JonesFest is big hit in downtown Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN — For the crowd gathered at JonesFest, the downtown music event felt like a little bit of big-city life.

Before the show, Marilyn Johnson and Carmela Shorter stepped out on a break from their West Federal Street office to watch the setup.

“This is kind of like being on the beach in Santa Monica,” said Johnson, soaking up the sun and pre-show music, recalling music festivals from the time she lived in California.

Shorter remembers Youngstown festivals from her childhood and how they waned as she got older.

“Now I can bring my little kids to get a glimpse of what we did,” she said.

Jim DeCapua, one of the event’s organizers, hoped for about 2,000 people to make the outdoor music fest a part of their weekend. By midafternoon today, between 400 and 500 people had streamed through and he expected traffic to pick up for the evening.

For the complete story, see Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.