COLUMBIANA CO. Annual artisans festival canceled

Plans for other village festivals continue.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LEETONIA -- The 2003 Leetonia Artisans Festival was apparently the last.
Councilman Dan Valentine, parks board chairman, said the parks board and the artisan chairman have decided to cancel the artisans festival because of low response from artisans and a lack of local volunteers.
Most of the festival's revenue came from the fees paid by artisans to demonstrate their crafts and sell the items they made.
Village Administrator Gary Phillips said finding people willing to help organize the festival and help with setup and cleanup has become increasingly difficult in the past few years.
"It's difficult to find people to volunteer for anything these days," Phillips said. "People are busy and there are many fairs and festivals to choose from each year."
He said that although the festival has always drawn good crowds, over the past decade interest among vendors, artisans and volunteers has been declining.
Phillips said that in the first few years of the festival, buses would shuttle visitors between the parking lot at the Orchard Hill School and Wick Park, and between Wick Park and the Cherry Valley Coke Ovens Park.
Phillips said he and other village officials would welcome any attempt by other civic or community groups in the village to organize the festival.
Upcoming
Meanwhile, plans continue for the Leetonia Fire Department's Fireman's Festival and the Leetonia Celtic Festival.
The ninth annual Fireman's Festival will be 6 to 10 p.m. May 12-13, 5 p.m. to midnight May 14 and 1 p.m. to midnight May 15 in downtown Leetonia. The event includes food, carnival games, amusement rides and entertainment. For more information call Larry Hephner Jr. @ 330-427-2983.
The sixth annual Celtic Festival will be 1 to 6 p.m. July 25 at Wick Park. The event includes Celtic food, music and dance and Celtic heritage and genealogy information. For more information call Heather at British Pastries and More, 330-427-1600.