Monday, May 24, 2004
There also will be live music this summer at Anthony's on the River.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The events still will be called a "Party on the Plaza," even if the plaza is gone.
That's because "Party in the Central Business District" or "Party on the Spot Next Door Near the Plaza" just don't have quite the same ring.
Federal Plaza may be in ruins as the project to reopen downtown's main thoroughfare to vehicle traffic moves on. But that won't end summer live music events downtown.
The series of parties staged on the plaza by Buffalo Wild Wings downtown will continue -- just next door, said Claire Maluso, the city's Federal Plaza director.
USA Parking, which owns the surface lot next to Buffalo Wild Wings, has offered free use of the space this summer, she said.
The city helps Buffalo Wild Wings get special state liquor permits needed to stage the events.
The first Buffalo Wild Wings event will be June 11. Other dates will be June 25, July 16 and 30, Aug. 13 and 27, and Sept. 10.
Maluso also is arranging a series of live music and other events across downtown this summer at Anthony's on the River. She is calling it the "Sounds of Summer."
Although Buffalo Wild Wings parties feature mostly rock music, she said, there will be a variety of music during the Anthony's parties. That means jazz, '50s music and a Beatles tribute band.
"We're going to have a lot of different music," she said.
Goal of concerts
The idea is to bring people to the central business district and also to the downtown waterfront, Maluso said.
The first Anthony's event will be June 4. Other dates will be June 18, July 2-4 and 23, Aug. 6 and 7, and Sept. 17.
The river setting won't just be for one-night stands. There will be several days of events over the Fourth of July weekend at Anthony's, capped by the city's fireworks display.
Also on the schedule is a car show Aug. 7, Maluso said.
People might be frustrated by interruptions caused by construction downtown, she said. There won't be traditional events downtown this summer, such as CityFest, because there just isn't room.
But Maluso said keeping the parties going downtown is aimed at celebrating change.
"We need to celebrate those backhoes in the ground," she said.
rgsmith@vindy.com