First Night draws families to Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN — Karen Rosiak of Boardman accepted an invitation to stand at the edge of the Ford Family Recital Hall on Federal Street and let Elvis impersonator Ronnie Navarra sing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” to her and place a scarf around her neck.

The 57-year-old Navarra of Poland, who has been peforming as the “The King” for about 10 years, brought his “Elvis in Me” show to the First Night Youngstown celebration Sunday night for the second year in a row.

Rosiak has seen him both times, she said, because he “gets you right in the heart.”

Navarra, whose day job is as sales representative for Youngstown Wholesale Grocery, makes sure everyone in the audience has a chance to participate in the show. By the time Rosiak left the show, she had the scarf and a “teddy bear” from the song of the same name.

Her friend, Steve Lesicko of Boardman, had the chance join in at the microphone on one song, while others in the audience received large envelopes with a photo inside of Navarra as Elvis. Others came up on stage to hold flags during the singing of Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Four-year-old Francis Miekeley-Harris of Warren attended the show with his father, Bob Harris, and Bob’s other sons, Ryan and Kyle Harris, 11 and 10, respectively.

Francis didn’t even wait for his invitation to participate in the show. He called out to Navarra early in the performance, asking for a blue scarf. Francis not only got the scarf, he came on stage and sang a song of his own.

“He gets everyone involved,” Rosiak said of the approximately 60 people who saw the first of two shows in the new facility, which is part of the DeYor Performing Arts Center.

Navarra’s performance was one of many events held during the seventh annual, family-friendly and alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts. It featured more than 30 acts, activities and events at more than 15 locations in the city’s downtown, and on and near the Youngstown State University campus.

Other First Night festivities were happening in Salem and Canfield.

Through an entrance door on the other side of the DeYor center, children and parents flowed in by the hundreds to the activities being provided by Youngstown State University’s SMARTS (Students Motivated By the Arts) arts education partnership on the second and third floors of the building.

Among the busiest events was the Community Drum Circle, which was led by YSU student Kyle Farrell, a percussion major. It involved about 20 types of drums at which adults and children drummed away.

As Mark DeBruin of Poland explained afterward, the nice part about drumming is, “You can’t screw up.”

DeBruin, who attended with Sarah Jordan and their daughter, Kali, 7, brought their own bongo-type drums when they learned of the drumming opportunity — though the SMARTS provides drums for those who don’t own any.

“For most people, it is really enjoyable,” DeBruin said.