BOARDMAN A red, white and blue Oktoberfest

About 18,000 people attended the annual craft show.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- Crowds, arts and crafts and entertainment filled Boardman Park on Sunday. And so did overt patriotism.
"Anything red, white and blue [people] are after," said Lynette Clay, whose Harmodee Woods booth sold as many patriotic items as traditional Halloween fare.
Clay's booth was one of about 350 that vendors set up as part of Sunday's Oktoberfest event, sponsored by the Boardman Rotary Club. Money raised will support numerous Mahoning Valley agencies, including Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, the Rich Center for the Study and Treatment of Autism and the new Poland library branch.
Few customers talked about the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Clay said, adding people are "trying to get back to a routine life."
Normalcy: A sense of normalcy seemed apparent among those who took advantage of the cloudless fall day to buy their favorite merchandise, watch the martial arts performance at the Maag Ampitheater or stop by one of the many tents lined up on either side of the park's main entrance.
Noticeably different, however, was the number of people wearing t-shirts and sweaters with "God Bless America" and other patriotic slogans on the front.
Clay started with 42 heart-shaped, hand-painted, flag-shaped lapel pins. By the end of the day, she had only five left.
Sunday's crowd of up to 18,000 at the 24th annual event was about the same as last year's turnout, according to Doug Thorpe, co-chairman.
The Oktoberfest featured a hot-air balloon show as well as various singers from as far away as New York and Florida, said Joe Thomas, another co-chairman.
For kids: Kids' events included a bean bag toss, as well as coloring American flags.
Boardman firefighters were on hand to collect donations to the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund to help families of those killed or injured in the terrorist attack.
Ed Shanks, a Boardman firefighter, said he didn't know how much money had been raised but praised people for their generosity. The final figure was expected to be several thousand dollars, he said.
The fire department gave a demonstration earlier in the day by burning a simulated room to show how quickly a house can catch on fire. People should crawl to safety, leaving behind personal effects if necessary, Shanks said.
Shanks' department has not been called to assist in the New York City cleanup, but if asked to go, he would, he said.