YOUNGSTOWN CityFest crowd pleases officials

There were no reports of any significant disturbances during the weekend.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Absence made the heart grow fonder for CityFest.
The downtown festival's return over the weekend after a two-year absence turned out just as organizers had hoped, with more people than they planned.
"I couldn't be more pleased," said Tamica D. Green, the city's Federal Plaza director. "It definitely exceeded my expectations."
Green estimated -- after talking with police -- that about 10,000 people passed through the festival between Friday and Sunday nights. Her goal was to draw about half that.
Even more important to Green was the type of crowd. There was a racially diverse mix of younger and older people, and families, Green said. The crowd was split between city and suburban residents.
CityFest is a symbol that the city is moving ahead, Green said.
"It's time. It's time for a change. People are ready," she said. "People are ready for Youngstown to come back the way it can."
Good signs: Green said a good sign is that some of the 30 or so food and craft vendors asked about signing up for next year. They also asked about a fall event downtown, such as an Octoberfest. She will talk with council and look at the budget before deciding about a fall event.
Security and the perception of safety are always issues downtown. There were no reports of any significant disturbances downtown during the weekend, said police Capt. Dave Williams. Green wasn't aware of any, either.
She got complaints before the festival for not including a beer tent, a nod to the aim of keeping the event family-oriented. There were few complaints during the weekend, Green said.
"It shows our city can do great things ... without alcohol," she said.
Friday and Saturday's weather couldn't have been better. An early-afternoon downpour, an early-evening shower and late rain affected Sunday's turnout.
A larger-than-expected lunch crowd Friday afternoon was welcomed. Around 2,000 people came through Federal Plaza before an additional 1,000 or so came down for an evening of music, Green said. Saturday about 3,500 of the 5,000 people for the day already had made their way downtown. Three vendors ran out of food by the evening, she said.
"It usually takes until 9 p.m. to get that kind of crowd," she said.
Contest winner: Rain Sunday kept the crowd to about 1,500, but it didn't dampen the Little Miss CityFest contest. Taylor Fortune, 10, was the winner. She and seven other Youngstown girls ages 8 to 11 were judged in a hula hoop contest and on their knowledge of Youngstown trivia.
The contest came together only a few weeks ago but worked out well, Green said.
Fireworks Sunday night were to cap the event, but were canceled Friday. Green declined to explain why, saying only that organizers couldn't make it happen. Green figured she would get complaints about the cancellation, but said few people mentioned it Sunday.
rgsmith@vindy.com