The Wedge to reopen

The Wedge to reopen

AUSTINTOWN — The Wedge nightclub in Wedgewood Plaza is slated to reopen next week after being closed for most of the year as the venue underwent a change in ownership. South Racoon Ltd. now owns and operates the club, after buying it from Fahrenheit Entertainment Inc. No changes have been made to the site.

The Wedge was the scene of more than a dozen rock, R B and country concerts last year by national acts. It’s been silent since December’s Boyz II Men concert, but the shows will resume by the middle of the summer, said Corey Ward, concert promoter.

“We are aggressively negotiating several dates from July on and anticipate to book the last half of 2008 at the same monthly or bi-monthly pace as we did in 2007,” Ward told The Vindicator.

Children’s book fair

YOUNGSTOWN — Magic Carpet Theater, the Mahoning Valley’s only educational touring children’s theater group, announces its first Book Fair and Performance at Barnes and Noble, 381 Boardman-Poland Road, Boardman, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today.

Fifteen percent of all purchases made in the Magic Carpet Theater’s name will be matched and donated by Barnes and Noble.

Magic Carpet Theater is located downtown at the Oakland Center for the Arts, 220 W. Boardman St., and regularly tours the state, appearing before 40,000 school children annually. It is a nonprofit, educational theater group featuring three local performers: Robert Dennick Joki, Jen Kuczek and Grace Vouvalis. For more information, call (330) 746-0404 or e-mail oaklandMCT@yahoo.com.

The troupe will present a 45-minute performance of “Alice in Wonderland” at 6:30 p.m. in Barnes and Noble. Admission is free.

River museum opens

WELLSVILLE — The Wellsville River Museum, 1003 Riverside Ave., will open Sunday for the summer. Hours are 1-4:30 p.m. each Sunday through Aug. 31.

The museum, now in its 60th year, highlights this river town’s 150-year history of railroads, riverboats and pottery. Its collection includes an original Pretty Boy Floyd death mask, one of four made at the time of the notorious gangster’s death outside town. Housed in an 11-room Victorian house, the museum has a gift shop, with a fire station and restored caboose also on the property.

Special events planned include a World War II living history weekend, with the Fourth Armored Division Historical Group, June 14-15.

Also scheduled is a lecture by a riverboat captain and Coast Guard officer at 2 p.m. June 29.