They had to snuff out the fuse on Ignite the Night – Youngstown’s Independence Day celebration – in July because of a waterlogged forecast.
The event was postponed until Saturday night and has blown up into a two-day affair. It’s at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre and the adjacent Wean Park, and admission is free.
The highlight will be a rousing concert by the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra that will start at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The final segment of the performance – from 9:50-10:15 p.m. – will be played as fireworks explode in the sky, synchronized to the music.
Learn more about it HERE.
One change has been added to the show; the guest singer will now be Asia Littlejohn, a Youngstown native who currently lives in Lancaster, Pa., where she is a singer and actor.
Littlejohn is a Chaney High School and New York Film Academy graduate.
She will accompany the YSO for two songs: “The Wizard and I” from “Wicked” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.”
Jackie Popovec of The Vindys was originally scheduled as guest singer, but she and her band will be performing in Port Clinton, Ohio, that night.
Ignite the Night weekend, presented by the Rotary Club of Youngstown, is the city’s America250 celebration.
It will begin Friday on a stage on Phelps Street.
DJ BopMan will play Motown and funk music from 5-6 p.m.; Lit Youngstown members will read their works from 6-7 p.m.; and BopMan will return from 6:20-8 p.m.
The city’s Walk of Fame induction ceremony will take place at 7 p.m., with Youngstown natives Billy Beck and Rick Ward receiving the honor this year. The two artists are members of the Ohio Players band.
The evening will close with a performance by Jam-Hi Productions, a local musical production company.
Vendors, artists, retailers and community organizations will be set up along the street during the evening.
Saturday will bring a full day of events, starting with a Youngstown Flea sale from 2 p.m. to sunset at Wean Park.
The gates to The Amp will open at 6 p.m., with the Smarts Beats drum circle performing from 6-7 p.m.
The Rick Ward Project, led by the new Walk of Famer, will take the stage from 7-8 p.m.
The main event, featuring the Youngstown Symphony, will start at 8:30 p.m. The YSO will take a 15-minute break at 9:15 p.m. and then launch into a second half at 9:30 p.m. that will include the fireworks finale.
Free parking will be available in the Covelli Centre lots Saturday, and also the Freeman Avenue lot, which is off East Front Street next to Covelli.
Other Attractions
The Warren Italian Festival will begin its four-day run tonight on Courthouse Square. The fest will feature live music on two stages each night, a bocce tournament, a wine-tasting competition, vendors and all kinds of Italian and American food. Learn more HERE.
The Columbiana County Fair continues through Sunday. The fairgrounds are at 225 Lee Ave. in Lisbon. You can park for free in the giant lot on Saltwell Road. Admission is $10 (free for children age 5 and under). The combine demolition derby, in which the massive farm implements get smashed up, starts at noon Sunday. Learn more about the fair HERE.
The Vindys will perform a free concert from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday at the Pro Football Hall of Fame campus, Fulton Road near Stadium Park Drive, Canton. Free parking is available at the campus. Learn more HERE. It’s part of Football’s Greatest Weekend at the facility. The annual Hall of Fame Game will take place at 8 p.m. tonight (NBC) with the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals squaring off.
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers will have post-game fireworks Friday and Saturday at 7 17 Credit Union Field at Eastwood in Niles. Saturday’s game is also Bugs Bunny bobblehead giveaway night, with the first thousand fans receiving the free gift. Click HERE.
Pictured at top: Erik Ochsner, music director, leads the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra.