday, Aug. 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the New Wilmington Borough Park Amphitheater.
The event features a variety of performance types and age groups. Performers include local talent as well as Westminster College students.
The event, which is free and open to the public, is modeled after the TV show “America’s Got Talent,” with local celebrity judges evaluating the performances. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top contestants, with a grand prize of $250. Audience members will also be able to cast their votes for the Fan Favorite award.
The talent competition is being held in conjunction with the New Wilmington Rotary Club’s annual chicken barbeque dinner from 4 to 7 p.m., also at the Borough Park. It is recommended that dinner tickets be purchased in advance from a member of the Rotary Club. Call 724 651 4956 to purchase a ticket.
For information, contact Helen Boylan at [email protected] or 724 946 6293.
All events are weather dependent. For the full schedule of events, go to livenewwilmington.com.
Golf Scramble for Domestic Violence Group
NEW CASTLE, Pa. – Arise will hold its 11th annual Golf Scramble on Friday, Sept. 22, at Sylvan Heights Golf Course, 2661 Ellwood Road.
The mixed-gender event will kick off at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. Since the event is on a Friday this year, Arise is hoping to attract top business and industry leaders in the area who wish to sponsor the event and let their employees enjoy the outing.
The event features one mulligan per person, and skins included. Skill prizes, a 50/50 raffle and a random basket auction will round out the event. All proceeds will benefit survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes. Sponsorships are available by contacting Diane Koski at 724 652 9206 or ariselc.org.
Pictured at top: Youngstown State University’s Marching Pride band will perform music from its pregame and halftime shows Friday at Stambaugh Stadium.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
