Sunday, August 24, 2003
New this year is music -- rock, R & amp;B, jazz, hip-hop and funk -- on five stages.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- With five venues offering a wide variety of entertainment, CityFest is drawing people downtown from the city and far beyond.
"It's a celebration of community in an urban setting. We're supporting local bands and local entertainment. We've got local vendors," said Arlene Thompson, city clerk and festival coordinator. "We're promoting commerce and economic development. We're tying all ends of downtown together -- the west, the east and the riverfront area."
Scott Miller of Masury attended Thursday with his wife, Cindy, and daughters, Corin, 12, and Chelsea, 14, to hear the Sugarfuzz Orchestra, a widely known horn band. "You need to draw the people downtown. They should have one of these a month all summer long," said Miller, who works for a commercial refrigeration company on Youngstown's South Side.
Good food
"They've got some good food out here," said Andrew Harris of Niles, referring to the sausage sandwiches. Harris is an electrician who had set up wiring for the festival's concession stands earlier Thursday. He attended the festival Thursday evening with his daughter, Cheyenne Nicole Harris, who will be 2 in October, and his girlfriend, Shelley Jabloski of Niles.
"It's something that they need. It's really something that's nice down here, and they need something to bring the people together. The music's nice," Barbara Nall of Youngstown said. She attended with her daughter, Robin Nall, and granddaughter, Shanequah Nall, both of Youngstown.
"I had a chicken gyro and it was delicious," said Robin Nall.
"Some people can't get outside the city to go to little carnivals, so it's good that it's right here in our area to bring a little bit back to the city," she observed.
"I like to come for the food. I'm away at school, and it's nice to come back to see everybody," said Shanequah Nall, 20, a nursing student at the University of Akron.
"There's such a diversity of tastes in music in this community, and we wanted to use this three-day event to highlight the diversity of performers and to attract diverse audiences," Thompson said.
Music offerings include hard and traditional rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, hip-hop and funk. The festival also aims to offer a variety of food from several vendors without unnecessary duplication of menu offerings, Thompson said.
Runs through Saturday
The event, featuring carnival rides and games for children, food, arts and crafts vendors, and live entertainment, began Thursday and will end Saturday night with a fireworks display to be launched between the South Avenue and Market Street bridges at 11 p.m. by B.J. Alan Fireworks of Youngstown.
This year, for the first time, the festival features five entertainment locations: the Federal Plaza Amphitheater, Buffalo Wild Wings stage, Cedar's, the B & amp;O stage and Anthony's on the River.
Among the live performers will be: Jam Straight, featuring Grammy award winning Billy Beck of the Ohio Players, at 6 p.m. today on the B & amp;O riverfront stage; Tangent, a local rock band performing at 9 p.m. today (bike night) on the Buffalo Wild Wings stage; Lucky Penny, a local hip-hop artist performing Saturday at the B & amp;O; and Saudia, a local rhythm and blues singer who will soon release a CD, at 8 p.m. Saturday at the B & amp;O.